Whiteflat

This area of Motley County was first called "Whiteflat" due to the tall white needlegrass which covered the flat prairie land. A post office, named Whiteflat, was established for the rural settlement in 1890 at the request of W. R. Tilson. At its height, the community boasted four grocery stores, three service stations, three garages, two cafes, a hardware store, two gins, and three churches. A school, first housed in a one-room schoolhouse built by volunteers, opened in 1890. It was replaced by a four-room school in 1908, and in 1922 a new two-story brick structure was erected. It also served as a community gathering place. Dependent on an economy based on agriculture and small family farms, the community began to decline as a result of the Depression and dust bowl years of the 1930s. The Whiteflat School closed in 1946, when it was consolidated with Matador Schools. The local churches disbanded in the 1960s; the post office closed in 1966 following the death of the last postmaster, Ida Morris; and the last remaining retail business, a grocery store and service station, closed in 1968. (1991)

Whiteflat is a historical marker in Whiteflat, Motley County, dedicated in 1991. It is one of 13 historical markers documented in Motley County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 16 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 34.1081, -100.8891 near Whiteflat. The nearest cataloged historic site is Whiteflat Cemetery (historical marker), about 1.3 miles away. Others within a short drive include Old Whiteflat, Motley County Jail, and Bob's Oil Well.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5345005788. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.