Mentone in Loving County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Mentone
Smallest County Seat in Texas
Photographed by Mansfieldphoto.com, September 19, 2025
1. Mentone Marker
Only town in Loving County last organized, most sparsely populated (both in total and per square mile) county in Texas.
Established 1931 and named for an earlier town (10 miles north) which legend says was named by a French surveyor-prospector after his home on the Riviera.
With population of 42, Mentone has no water system. (Water is hauled in.) Nor does it have a bank, doctor, hospital, newspaper, lawyer, civic club, or cemetery.
There are only two recorded graves in county; some Indian skeletons, artifacts are found.
Oil, farming, cattle country.
Erected 1967 by State Historical Survey Committee. (Marker Number 3338.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1931.
Location. 31° 42.367′ N, 103° 35.922′ W. Marker is in Mentone, Texas, in Loving County. It is at the intersection of Bell Street (State Highway 302) and Pecos Street (County Road 300), on the right when traveling west on Bell Street. The marker is in the southwest corner of the courthouse plaza. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Mentone TX 79754, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in West Texas. It is also in the American Southwest. Globally, it is in North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the Comancherνa, the Republic of Texas, and one of the Confederate States of America.
Other nearby markers. At least 5 other markers are within walking distance of this marker:
this page online
Also see . . . Texas State Historical Association. The 1990 United States census reported a population of fifty in Mentone, which remains the county seat of the least populous county in the United States. The population dropped to fifteen in 2000. (Submitted on November 22, 2012, by Bill Kirchner of Tucson, Arizona.)
Photographed by Bill Kirchner, October 25, 2012
2. Mentone Marker
Photographed by Bill Kirchner, October 25, 2012
3. Mentone Post Office
The Post Office is across the street from the marker.
Photographed by Bill Kirchner, October 25, 2012
4. Mentone Marker
Photographed by Jimmy Emerson, May 24, 2026
5. Mentone Marker and Loving County courthouse
The marker is to the far left in the picture.
Credits. This page was last revised on May 31, 2026. It was originally submitted on November 22, 2012, by Bill Kirchner of Tucson, Arizona. This page has been viewed 1,688 times since then and 107 times this year. Last updated on July 12, 2022, by Joe Lotz of Flower Mound, Texas. Photos: 1. submitted on October 12, 2025, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. 2, 3, 4. submitted on November 22, 2012, by Bill Kirchner of Tucson, Arizona. 5. submitted on May 31, 2026, by Jimmy Emerson of Dalton, Georgia. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.
