Canadian Became the County Seat When the Railroad Arrived in 1887

Hemphill County was created by the Texas legislature in 1876, but it was nearly empty for years. A few large cattle outfits ran open ranges across the rolling plains. Then the Southern Kansas Railway arrived in 1887 and laid out the town of Canadian on the south bank of the Canadian River. The railroad gave the county a trading center and a link to outside markets. Canadian became the county seat that same year.

The terrible winter of 1886 had already weakened the big ranches by killing livestock. The arrival of the railroad finished the job: settlers, smaller ranchers, and farmers moved in and fenced the open range. By the early 1900s Canadian was also a railroad division point, which brought jobs and more residents. Oil production, which started in 1955, added another economic layer. By 1978, the county was producing nearly 1.9 million barrels of oil per year, though output has declined since. Today Canadian remains the only incorporated city in the county, with a population of around 2,814 as of 2019.