In Dec. 1902, over 100 people met around a bonfire in a ravine to the southwest of Tahoka Lake and voted to petition for county organization and to select a townsite for a county seat to be named "Tahoka," an Indian word meaning "fresh water." Early in 1903, B.G. Sweet, Jack Alley, and W.T. "Bill" Petty organized the Tahoka Townsite Company. Sweet surveyed and platted the town, and he and L.E. King established the first mercantile store opposite the southwest corner of the public square. County elections were held on April 7, 1903, and the Tahoka Post Office opened on April 30, with Fannie N. Henderson as postmaster. Tahoka soon boasted a 2-story frame courthouse, school, two churches, a hotel, and several businesses, including a newspaper, "The Lynn County News," first published on Oct. 9, 1903, by Otis and Inez Lilly. In 1906, a bank and a cotton gin were built. The Santa Fe Railroad was extended from Slaton to Tahoka in 1910, and for several years Tahoka was one of the largest cattle shipping points in the nation. The community was incorporated on June 13, 1915, and J.E. Stokes elected mayor. Tahoka serves as a trade center for Lynn County farmers and ranchers.

Originally "Carson City", town name was changed 1887 when this site appeared to be the future metropolis of the Panhandle: it was to be at the junction of Santa Fe (under name "Southern Kansas") and Fort Worth & Denver City Railroads. Plans changed, however, and the F.W. & D.C. took a route 16 mi. south, bypassing Panhandle. (Amarillo was soon founded on the F.W. & D.C.) Even so, Panhandle became a major shipping center. During great ranching era and again in 1926 oil boom, it moved more freight than any other town on Santa Fe line except Chicago.

Born in Hopkins County, Texas, Isaac Jackson Teague (1865-1947) married Mariel Susan Abbott in 1889. In 1893 he purchased this property and in 1899 hired local contractor Elmo Routh to build this residence for his large family. Lumber for the simple Victorian farmhouse was shipped here from Bartlett on the Santa Fe Railroad. Owned in 1976 by Teague's son Dayton M. Teague, the structure has housed four generations of the family.

Problems with transporting farm crops to market, along with the growing importance of rail transportation were major factors that prompted area businessmen to organize the Central and Montgomery (C & M) Railroad in 1877. Completed by 1880, the C & M consisted of a 25-mile track connecting Montgomery with the Houston & Texas Central Railroad at Navasota.

A combined passenger and freight station constructed near this site was often the center of social activity. After the county seat was moved from Montgomery in 1889, a small jail, moved to the railroad yard, held prisoners awaiting transportation.

In 1882 the Gulf, Colorado & Santa Fe Railroad purchased the C & M, thus acquiring access to the prized timber trade of East Texas. By extending the rails east and west, this line became the Beaumont-Somerville Branch of the Santa Fe. The eastern extension joined the original C & M line a mile west of town at a point that became known as "The Junction." Travel delays resulted from trains backing to or from the depot to the main line.

Passenger service was discontinued in 1951. Later, the mile of railroad track from "The Junction: to the depot in Montgomery was removed.

William Thomas Brown (1848-1907), a native of Illinois, married Martha (Mattie) J. Housewright in 1871. They moved to Wylie shortly after its establishment on a newly constructed railroad line from Paris to Dallas built by the Gulf, Colorado, and Santa Fe Railroad company in 1886. Thomas and his business partner John H. Burns purchased over 31 acres, which included this site, from Nancy and James Vaughn Russel in 1887. The Browns secured this home site in 1888 and replaced their original residence with this ornate Queen Anne style structure in 1905. The house, with six rooms downstairs and one large room upstairs, exhibits an unusual variety of material, elaborate roofscape and asymmetrical plan typical of the Victorian era. The gables of the four dormers are covered with original fishscale shingles. Prominent features include a wraparound porch with slender paired Doric columns, dentil frieze, palladian windows and polygonal bays with cutaway corners on their side elevations. Although Thomas Brown died just two years after the house was built, Mrs. Mattie Brown continued to live here until her death in 1922. The house was then inherited by the Browns' adopted daughter, Tennie Lee (Rattaree) Creel and remained in her family until 1931.

Founded when Santa Fe Railroad was extended from Plainview to Lubbock, 1909. Named for Monroe G. Abernathy (1868-1962), treasurer of South Plains Investment Company, firm which promoted townsite. Community prospered, becoming a major railhead for shipping of cattle. Several buildings from the defunct town of Bartonsite were moved here and new ones built. Center of civic activities was the "Old Tabernacle" (1918-1947), located on city square. In early days, before roads were built, broad plowed furrows marked way to house of town doctor. Economy is agriculture-based.

Promoted and founded in July 1925 by South Plains & Santa Fe Railroad. Named for railroad president, S.T. Bledsoe. In late 1920s became important cattle shipping point. It was also county's largest town. Population hit 750. Began decline after rail freight traffic decreased in 1930s.

Had second post office in county, in 1889. Named by pioneers who saw here the "Dawning of a New Country." Santa Fe Railroad Station House (a box car) was first building on site, 1905. Town was developed by W.E. Neal and sons in 1914, with lumber yard, hotel, bank and store. Now center of farming industry.

The Fort Worth and Rio Grande Railway built the first rail line into Brady in 1903. Eight years later the Gulf, Colorado & Santa Fe Railroad constructed a second line into town. This depot, built in 1911, was designed for passenger use for both railways. After 1946, it also was used for freight service. Prominent features of the depot include the corbeled brickwork, segmented arches, the red tile roof, and a parapet over the observation bay.

The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad established a railway line about eight miles southwest of Coleman in 1904. The town of Valera developed in the area around the train depot. Its business district, established parallel to the railroad, reflected the needs of its citizens. Businesses included a post office, a hotel, a bank, a flour mill, a cotton gin, an opera house, grocery stores, a blacksmith shop, a cafe and a water well in the middle of the street. Recognizing the need for a community cemetery, Mrs. Minnie K. Harris deeded more than five acres of land in 1922. One of two cemeteries serving the community, it contains more than 300 marked graves, and at least five unmarked graves. The first recorded burial was that of Mrs. N.C. Kidwell in 1922. Many prominent citizens of the area are buried here, including Dr. H.H. Mitchell (1866-1927) who came to Valera in 1905. The only doctor in town, Dr. Mitchell helped establish the first school, was a deacon in the Baptist Church and president of the First State Bank. Also buried here is local law enforcement officer Richard A. Pauly. The cemetery contains burials of veterans from the Spanish American War, World War I, World War II, and the Korean War.