Montague

Formed December 8, 1857 (120^th county)

Montague County (19,719), Montague* (304), Bowie (5,218)

The stately Classical Revival structure of the 1912 county courthouse overlooks the center of the tiny community of Montague.  It is located on a square on Texas State Highway 59 at Washington and Rush streets.  George Burnett designed this dark red brick building.  The building was remodeled in 1939 and renovated in 1986.  An Annex was added in 2013.  Montague has had the only four county courthouses (1858, 1878, 1885, and 1912) for Montague County since its founding on December 8, 1857.  The county was cut from Cooke County as the 120^th county.  Pioneer surveyor Daniel Montague was the source for the county and county seat’s names.  Montague County is the birthplace of 1 Texas Governor, James V. Allred. 

Montague County government consists of a sheriff, a County Judge, and 4 Commissioners.  One District Court Judge serves Montague, Archer, and Clay counties and One County Court Judge serves Montague County.  The county is situated along the Red River northwest of Fort Worth, Texas.  The Red River is its northern border with Oklahoma.  The county center is 1.3 miles South of Montague.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Oklahoma and Cooke, Wise, Jack, and Clay counties. 

The area of the county is 938 square miles.  It is 105 out of 254 in the state.  It ranks 121 out of 254 in population in the state.  It has a density of 21.02 persons per square mile making it 127 out of 254 in the state.  Montague County has 47.1% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 81 enters from Oklahoma to the north and exits into Wise County to the south.  United States Highway 82 crosses east to west, Clay County to Cooke County.  United States Highway 287 cuts the southwest corner going from Wise County to Clay County.  The county shaped like a tall rectangle other the ins and outs of the northern border.  Montague is near the county center.  Bowie is located in the southwest quarter of the county.  Montague is the county seat and Bowie is the largest city.  Montague is 1.5% of the county population although it is unincorporated.  Bowie is 26.5% of the county population.  The county and county seat are pronounced MON-TAG.

Montague (unincorporated)