Frontier Life Archives -

The Llano Estacado: Navigating the Staked Plains

June 21, 2026 Larry Gaian 0

The Llano Estacado, or “Staked Plains,” stretches out like a giant tabletop across the heart of Texas and New Mexico. Covering about 37,500 square miles, it touches 33 Texas counties and 4 in New Mexico. This land is one of the biggest and most unique places you will find anywhere in North America. At first glance, the Llano Estacado might […]

Old Mobeetie: The Rugged Mother City of the Texas Panhandle

June 10, 2026 Larry Gaian 0

In the 1870s, the Texas Panhandle was a vast, unforgiving ocean of prairie grass, ruled by the wind, the dwindling herds of buffalo, and the fierce resistance of the Comanche and Kiowa. It was a landscape that defied civilization. Yet, out of the dust and lawlessness of Wheeler County rose a settlement that would become known as the “Mother City” […]

Motley County, Texas

May 21, 2026 Larry Gaian 0

Located in the rolling plains of Northwest Texas, Motley County has a rich history deeply connected to ranching, frontier settlement, and the rugged spirit of the American West. The county was established in 1876 and organized in 1891. It was named in honor of Junius William Mottley, a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence who died during the Texas […]