Parmer

Formed August 21, 1876 (214^th county)

Parmer County (9,871), Farwell (1,425), Friona (4,168)                

The Classical Revival West Texas courthouse in Farwell was built in 1916 at 3^rd and Avenue C.  It shares this square with a park.  It is two blocks south of United States Highways 70/84 on 3^rd Street.  The building has been enlarged in 1974 for the Law Enforcement Center.  Two county seats have served this county since its August 21, 1876 organization.  Parmerton was the original with Farwell replacing it in 1916.  C. Risser of Risser & Townes designed the Farwell tan brick courthouse.  The county was cut from Bexar County as the 214^th county.  Parmer is named for Martin Parmer, one of the signers of the Texas Declaration of Independence.  Farwell gets its name from John V. Farwell, an officer in the land company in the county. 

Parmer County government consists of a sheriff, a County Judge, and 4 Commissioners.  One District Court Judge serves Parmer and Bailey counties and One County Court Judge serves Parmer County.  The county is located in the Texas panhandle with New Mexico on its western border.  Amarillo, Texas is northeast and Lubbock, Texas is southeast of the county.  The county center is 21.8 miles East-Northeast of Farwell nearer Hub.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Deaf Smith, Castro, Lamb, and Bailey counties and New Mexico. 

The area of the county is 882 square miles.  It is 172 out of 254 in the state.  It ranks 165 out of 254 in population in the state.  It has a density of 11.2 persons per square mile making it 162 out of 254 in the state.  Parmer County has 73.8% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 60 comes in from the northeast corner, Castro County, and goes diagonally across the county to the west, New Mexico.  United States Highways 70 and 84 jointly enter from the Bailey County on the south, joins United States Highway 60 at Farwell, and exit to New Mexico.  The county is square with Farwell on the far west border with New Mexico.  Friona is located in the northeast quarter of the county.  Farwell is the county seat and Friona is the largest city.  Farwell is 14.4% of the county population while Friona is 42.2% of the county population.  The county seat is pronounced FAR-WELL.  The largest city is pronounced FREE-OE-NA.