Removal of Archives From Coldwater to Stratford

On May 2, 1901, an election was held to determine whether the Sherman County seat should be moved from Coldwater (a ranching center in the central part of the county) to Stratford (a growing town on the new railroad). Partisan feelings ran high and the legality of certain votes was questioned. Because of a threatened injunction against the move, a special session of court was held at 1 a.m. on May 6. Votes were canvassed and, under cover of darkness, the county records were spirited to a tent about 2 blocks south of here. A horseman bringing the injunction to halt the move arrived too late. For several days apprehensive Stratford citizens kept an armed guard posted around the tent. Proponents of Coldwater then filed a suit titled "W.B. Slaughter Et Al. vs. D.W. Snyder Et Al.", but by the time court convened, Stratford had been widely accepted as county seat and the suit was dismissed. Those who helped move the records included D.W. Snyder, County Judge; C.F. Rudolph, County Clerk; Dick Pincham, Sheriff; D.D. Spurlock, Deputy Sheriff; Tom Chambers, Treasurer; W.J. Potts and J.H. Bowman, Jr., Commissioners; and J.M. Upshaw, a hired freighter. (1969)

Removal of Archives From Coldwater to Stratford is a historical marker in Stratford, Sherman County, dedicated in 1969. It is one of 5 historical markers documented in Sherman County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 9 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 36.3380, -102.0702 near Stratford. The nearest cataloged historic site is Sherman County Courthouse (courthouse), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include Stratford Cemetery, Stratford Cemetery, and County Named for Sidney Sherman, C.S.A..

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5421004241. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.