Commonwealth in My Community

Quitaque, Texas is a small community, but what many people do not know is that this small town has a number of unique places and the history behind each place. There are a lot of aspects that tie in with the history of this town. Jose Piedad Tafoya was the first settler to land in Quitaque,Texas. He operated a trading post from 1865-1867. In this trading post, he traded dry goods and ammunition to the Comanches for rustled livestock. In 1870, Charles Goodnight brought cattle and named the town “Quitaque.” Quitaque in the Indian language means “End of the Trail.” We also have the Comanchero Canyons museum. This museum displays different artifacts that date all the way back to when the Comanches first settled in Quitaquw. Quitaque has a number of unique places, but one that stands out is the state park. This is our town’s sense of place. The state park a great amount of cool features. Some examples are: Lake Theo, landscapes at the edge of the caprock that are caused by erosion, the beautiful colored cliffs and canyons, and abundant wild life including bison, mule, and white-tailed deer. In town, we have an art place called the Clay Studio. This studio is ran by Melinda Collins. In the studio, she schedules times with people who want to learn to do pottery. Alot of our spirituality comes from the two churches we have in our community. The First Baptist Church and the Methodist church. The city park in the middle of the town is the park that kids and their families come for recreational time to spend with friends and family. There are a number of slides, swings, and even a merry go round. Our education comes mainly from our school that is located between Quitaque and Turkey, Texas. We also have the Caprock Public Library which has a lot of informative books and computers as well to do research. Farming is a big part of our community’s soil and mineral cycle. We farm the cotton as well which is also a big part of our community. Our water tower in own is what filters our water cycle. Our community’s renewable energy comes from our solar energy. Tri- county meals is our food shed that deliver food to the needed. The last thing is our health. Quitaque’s EMS is our emergency service provider for our community.