Della Plain

A severe drought in the mid-1880s brought Baylor County rancher T. J. Braidfoot to this area in search of better conditions for his cattle, and in 1887, with the support of J. R. McLain of Seymour, he founded Della Plain at this site. Other early contributors to the town's development included Seymour residents I. R. Darnell and Dr. L. T. Wilson. Named for J. S. McLain's daughter Della and for the surrounding terrain, the settlement was intended to become the county seat when Floyd County was formally organized. Della Plain became an early agricultural center for the region and soon had a school, church, post office, stores, and a newspaper, the "Della Plain Review." Growth was limited, however, by an inadequate water supply and by the establishment of the nearby towns of Lockney in 1889 and Floydada in 1890. Rapid decline began after Floydada was named the seat of Floyd County in 1890, and four years later the community cemetery was all that remained of Della Plain. Despite its brief history, the pioneer town had a dramatic impact on the region, as its residents led in the later development of the county and nearby cities, and their descendants still live in the area.

Floydada, Texas · United States