A Bit Of History
The county is named for Junius William Mottley, who signed the Texas Declaration of Independence and who died in the Battle of San Jacinto. The county's name is spelled differently than his because the bill establishing the county misspelled Mottley's name.
This sparsely settled county comprises 959 square miles of rough and broken terrain drained by the North Pease, Middle Pease, and South Pease rivers and their tributaries. Elevations range between 1,928 and 3,034 feet above sea level. The county lies just below the Llano Estacado, which is a major geological feature known to Texans as the Caprock.
Farming in the county expanded when the Quanah, Acme and Pacific Railroad completed laying tracks through the county in 1914. As part of the project, a 60,000-acre parcel of the Matador Ranch was put up for sale to prospective farmers and other settlers. Five years later, money contributed by the Matador and by various county citizens financed the Motley County Railroad, which ran for eight miles between Matador and Matador Junction.
