The Tower Station and U-Drop Inn Café in Shamrock were built in 1936 with Art Deco details and two towers. The restored U-Drop Inn welcomes visitors and now serves as a visitor center, Chamber of Commerce office, and community center. Both are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Here, architectural history and present-day use come together in one building.
Route 66 and Landmark Buildings
Wheeler County has access to historic Route 66. When approaching from the east, Shamrock is described as the first Route 66 town in Texas. U.S. Highway 66 was built through the southern part of the county in 1916. These details connect the history of road development with the places that define Wheeler County: Wheeler and Shamrock.
Another landmark in Shamrock is the Shamrock Water Tower. It is visible from about ten miles away in every direction and is considered a landmark of engineering and tourism. Based on the records of the Chicago Bridge and Iron Company, it is considered the tallest tank of its class the company ever built; it also remains one of the tallest water towers in Texas. The Art Deco architecture of the U-Drop Inn and the water tower’s engineering distinction offer different perspectives on Shamrock’s architectural history.
Mobeetie and the County’s History
Old Mobeetie is considered the oldest town in the Texas Panhandle. Mobeetie was Wheeler County’s first county seat; in 1880, the first courthouse in the Texas Panhandle was built there. Another chapter in the county’s administrative history leads to Wheeler: Wheeler County’s wooden courthouse was moved there in 1908. The dates mark different milestones—from Mobeetie’s early administrative functions to the later relocation of the wooden building.
The Old Mobeetie Jail also tells the story of the area’s buildings and history: it was built in 1886 from locally quarried limestone. The Old Mobeetie Jail Museum is dedicated to public education and the preservation of regional artifacts. The items on display include gallows. Local history thus encompasses both architectural development and objects preserved and interpreted through the museum’s work.
Insights into Wheeler and the Landscape
The Wheeler Historical Museum focuses on the county’s history. The Alan Bean exhibit features several of Alan Bean’s personal artifacts. The museum also houses a nine-foot-tall bronze statue of Captain Bean in a spacesuit. Personal belongings and the large-scale depiction offer different focal points within the exhibit.
Beyond the towns, Wheeler County’s landscape includes rolling prairies and rugged river breaks. Sweetwater Creek rises in the county and is fed by springs. These landscape features offer a different way to explore the region than its museums, courthouses, and Route 66 landmarks.
Getting Around Between Towns
Wheeler is accessible via Highway 83 and Highway 152, which meet there. Highway 83 connects the Great Plains from north to south, while Highway 152 provides an east-west link between Amarillo and Oklahoma City. These different directions offer practical guidance when planning your visit to the county. Together with historic Route 66, they tell the story of the roads that play a role in Wheeler County.
Discover more destinations: Shamrock, Coryell County, Haskell County, Crosby County, Armstrong County, Gonzales, Hardeman, Fayette.
For the main travel overview: Texas.
