Mobeetie, Texas "Old Mobeetie" began in the spring of 1874, when
buffalo hunters moved down from
Kansas and a camp was formed near Sweetwater Creek called Hidetown.
In 1875, the United States government established
Fort Elliott to keep the Indians on reservations in
Indian Territory and establish law and order in the region.
Nearby Hidetown quickly began to develop with the settlement of the Fort and gained the name Sweetwater City. It also became a rough and tumble
Old West town with famous people frequenting the site, including
Billy Dixon,
Bat Masterson,
Pat Garrett and
Poker Alice.
Later, the town's name was changed Mobeetie. In 1929, the railroad bypassed Mobeetie, and most of the residents moved to north to a site that was referred to as "New Mobeetie".
Today, it too, is a near
ghost town with a population of just about 100.
