Amarillo Tidbits

Amarillo is the county seat of Potter County, but a part of it stretches into the jurisdiction of Randall County. Amarillo is the 14th most populated city in Texas, and it remains to be the largest among all the northernmost 26 Texan counties. In 2008, the city’s population was estimated to be 199,924. By 2020, the population of the Amarillo metropolitan area is expected to be more than 310,000 residents.

Before the city was officially called Amarillo, its initial name was Oneida. Colorado City, Texas wanted to make a new town site along the path of the Fort Worth and Denver City Railroad. On April 1887, J.I. Berry proposed a possible town site, and five months later, J.I. Berry’s town was choosen as the site of the seat of Potter County. After this development, the town become the go-to place for merchants and cattle traders.

Eventually, Oneida was changed to Amarillo because of its abundant yellow wildflowers. For those who don’t know, the color yellow is Amarillo in Spanish. During summer, the Amarillo Lake and Amarillo Creek are filled with fresh yellow blooms.

Henry B. Sanborn is referred as the “Father of Amarillo” because he proposed the new town site. Because J.I. Berry’s original location was prone to flood, more people decided to evacuate to Sanborn’s suggested location in 1889. Sanborn also granted lots in the new location, and soon after, many people chose to transfer their businesses to Polk Street.

By the 1890s, Amarillo became the busiest trading center for cattle. With this development, Amarillo’s population greatly skyrocketed. It also became an area to produce animal feed. By 1918, natural gas was found in Amarillo, oil and gas companies flocked the area. Due to its high levels of helium, the U.S. government acquired the Cliffside Gas Field, and two years later, the Federal Bureau of Mines managed the Amarillo Helium plant. During its time, it became the one and only manufacturer of commercial helium in the world.

Aside from being “The Yellow Rose of Texas”, Amarillo claimed to be “Helium Capital of the World”. Did you know that is also called The Bomb City? It got its nickmame because the country’s nuclear weapons are also stored in Amarillo. The Pantex Plant, the company that ensures the safety and security of the United States government’s nuclear stockpile, is located on the northeast portion of Amarillo.

By 1951, Amarillo Air Force Base extended their operations and opened another wing to accommodate more military servicemen in the city. During this decade, the population increased from only having 74,443 residents to almost 138,000. The Census Bureau reported in 1970 the city’s population is composed 88.5% whites and 6.1% Hispanic.

By the 1980s, more companies such as ASARCO, Iowa Beef Processors Inc, Owens Corning, and Weyerhaeuser Company moved their headquarters to Amarillo. Soon, People from Vietnam, Laos, and Burma migrated to Amarillo for work, and majority of them found jobs at the IBP Inc, which is now known as Tyson Fresh Meats.

Amarillo’s city limits had to widen because of the continuous growth it has experienced. The 60 square miles in Potter and Randall Counties were added to Amarillo. New roads were also built like Interstate 27 that runs from Lubbock to Interstate 40, which passes through Amarillo.

Famous attractions in the city are Cadillac Ranch and Big Texan Steak Ranch. Cadillac Ranch, an art installation and sculpture, was built by Chip Lord, Hudson Marquez and Doug Michels in 1974. Their public masterpiece was composed of ten Cadillacs that were manufactured between 1949 and 1963. The vintage cars were mainly just used junk cars, which were made into unique art pieces.

Finally, the Big Texan Steak Ranch is the place to be when you are looking for some scrumptious steak. This popular steakhouse restaurant had its humble beginnings on East Amarillo Boulevard. By 1977, the restaurant operated in a bigger and better location, and their 72 ounce steak is free to anyone who can finish the entire meal in an hour or less.