/about/montague-county/
Montague County —
a primer.
Montague County sits on the Red River, a hundred miles northwest of Fort Worth — too far for a commute, too close to be the country. The land is mostly cattle, oats, and oak. The people are mostly Methodist, mostly stubborn, and mostly happy to be left alone.
This page is the front door to everything we have written about the county — its history, the eight towns inside it, the lakes and creeks and roads worth knowing, and the people who shaped it. Pick a thread.
| Established | 1858 (organized 1873) |
| Named for | Daniel Montague, surveyor |
| County seat | Montague (pop. 304) |
| Largest town | Bowie (pop. 5,218) |
| Area | 938 sq mi |
| Population | 19,503 (2020 census) |
| Major highway | US-287, SE to NW |
| River | Red River (north boundary) |
Fig. 1. Montague County, with its eight incorporated communities. Red River forms the northern boundary with Oklahoma.
Five threads
History
Four eras, 23 articles. Cattle, rail, oil, and what came after.
Nature
Cross Timbers terrain, the Red River, Lake Nocona, and the wildlife that comes with each.
Places
Diners, squares, ruins, and reservoirs. Anywhere worth a drive or a stop.
People
Biographies of the ranchers, bootmakers, surveyors, and educators who shaped the county.
Guides
Practical guides for visitors and locals — where to eat, what to see, when to go.