Parmer County

Parmer County Offices

Parmer County Town List

Parmer County is towards the western border of the Texas Panhandle. New Mexico borders it on the west and five other counties. Deaf Smith on the north, Castro county on the east, Bailey and Lamb counties on the south. Its center is 34°33′ north latitude and 102°47′ west longitude. Parmer County’s seat is Farwell, located on the Texas-New Mexico border.

The county was named after Martin Parmer, a Texas Revolution Veteran. Parmer County land occupies 859 square miles.

Parmer County Climate and Topography

Parmer County is mainly made up of level plains covered in sandy, clay, and loam soils that support native grasses. The land has been utilized and produces corn, potatoes, cotton, sorghum, hay, wheat, soybeans, and sugar beets. Parmer County is 3,800-4202 feet above sea level.

The Running Water Draw running towards the southeast divides the county in two. Other arroyos like Frio Draw and Catfish Draw, which break some plains in Parmer County. Rainfall in Parmer averages 17.50 inches annually. The temperature ranges between 21° F in January and 92° F in July. The growing season is 183 days annually.

Parmer County History

The region that contains Parmer County has stayed isolated in its entire history. Jose Mares’ expedition is believed to have crossed the northeastern area of the county in 1787. Most of the time during this period, the region remained under the control of its aboriginal inhabitants.

The Kiowas and Comanches chased out Apaches who occupied the land around the 1700s. The Kiowas and Comanches ruled the plains of Texas from 1700 to the end of the Red River War in 1874. The Indians claimed this territory, and after defeating them, this region was now open to white settlers.

In 1876, the Texas legislature established Parmer County by splitting part of the Bexar District. In 1882, settlements began to form. In January 1882, the Capitol syndicate decided to build a new state capitol in exchange for 3,000,000 acres in West Texas. The county lay on the syndicate’s land because of the massive XIT Ranch. Parmer County remained unpopulated and unorganized in that century, except for XIT cowboys.

By 1900, the population had grown to 30 or 40 people, and ranching was the main activity in the region. Development to reshape the area had already started. In 1898, the Northern Texas and Pecos Railway Company began constructing the rail line to the Texas-New Mexico border at Amarillo.

The railway eventually ran to the Santa Fe mainline. This prompted settlements in Parmer County, mainly from New Mexico. Palmerton became a Capitol syndicate in 1898. Other towns like Bovina, Friona, and Black came later in the same year. Farwell was founded in 1904 by the syndicate. It was established as a central point for the company to run its activities.

Parmer County Offices

Parmer County Judge is Honorable Trey Ellis, assisted by Michelle Agee. The office contacts are 806-481-3383 (phone) or 806-481-9548 (fax). The county attorney is Jeff W. Atkinson. The attorney’s contacts are 806-481-3361(phone) or 481-9060(fax).

The county clerk is Susie Spring assisted by Breann Saenz and Esmeralda Vazquez. The office contacts are 806-481-3691(phone) or 806-481-9548(fax). Parmer County Treasurer is Sharon May, assisted by Lucy Martinez. Awana Sanchez governs the Tax Office. Her office contacts are 806-481-384(phone) or 806-481-9548(fax).

The Justice of The Peace has three precinct judges. Judge Gipson, Precinct 1. Her office contacts are 806-250-2412(phone) or 806-250-2414(fax). Precinct 2 is Judge Leura, office contacts 806- 251-1356(phone) or 806-251-1579(fax). Precinct 3 is Judge Haseloff, office contacts 806- 481-9964 or 806-481-9965(fax).

Parmer County Attractions

In Parmer County, the first site you should visit is the Parmer County Pioneer Heritage Museum. The first church in Friona was Union Congregational Church. The first church, a wooden structure, was burnt in 1921. The structure built after that incident is now the Parmer County Pioneer Heritage Museum. Its conversion from church to museum started in the 1970s. A local women’s group cleaned and conserved the building for the girl scout group. However, the actual museum program began in the early 2000s.

Another significant thing in Parmer is Malouf’s Fabrics. The history of this fantastic store is compelling. The owner passed away in 2004, and his children continued the legacy he left behind. For more information about the facility, visit the official store website. The store deals with fashion and apparel, home decor, sewing machines, and other craft items.

Parmer County is also home to the Farwell Country Club. The facilities offer a driving range, greens, motor carts, golf club rental, a pro shop, club fitting, and golf lessons. Additional facilities include a restaurant and changing rooms. Farwell Country club opened in 1966 and has nine golf courses.

Living in Parmer County

The cost of living in Parmer County is 72.2. The cost of living factors in health, grocery, housing, median home cost, utilities, and transportation. The job market indices in Parmer County are as follows, income per capita $21,876, household income $50,410, unemployment rate 3.3, recent job growth 0.57%, and future job growth 24.74%.

The violent crime rate in Parmer county is 15.2, and property crime is 24.4. Use this link to get detailed information about Parmer county’s crime rate. There are neither public nor private schools in Parmer County. The county spends $11,966 per student. The pupil-teacher ratio is 11:1, librarian student ratio 1:221, and counselor student ratio 1:229.

The county’s unemployment rate is 3.3%. In the last year, the job market has increased by 0.3%. The future job growth in the next decade is estimated at 24.7%. The sales tax in the county is 7.6%.

There are 51 doctors for every 100,000 citizens in Parmer county. The health cost index is 106.4/100, water quality index 20/100, superfund index 59/100, and air quality index 85/100.

The median home cost in Parmer county is $108,000, and renters make up 26.1% of the population, and 3.2% of Parmer county apartments are available for rent.

For information about Parmer County, visit the official county website.