Sterling City, Texas, Sterling County seat. (original) (raw)

History in a Pecan Shell

Named for buffalo hunter and Indian fighter W. S. Sterling when the town became the county seat in July 1891. There wasn't any competetion for the county seat and Sterling City remains the population core for the county.

R. C. Stewart was the man who donated the land for the town in January of 1891. It was platted the following month by H. B. Tarver.

By June of that year the town had its own newspaper as well as a hotel and several essential businesses and before the year was out Sterling City had a post office.

The first school was built in1892 and four years later the population was 300 Sterling Citizens.

The Santa Fe Railroad arrived in 1910, but later abandoned its service.

At one time the town had 150 windmills providing water to the town. By 1914 the population had increased to 900.

No figures were given through the thirties, but after WWII the population had decreased by about 10%. By 1970 it was down to 780 but increased back to 915 by 1980. The population finally broke the 1,000 person mark in the late 80s or early 90s and is listed on the 2004 highway map as 1,081.

Sterling City, Texas

Landmarks / Attractions

Sterling City Closed Pony Bridge
Photo courtesy Barclay Gibson, December 2009

Hwy 158 - An old cabin beside the road
Photo courtesy Barclay Gibson, December 2009

Sterling City Forum

• Subject: Camp Elizabeth
  This is one of those Centennial Markers that no one knows what to do with. Camp Elizabeth "is thought" to have been about 10 miles northwest of Sterling City. If the Centennial Committee didn't know for sure that it was there. How could we? And why did they go to all the trouble to have one of this markers carved, delivered and erected in such a remote location? - Barclay Gibson, December 28, 2009
• Subject: Sterling City, Texas
  I just read the letter of January 2006 from Debra Wimberly. She was commenting on the building diagonally across from the Sterling County Courthouse. When my family moved to Sterling City in 1945, that building housed the Deal Pharmacy. It was always a very busy place and was a hangout for us kids while we were in town. In the same building, round the corner East toward the school, Dr. Swann had his offices. Upstairs was the telephone system and where the central operator worked.
  Sometimes a photographer from San Angelo would come to Sterling and set up for kids� portraits, and he used rooms upstairs in this building.
  When we moved to Sterling City we actually lived in Coke County, managing the 7 � section Mendenhall Ranch. The only road from the ranch to pavement went to Sterling City. We were supposed to attend school in Robert Lee, but arrangements were made for my brother George and me to attend Sterling City schools.
  We lived in Sterling City until 1955 and some of my fondest memories are from this period in my life. - Johnny Thompson, Midland, Texas, December 01, 2006
• I was born and raised in Sterling City. In 1974 I was one of the last babies to be delivered by Dr. Swan in the hospital there.

I just wanted to let y'all know that one building [in your coverage] has been left out. That would be the landmark on main street catercorner from the courthouse and the jail. That building has been there forever. It was a motel at one time and a bank and is supposed to be haunted. It was redone to be a restaurant then the ownership changed and it was reopened up as a restaurant again and again. I remember hearing about it being haunted more than once. I thought that y'all would like [to share] that little tidbit - Debra Wimberly, former Sterling Citizen, January 19, 2006

	Sterling City ISD Photo courtesy Ken Rudine, August 2005

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