Memphis in Hall County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Hall County
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 6, 2025
1. Hall County Marker
In 1876, the Texas Legislature formed Hall County. Named for Warren D. Hall, Republic Texas Secretary of War, Hall County comprises of 885 square miles of rolling plains and broken terrain. The red and black sandy loam soils support a variety of native grasses in the rougher areas, as well as cotton, peanuts, wheat and grain sorghum crops. Cotton is the most important crop. Hall Co. is considered the Cotton Capitol of the Panhandle. With the recent addition of birdsong peanut plant, peanuts are considered the second most important crop.
Activities in Hall County include the annual Hall County Picnic held in Memphis and the annual Bob Wills Celebration held in Turkey each April in Honor of Bob (James Robert) Wills, the countys most famous native son.
Erected by Texas Department of Transportation.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Arts, Letters, Music • Entertainment • Political Subdivisions. A significant historical year for this entry is 1876.
Location. 34° 43.434′ N, 100° 31.716′ W. Marker is in Memphis, Texas, in Hall County. It is on East Noel Street (State Highway 256) 0.3 miles east of U.S. 287, on the right when traveling east. The marker is in front of the Texas Department
this page online
Regionally, this marker is on the Texas Panhandle. It is also on the American Great Plains and specifically on the Southern Plains. 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 Dust Bowl, the Republic of Texas, and one of the Confederate States of America.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 10 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Quanah Parker Trail (approx. Ό mile away); Hall County Courthouse (approx. half a mile away); a different marker also named Hall County (approx. half a mile away); Old Fairview Cemetery (approx. half a mile away); First Presbyterian Church of Memphis (approx. 0.6 miles away); George Marece Berry (approx. 1.3 miles away); Newlin Cemetery (approx. 9½ miles away); Shoe Bar Ranch Headquarters (approx. 9.7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Memphis.
Also see . . .
1. Hall County, Texas (Texas State Historical Association).
Excerpt: In 1876 the Texas legislature formed Hall County from land formerly assigned to Bexar and Young Counties. A number of major ranching operations moved into the area during the late 1870s and the 1880s. Almost no crops were grown in the county at this time; the agricultural census for that year reported only seventeen acres planted with corn, the county's most important crop. The large and powerful ranches eventually disappeared, however, as they were parceled out to(Submitted on November 14, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)land-hungry settlers who wanted the land for farms and stock farms.Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 6, 20252. Hall County MarkerThe marker is located in front of the Texas Department of Transportation Maintenance building, next to the mailbox near the east entrance.
The growing population led residents to debate county organization in 1889, and in April 1890 a petition of organization was circulated. In a hotly fought election on June 17, Salisbury, the county's oldest town and only railroad stop, fought with Lakeview, near the center of the county, and Memphis, a new town on the railroad, for the honor and economic benefits of being county seat. Memphis won the election and was named county seat on June 23; Salisbury vanished by 1893, and Lakeview remained a small trade center with little chance to grow.
By 1910 there were 1,028 farms and ranches in the county, and the structure of the local economy had been transformed. Corn culture occupied almost 11,000 acres that year, and cotton culture had spread to encompass almost 52,000 acres of county land. In 2002 the county had 311 farms and ranches covering 431,782 acres, 52 percent of which were devoted to pasture and 45 percent to crops. In that year farmers and ranchers in the area earned $20,639,000; crop sales accounted for $16,170,000 of the total. Cotton, peanuts, beef cattle, and hogs were the chief agricultural products.
2. James Robert "Bob" Wills (1905-1975) (Wikipedia)
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 6, 2025
3. Hall County Texas Department of Transportation Maintenance Building
Looking west along East Noel Street (State Highway 256). The marker is located near the east entrance.
Excerpt: American musician, songwriter, and bandleader. Considered by music authorities as the founder of Western swing, he was known widely as the King of Western Swing. He was also noted for punctuating his music with his trademark "ah-haa" calls. He was born on a cotton farm in Kosse, Texas, to Emma Lee Foley and John Tompkins Wills. The entire Wills family was musically inclined. The family frequently held country dances in their home, and while living in Hall County, Texas, they also played at "ranch dances", which were popular throughout West Texas. In this environment, Wills learned to play the fiddle and the mandolin early.(Submitted on November 14, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Wills formed several bands and played radio stations around the South and West until he formed the Texas Playboys in 1934 with Wills on fiddle, Tommy Duncan on piano and vocals, rhythm guitarist June Whalin, tenor banjoist Johnnie Lee Wills, and Kermit Whalin who played steel guitar and bass. Oklahoma guitar player Eldon Shamblin joined the band in 1937 bringing jazzy influence and arrangements.
The Country Music Hall of Fame inducted Wills in 1968 and the Texas State Legislature honored him for his contribution to American music. In 1972, Wills accepted a citation from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers in Nashville. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted Wills and the Texas Playboys in 1999.
Credits. This page was last revised on November 14, 2025. It was originally submitted on November 14, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 82 times since then and 39 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on November 14, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
