Nice quick trip to ‘West’ Texas.  This is the land of rattlesnakes, cattle, oil and windmills for energy as far as the eye can see.  Between Anson and Childress there were towns that are among the smallest in Texas.  In fact, King County is the second least populated county among the 254 Texas Counties.  The courthouses visited on this trip ran the gambit – from ultra modern – Scurry, Taylor, Nolan, Stonewall, Fisher, Kent and King, the art deco/moderne – Knox, Cottle, and Childress, and the somewhat more historic – Mitchell, Haskell, Jones, Foard, Wilbarger and Hardeman.  The courthouses in Jones and Cottle counties are among the most impressive in Texas.  The towns were mostly small and not very active – very typical of many parts of rural Texas.  But Abilene is very large, and Vernon, Childress, Snyder, Sweetwater, Colorado City, Quanah and even Anson – are obviously centers of commerce.  The small towns visited included: Benjamin, Guthrie, Crowell, Paducah, Haskell, Jayton, Aspermont and Roby.  Taking a look at these towns will give you a really good feel for West Texas.  The retired courthouses were visited in King, Taylor and Stonewall counties.  The retired King County Courthouse is now an impressive museum.  It’s often locked – but you can get the key and walk through on your own.  And finding the old Stonewall courthouse is difficult.  Wear your boots – there are rattlesnakes around!  We got pictures of old jails in Cottle, Fisher, Foard, King, Knox, Scurry and Childress Counties.  We were shown through the old King County jail by the County Extension Agent.  It’s stll pretty well intact.  A lot to take in – but with so much of West Texas and the Panhandle to go – we had to dive in somewhere.  Enjoy your visit to West Texas.