Wheeler County Grew Up Around Fort Elliott and Cattle Trails

The Texas legislature created Wheeler County in 1876 from older land districts. It became the first Panhandle county to organize, doing so on April 12, 1879, with fourteen other unorganized counties attached to it. The original county seat was Sweetwater, later renamed Mobeetie. The county was named for Royal T. Wheeler, who served as the second chief justice of the Texas Supreme Court.

Fort Elliott was established in June 1875 near Hidetown and formally named Fort Elliott in 1876. It remained operative until 1890. The fort protected settlers and drew commerce to the area. Cattle ranching dominated the economy through the 1800s. The Rock Island Railroad reached the county in 1902, opening new towns along its route, including Shamrock. Oil and gas arrived in the 1920s and brought a second wave of growth.