1 of 6
Shilo Urban
2 of 6
Shilo Urban
3 of 6
Shilo Urban
4 of 6
Shilo Urban
5 of 6
Shilo Urban
6 of 6
Shilo Urban
The biggest courthouse square in America lies not in New York or Los Angeles but in a small town 90 minutes northwest of Fort Worth: Graham, Texas. With a circumference of about a mile, this 50-acre square loops past colorful murals, 19th-century architecture, and boutiques with the owners behind the registers. Church bells ring out religious songs at high noon; a line of Hells Angels joins the chorus as they rumble down the red brick streets. A lone archway from the 1884 courthouse (all that’s left) anchors the record-setting square, which also encircles the Young County Courthouse, Graham’s City Hall, and the old post-office-turned-museum and art gallery. Why so big? The broad streets were designed to accommodate U-turns by horse-drawn wagons, which proliferated after oil was discovered here in 1917.
But Young County was on the map long before that — and before Fort Worth, according to the 1882 book, Comprehensive Geography, displayed nearby at Fort Belknap. Its map of the U.S. shows only six locations in Texas: Houston, Austin, San Antonio, El Paso, Fort Chadbourne, and Fort Belknap. Fort Worth (and that other city, Dallas) are conspicuously absent. Established in 1851 to protect frontier settlers from Comanche and Kiowa raids, Fort Belknap anchored a dusty line of outposts that stretched from the Red River to the Rio Grande.
Visiting the small collection of stout stone buildings (13 miles northwest of Graham) still feels a bit like a trip to the Texas frontier. Grasshoppers vault across the quiet, shaded enclave while a soft-shouldered breeze slips through the branches of oak trees above. The restored and reconstructed barracks, powder magazine, and corn house hail from the era when Texas as we know it was taking shape. Cannons rest beside the commissary’s store, now transformed into a museum of frontier necessities: building tools, shotguns, and Bibles. Ancient mammoth tusks and thousands of arrowheads remind us that we’re just the latest to pass through this red dirt, prairie landscape. Farther ventures down the road reveal oddball attractions like a giant fishing bobber, giant wheelbarrow, and giant chicken yard art — as well as ghost towns like Gooseneck and Bullock, now just whispers on the wind.
Back in Graham, talk of last night’s high school football game is in the air at Downhome Bakehouse, where everyone seems to know everyone. Walker-wielding seniors sit by tots wearing soccer cleats and teens saying, “Yes, ma’am,” to their mothers. The age-diverse socializing continues at the Saturday morning farmers market, where a dozen-ish vendors have gathered to sell sweet lemon squash, homemade jellies, and freshly butchered meats, with signs like “Eat More Lamb – 10,000 Coyotes Can’t Be Wrong!” The 4-H club shows off big-eyed rabbits and shiny horses while cows low in a pasture close by.
Cattle created Graham’s other claim to fame: This is the start of the legendary Goodnight-Loving Trail, which launched in 1866, one year before Fort Belknap was officially closed for business. The frontier had moved on, but the age of the great cattle drives was just beginning. Eventually spanning more than 2,000 rugged miles from Texas to Wyoming, the Goodnight-Loving Trail was immortalized in the bestselling novel and TV series Lonesome Dove — and in a playful sculpture by the old post office downtown. A cowboy squats beside a metal campfire, his saddle momentarily forgotten behind him, as he watches the pot on the flames and waits a hot cup of “brown gargle” or “dehorned belly wash” (translation: coffee). The cowboy’s trail heads north — but in Graham, all roads lead back to the capacious town square, where secret bits of history mingle with friendly hellos and the spirit of the Texas frontier sings on the wings of the grasshoppers.
Savor:
Down Home Bakehouse dishes out artisan espresso drinks, toothsome breakfast sandwiches, and house-made baked goods still warm from the oven. Stop at the old-school drive-in, KN Root Beer, for a frosty mug of its molasses-heavy brew or head to Brothers Smokehouse for inventive specials and hot rolls with cinnamon butter. Local favorites also include rustic-chic Neri’s and 526 Pizza Studio for creative pies (both found on the square). For fine dining, the steakhouse/social hub at Wildcatter Ranch is known for its smartly cooked rib-eyes and chicken-fried sirloin steak.
Shop:
Hilltop Home is the place to go for upscale housewares, including locally made Design Undone Candles in scents like sea salt + jasmine or amber + tobacco. Here & Now is the fashion boutique par excellence for fun youthful looks, and grandparents wanting to spoil their grandkids with cute outfits should drop by Krazy Kow. Antiquers can hunt through the “Geegaws, Whatnots and Whatsits” and Crazy Cora’s Emporium, situated in the surprisingly spacious 1878 Young County Jail.
Enjoy:
Peruse contemporary works and rotating exhibits at the Old Post Office Museum & Art Center, which also houses artifacts and photographs from the region’s storied past. Climb up Standpipe “Mountain” in the middle of town for a different perspective or catch a flick at the restored 1920 National Theatre (complete with old-fashioned love seats). The Food Truck Championship of Texas brings 50 competitors together every June, and for outdoor enthusiasts, the huge cliffs at Possum Kingdom Lake are just 14 miles up the road.
Snooze:
Perched on a breezy ridge about 10 minutes outside of town, Wildcatter Ranch & Resort offers Western luxury with sweeping views of the Brazos River Valley and themed activities like trail rides, archery, and longhorn feedings. A little farther out is La Casa Tierra, a four-bedroom ranch house that sleeps 10. You’ll also find a smattering of stylish digs on Airbnb and Vrbo, plus an above-average Holiday Inn Express & Suites that was renovated in November 2021.
How to Get There:
For the most direct route, head west out of Fort Worth and follow I-30 W or I-20 W to US-180 W to Mineral Wells, where you’ll turn right onto TX-337 W. In 21 miles, TX-337 becomes TX-16 N. Continue on this road for 15 miles to reach Graham’s celebrated town square.
