Muleshoe, Texas

In 1907, the Santa Fe was planning to build a line from Texico, New Mexico, to Plainview, Texas and beyond to points east and south. A new town was founded on the railroad's survey a few miles east of the state line. This was Hurley, the first town in Bailey County.

A few years later the railroad constructed its line, but plans had changed. The route actually constructed ran from Texico to Lubbock and beyond. This left Hurley three miles to the north of the rails.

The developers and citizens of Hurley were unhappy, but as was common in that era, they moved the town, including many of the buildings, to a new location on the railroad. Then they began dealing with the railroad for a station. However, the railroad balked at the price they were demanding for land.

Nearby was the new town of Janes, on the railroad. The townspeople here were very cooperative, but the ground on which the town had been located was nothing but sand. It was no place for a depot.

A new location was selected and the town of Muleshoe was created. The town of Janes quickly moved to the new location, but new Hurley protested. For years, they soaped the rails to stop trains, and fought through the courts for a depot. At one time, the Texas Railroad Commission awarded victory to new Hurley. The railroad was required to establish a station at new Hurley, and plans of the proposed depot had to be filed with the Commission by a certain date. But the railroad never had a station at new Hurley, and how that was managed is a mystery. Eventually, new Hurley disappeared entirely.

Muleshoe contained many structures that had been moved from old Hurley, new Hurley and Janes. Some had been in two of those towns. There was also a large concrete house in Muleshoe. It still stands.

In the Santa Fe's architechtural plans in the Southwest Collection at Texas Tech Univ. are plans of a large concrete house to be built at Muleshoe for Mr. John Janes. Also in this collection are plans for a proposed depot at Hurley, Texas.

And down the line, the railroad changed the name of a station to Janes.

For the graybeards among us, go back to one of Mr. Miller's first editions of the Santa Fe Modeler and find the story "Square with the World." It is the same piece of railroad between Texico and Lubbock.