Buffalo Springs, Clay County, Texas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Buffalo Springs, Clay County, Texas
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 Buffalo Springs, Clay County, Texas
Location in Texas
Buffalo Springs, Clay County, Texas
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Clay |
| Elevation | 1,066 ft (325 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| Area code(s) | 940 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1353209 |
Buffalo Springs is a small, unincorporated community in Clay County, Texas, United States. An "unincorporated community" means it's a place where people live, but it doesn't have its own local government like a city or town. It's part of the larger Wichita Falls metropolitan area. In 2000, about 51 people lived there.
Contents
The Story of Buffalo Springs
The story of Buffalo Springs began in 1864. About 25 people tried to start a farming community there. They built an outpost, which was like a small fort. But life was very hard for them. There were often conflicts with Native American tribes. Also, there was a long period of very little rain, called a drought. Because of these challenges, the settlers left the area. It stayed empty until 1878.
In 1878, two brothers, C. O. and J. Q. Burnett, came to the area. They settled about half a mile from where the old outpost used to be. A post office soon opened in their new settlement. They named it Buffalo Springs because of a nearby creek called Buffalo Creek.
Growth and Changes Over Time
By the middle of the 1890s, Buffalo Springs had grown quite a bit. About 200 people lived there. The community had a few stores and two cotton gins. Cotton gins were machines that separated cotton fibers from their seeds. The main jobs for the people living there were farming and raising livestock, like cattle.
However, the population started to decrease over time. By 1914, about 125 people lived in Buffalo Springs. By the mid-1920s, this number had dropped to 115. In the 1930s, Buffalo Springs still had many small businesses and two churches. But the population continued to shrink. In the 1950s, about 100 people lived there. By the mid-1960s, it was down to 60. The post office closed in 1954. By 2000, only 51 people called Buffalo Springs home.
Where is Buffalo Springs?
Buffalo Springs is located in the south-central part of Clay County, Texas. You can find it where two roads meet: Farm to Market Road 3077 and Farm to Market Road 174. It's about 15 mi (24 km) south of Henrietta. It's also about 27 mi (43 km) north of Jacksboro. A historic place called Fort Richardson is also located near Buffalo Springs.
Learning in Buffalo Springs
In the 1930s, Buffalo Springs had its own school. This means children living there could go to school right in their community. Today, students in the Buffalo Springs area attend schools that are part of the Midway Independent School District.
