This week we continue the history of Bailey County, written by Mrs. A.W. Copley. We left this story last week as the Bailey County Citizens settled down to watchful waiting and planning for any opportunity to organize Bailey County. They were sure that an opportunity would come their way. Below Mrs. Copley wrote it just as it happened. 

“The years 1916-1917 marked the fruition of the voters’ plans that were put into action in 1918. The called session of the Thirty-fifth Legislature was the first legislative body to serve the purposes of the citizens. A fund of $1,500 was raised and Wm. G. Kennedy and E. D. King were sent to Austin to secure the passage of a new law changing the number of qualified voters for county organization from one hundred fifty to seventy-five. On March 16, 1918 the Legislature passed an emergency law, making the desire changes which became effective immediately. This enactment on the part of Bailey County voters by a second petition for organization was drawn up and signed by one hundred ten people who represented themselves to be qualified voters of the county. After the signers had been summoned and examined by the district court, eighty-four legally, qualified voters were found, and therefore, the petition was duly presented to the Commissioner’s Court of Castro County, April 8, 1918. The Court spent the entire day and most of the following one in careful consideration of the request. On April 9, 1918, the court granted the plea and Bailey County, for the second time was marked off into four precincts, as required for an election. It was furth ordered that the election be held through out Bailey County, Texas on May 11, 1918 for the selection of a county seat and county officers. 

The opposing non-resident land owners again protested and a law suit was filed, but the election ordered for May 11 was held before the Commissioners Court could canvas the returns opposers had a temporary injunction served on the court which prevented the said court from counting the votes. Thus, Bailey County, though organized, existed for six months without a county seat or officials. At the following session of the District Court the injunction was ordered dissolved and the law suit was appealed to the court of Civil Appeals. Before a hearing could be secured the regular election on November 5 was held and Bailey County officials were elected a second time. For some unknown reason the plaintiffs failed to serve an injunction upon the election of this set of officials and after they were sworn in on the second Monday in January, 1919, they decided to secure their county records from Castro County immediately and set up their own county government. 

Hoskins, who represented those non-residents, succeeded in having a hearing set for January 18, in Plainview, and so two days before that date the following newly elected officials went to Dimmitt after their records: W. M. Wilterding, County Judge; C. C. Mardis, County Clerk; H. A. Douglas, Sheriff and Tax Collector; J.A. Greenfield, Tax Assessor; G. P. Kykendall, County Treasurer; T. L. Snyder, Commissioner Precinct No. 1; J. B. Diggs, Commissioner Precinct No. 2; C. E. Dotson, Commissioner Precinct No. 3; Floyd Davenport, Commissioner Precinct No. 4; E. R. Hart, Justice of the Peace; R. J. Clump, Justice of the Peace. These men started out early in the morning through snow and frozen mud, some were riding and others walking part of the way. They reached Dimmitt about nine o’clock the of January 16, and were permitted by the County Clerk to spend the night in the court house. The next day they arranged and compiled the needed records and after “bunking” for another night in the court house, left at 4 o’clock on the morning of January 18 for Muleshoe. The records were carried by H. N. King and E. R. Hart. The eleven officers scattered in every direction in order to confuse any officers who might be sent from Plainview to intercept them. The cold, wet journey was made without mishap tot eh records which were deposited in the vaults of the Muleshoe Bank for safe-keeping.   

The majority of the officials listed became active in the management of school affairs for the next two decades and they were well prepared to cope with the difficulties that arose.  

The county records remained in the bank vaults until a more appropriate place was provided and the men took up the work of their offices in makeshift buildings without office equipment and learned to run the county government by actual experience. The people of the county, believing that their problems of local county government were in the hands of capable men, gave all their energies to the task of developing the natural resources of the county.”  

Schools had existed in the county for 10 years before county organization was affective. Look for my article in next week’s paper as we write about the schools in the area as well as the history of two small towns—Hurley and Muleshoe. You’ll also learn how efforts were made to get a railroad through the county. It is most interesting.