Ever heard of Muleshoe, Texas? Who hasn't? Muleshoe is the County seat of Bailey County.
Named for Peter James Bailey, a defender of the Alamo, Bailey County was established by the legislature in 1876 but it was not organized until 1919. The famous XIT Ranch was partly located in Bailey County. In 1879 the legislature set aside three million acres in Dallam, Hartley, Oldham, Deaf Smith, Parmer, Lamb, Bailey, Cochran and Hockley counties to fund the building of the Texas Capitol. The XIT was formed in 1892 with British financial backing. Bailey county communities include Bula, Circle Back, Enochs, Goodland, Maple, Progress and Needmore. It is also home to a ghost town named Virginia City which was abandoned in 1913.
It is one of the few places that can produce such varying crops as cotton, wheat, corn, grain, sorghums, soybeans, castor beans, hay, peanuts, cabbage, lettuce, peas, and beans not to mention livestock. According to the latest 2020 Census information, the population of Bailey County is 6,904 people with a population density of 8.3 people per square mile. This is a decline from the 2010 census of 7,165.
Bailey County is home to the Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge which was created in 1935. The refuge consists of 5,809 acres and is a unit in the national system of refuges in the central flyway. It serves as a wintering area for migratory waterfowl and sandhill cranes. The refuge is open 24 hours a day 365 years and is a significant eco-tourism destination.
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