Law and Order

Spanish explorers led by Coronado first visited the Llano but concentrated on settling parts of Mexico and New Mexico. Mexican buffalo hunters and traders were the first non-native Americans to have a major influence there, and buffalo hunters reportedly killed over 10,000 buffalo each year until the animals were threatened by extinction. Comanche Indians ruled the Llano until their last chief, Quanah Parker, surrendered to the U.S. Army in 1875; with federal permission, he later tracked rebelling Comanches across the land, and in 1877 crossed paths with Fort Concho's Buffalo Soldiers at nearby Cedar Lake, after which the soldiers became disoriented and were known as the lost Nolan Expedition. In the late 1800s, state leases and sales of school and railroad lands attracted settlers, and disputes broke out over leases, fencing, windmills, and ownership in a region considered wild. The ambush and murder of Jim Jarrott in 1903 was never solved, but residents gradually created a climate for law-abiding citizens. By June 28, 1904, the area had enough population for its own county seat; although many expected the thriving town of Gomez to win, a tense election that included arguments over cowboys' legal residences ended with Brownfield winning by only three votes, and the organization of county government brought law and order to Terry County.

Brownfield, Texas · United States