Wayside, Texas

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Wayside, on Ranch Road 285 south of Palo Duro Canyon four miles east of the Randall county line and three miles north of the Swisher county line in the southwest corner of Armstrong County.

History

Wayside was founded as a rural school district in 1893. Originally it was named Beulah for one of the daughters of the McSpadden family, who donated the land for the school. However, Mrs. Hervey J. Bradford named the place Wayside, for its location on the “way-side” of the canyon, when she opened a post office in September 1897. The first white settlers in this area were cowhands of the JA Ranch who had line camps along the canyon’s south rim. In 1891 a road had been surveyed to the townsite and was used for moving cattle and ranch outfits across the canyon. Wayside has managed to survive as a retail supply point for a stock raising and irrigated farming area. In 1940 it had a consolidated high school, two stores, and a population of forty. A 1948 Department of Highways map indicated three businesses, a school, and cemetery at the site. In 1967 the community had a population of 100 and three businesses, but in 1969 the population was thirty-six. From 1970 to 1990 the population was given as forty. In 1991 Wayside had one business. Indian relics dating from the fifteenth century have recently been found near Wayside. In 2000 the population was thirty-five.

Wayside received its name about the year 1898. The community first got its mail at a little postoffice called Adair, named after the Englishman Adair who owned interest in the J.A.Ranch. The post office was located twelve or fifteen miles southeast of the present Wayside. Neighbors would take turns going after the mail and delivering it. This was about the years 1894 and 1895. Later a mail line was established from Claude, Texas to Silverton, and Bevlah (the name of Wayside at that time) received its mail at Cornelia… The Claude-Silverton route was discontinued, and the post office was moved to the Hervey Bradford home located where Will Hamblin now lives about three miles northwest of the present [1939] postoffice. It was located here for about two or three years, and kept by Mr.& Mrs. Bradford. IT was while it was in their charge that the Federal Government wanted them to send in suitable names for the community. The school house was called Beulah, but it seemed there was already a town in Texas by that name; so the postoffice must be called something else. Mr. J. H. Bradford, Mrs. J. H. Bradford, and Miss Cassie Bradford sent in two names each, and of the six names, Wayside was selected as the name. They were requested not to send in any double names and Wayside was the only one that they sent in. The Postoffice department made one word of it; so it remains today. Mrs. Bradford sent the name in because of the location, it is she who receives the honor of naming this community.