A short history of Vernon
Vernon sits just south of the Pease River in Wilbarger County, fifty miles northwest of Wichita Falls. Long before it was a town, the spot was known to the Tonkawa as Eagle Springs — a dependable watering hole on what became the Western Cattle Trail.
Site known as Eagle Springs by the Tonkawa, a watering hole on the Western Cattle Trail.
Town platted along the cattle trail; renamed Vernon after George Washington's home, Mount Vernon.
Wilbarger County organized with Vernon as the county seat.
Fort Worth & Denver City Railway reaches Vernon, sparking growth.
W.T. Waggoner Ranch — one of the largest ranches in the U.S. — operates from the area.
The current Wilbarger County Courthouse is completed in downtown Vernon.
Vernon is home to ~10,000 people, Vernon State Hospital, Vernon College, and a vibrant ag economy.
The Waggoner legacy
The W.T. Waggoner Estate — for decades the largest ranch under one fence in the United States — has shaped Vernon's identity for over a century. Cattle, horses, oil, and small-town hospitality still run through this place.