If you were a cowboy riding up the Chisholm Trail in the early 1880s, the area around Nocona was your last stop in Texas before crossing the Red River and entering Indian Territory. You’d bed down your herd beside the water at Red River Station and then ride a few miles to the outpost of Spanish Fort, which was neither Spanish nor a fort. Here you might drink a few rounds of coffin varnish (whiskey) and dally with soiled doves (prostitutes) — but you could also go to church or see a doctor about that rash. Most of all, you would stock up on supplies for the 1,000-mile journey ahead of you to Abilene, Kansas.
It won’t be a cakewalk, and you need new shoes. You’ve noticed a few other stockmen in town wearing a newfangled style of boots with high heels and tapered toes. You ask about them and are pointed toward a wooden storefront owned by H.J. “Big Daddy Joe” Justin. He’s inside at the workbench, stitching designs on leather boot shafts — to keep them upright, he says. It’s a clever idea, and it looks good, too. You order a custom pair of boots and plan to pick them up on your way back down the trail (if you don’t die in a stampede, river crossing, lightning strike, or Indian attack).
This is where cowboy boots were born…probably. We don’t know exactly where they originated, but we do know that H.J. Justin was one of the first to make them. He moved his shop a few miles south to Nocona after the railroad arrived in 1887, launching the town’s long-standing reputation as the leathercraft epicenter of the American Southwest. Justin Boot Company relocated to Fort Worth in 1925, but H.J.’s daughter Enid stayed in her hometown and launched Nocona Boot Company, which operated another six decades before merging with Justin in 1981, then shuttering its factory in 1999.
But Nocona’s heritage of handmade boots and fine leather goods is alive and well at Fenoglio Boot Company’s factory and boutique. You’ll find the shop on historic Clay Street in the heart of Nocona, a revitalized neighborhood with century-old storefronts and a touch of New Orleans-inspired architecture. Whether you buy, browse, or just breathe in the sweet, earthy smell — every pair of boots you see is made right here in town.
Once you’ve caught the scent of tanned cowhide, mosey on over to another establishment preserving local tradition: Nokona American Ballgloves. Open since 1934, it’s the last baseball glove manufacturer in the country where baseball was invented. On Mondays and Fridays, you can take an up-close-and-personal tour of the factory, located in the old Nocona Boot Company building. Dozens of workers stitch, cut, and lace various types of leather to create heirloom-quality gloves (Nolan Ryan is a big fan).
It all comes together at Nocona’s Tales ’N’ Trails Museum, a stout little collection of exhibits on leather and the Western way of life, from Native American culture to the cattle drives that once passed through. Whether you come for the craftsmanship or the cowboy stories, traveling to Nocona is a trip through Texas history.
Savor: Nocona’s most infamous dish is the tantalizing “Bowl of Crap” at Fenoglio’s BBQ, a downhome mainstay that’s been around three decades. Named accidentally by a firefighter, the beloved bowl features housemade beans (cooked fresh daily) topped with grilled onions and jalapenos plus brisket, sausage, and hamburger meat. For something lighter, go with the classic pub fare like loaded nachos and fried pickles at Nocona Beer & Brewery. Situated in the former Nocona Boots factory, the taproom pours a malty Tennessee stout and a citrus-tinged Lime Light ale — plus 20 other beers on tap. Try their perky Tangerine IPA with OJ in a Nocona mimosa. Sample local wines at Red River Pizzeria, known for thin-crust pies with heaps of toppings, or head out to visit the Red River Valley vineyards for yourself. Blue Ostrich, Arché, and 4R Ranch wineries are all within a 30-minute drive.
Shop: For handcrafted, made-in-America cowboy boots, you can’t beat the quality of Fenoglio. Buy a pair off the rack or order them custom-made. You may also want to check out the footwear at the Old Boot Factory, whose customers include country musician Vince Gill and “Yellowstone’s” Moses Brings Plenty. At Nokona American Ballgloves, you can design a glove while you’re there and watch as it’s laser-engraved. You’ll also find hats, hoodies, and T-shirts — and if you go on a factory tour, your ticket price counts toward your purchase. Browse Texas pop art paintings at LG Lemons Gallery & Studio: dogs in old pickups, hay bales in fields, and fat ‘lil horny toads adorned with Lone Star flags. Pick up a hat to go with your boots at Peonies Market and drop by Grace & Grit boutique for colorful Western dresses.
Enjoy: Mardi Gras hits big in Nocona with a series of parades and performances that start the previous Thursday (Fat Tuesday falls on March 4 this year). There’s an ATV parade, a kids parade, and the perennially popular Krewe de Barkus pet parade — and then the BIG parade on Saturday afternoon with bountiful bead-throwing and decorated floats. Feasting abounds, including a gumbo dinner and a crawfish boil. In September, the Wheels & Grills festival features two days of classic car and motorcycle shows with barbecue cook-offs and a Bloody Mary competition.
Nicolas Henderson
Snooze: Overlook the action on Clay Street from the French Quarter-style iron balcony at the Red River Station Inn, conveniently just outside the upstairs bar. Each of the hotel’s 10 rooms is uniquely inspired by a local historical character like Comanche Chief Quanah Parker, whose father Peta Nocona was the city’s namesake. For fancier digs on the same street, consider Airbnb’s Charming Chateau, a delightful cottage with a courtyard and elevated style (think crystal chandeliers and white chaise lounges). Additional rentals are dotted around nearby Lake Nocona if you want to truly get away from it all.
How to Get There: Drive north out of Fort Worth on Interstate 35 for about an hour until you reach Gainesville, then take Exit 498 to US-82 traveling west. Nocona is 36 miles ahead. The trip takes about 90 minutes if there’s no traffic.
