Motley

Formed August 21, 1876 (210^th county)

Motley County (1,063), Matador (567)

The Modern structure of the Motley County courthouse was built in 1948.  It is located on the square on United States Highway 62 and Main Street.  Wyatt C. Hedrick was the designer of this tan brick and concrete structure.  Matador has been the location for the three courthouses (1892, 1894, and 1948) the county has had since it was created on August 21, 1876.  The county was cut from Bexar County as the 210^th county.  Motley County is named Dr. Junius William Mottley (his name was misspelled in the legislation that authorized the county).  He was a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence.  Matador is named for the biggest ranch in the area. 

Motley County government consists of a sheriff, a County Judge, and 4 Commissioners.  One District Court Judge serves Motley, Briscoe, Dickens, and Floyd counties and One County Court Judge serves Motley County.  The county is in the panhandle southwest of Amarillo, Texas and northeast of Lubbock, Texas.  The county center is 13.7 miles Northeast of Matador nearer Whiteflat.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Hall, Cottle, King, Dickens, Crosby, Floyd, and Briscoe counties. 

The area of the county is 989 square miles.  It is 78 out of 254 in the state.  It ranks 246 out of 254 in population in the state.  It has a density of 1.1 persons per square mile making it 242 out of 254 in the state.  Motley County has 73.7% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highways 62 and 70 jointly cross from east to west, Cottle County to Floyd County.  The county is the standard square shape typical in the panhandle area.  Matador is near the geographical center of the county.  Matador is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 53.3% of the county population.  The county is pronounced MOT-LEE.  The county seat is pronounced MAT-A-DOOR.