Henrietta

Clay County Courthouse, Henrietta, Texas

Clay County Courthouse, Henrietta, Texas

County Courthouse in the City of Henrietta, the seat of Clay County, Texas. Photograph by Liveon001.

Henrietta, the county seat of Clay County, is on U.S. highways 287 and 82, State Highway 148, and Farm Road 1197, on the Burlington Northern Railroad and the Little Wichita River twenty miles southeast of Wichita Falls in the center of the county. When Clay County was separated from Cooke County on December 24, 1857, the act required that the county seat be named Henrietta. There are several theories of the name's origin, but the real explanation remains a mystery. One hypotheses is that Henrietta is a feminized version of Henry, since the county is named for Henry Clay. Another popular but unlikely explanation is that it was named for Clay's wife, Lucretia.

Henrietta was the only town in Clay County of any consequence in 1860, when it had ten houses and a general store. The 109 residents of the county, including two slaves, represented part of the far western edge of settlement in North Texas. Henrietta received a post office in 1862. County elections were held that year, and Indian attacks became more frequent when the local soldiers withdrew during the Civil War. Henrietta residents began fleeing to Cooke and Montague counties, and by 1862 Clay County was abandoned by White settlers and officially unorganized. Soldiers reported that Henrietta was deserted, had "strange Indian signs on the walls," and soon thereafter was burned.

Continue Reading

Lisa C. Maxwell | © TSHA

Handbook of Texas Logo

Adapted from the official Handbook of Texas, a state encyclopedia developed by Texas State Historical Association (TSHA). It is an authoritative source of trusted historical records.

Belongs to

Henrietta is part of or belongs to the following places:

Currently Exists

Yes

Place type

Henrietta is classified as a Town

Location

Latitude: 33.81496640
Longitude: -98.19290200

Has Post Office

Yes

Is Incorporated

Yes

Population Count, 2021 View more »

3,102