LA PLATA

NAME: La Plata COUNTY: Deaf Smith County ROADS: 2WD GRID: 1 CLIMATE: Cold Winter / Hot Summer BEST TIME TO VISIT: Spring / Fall

COMMENTS: La Plata is located in Central Deaf Smith Countyon County Road MM at 16 {See the Roads of Texas 3rdED page 26 Eb REMAINS: Texas Historical Marker and few old buildings

La Plata, originally name was Grenada. The community engaged in a heated contest with neighoring Ayr to be county seat. Greneada won in a controversial election on October 3, 1890. The name of the community was changed to La Plata on request of the postal offical. A small frame couthouse was built of lumber hauled from Amarillo. The community had a post office, a school, a county jail, a church, general store,a pharmacy, a saloon, a hotel, an implement house, a blacksmith shop, a livery stable, a printing office, and the La Plata Star. The weather hindered the community's development almost from the beginning, from 1891 to 1894 a drought, and in February 1897 a blizzard resulted in below freezing temperatures for twenty-one consecutive days. More than half of the community were compelled to leave, plus the change of the county seat and the Pecos anf Northern Texas Railway bypassing the community caused the decline of La Plata. Today there is a cemetery and the Texas Historical Marker and a few farming building at the location. The original portable county jail is on display at the Deaf Smith County Museum in Hereford. This is taken from the New Handbook of Texas Vol. 4 page 72-73. Submitted by: Texas Wandergoing, Inc

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