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Texas County
Archer County, Texas
Archer City and Larry McMurtry's Last Picture Show - from Archer City's literary fame as the setting of Larry McMurtry's novel The Last Picture Show (the Pulitzer Prize-winning author grew up in Archer City and immortalized the dying small town in his 1966 novel and the 1971 Peter Bogdanovich film - the Royal Theatre and other Archer City landmarks featured in the story, and McMurtry's Booked Up bookstore made the small Texas town a literary pilgrimage destination) to Archer County's rolling north Texas ranch and oil landscape (the mesquite-covered Rolling Plains of Archer County support cattle ranching and some oil production in a classic north Texas agricultural setting).
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Office: Archer County Emergency Management – P.O. Box 458, Archer City, TX 76351 | (940) 574-2868 | Fax: (940) 574-2815
Notes: The Archer County Emergency Services Association (ACESA), a nonprofit, coordinates volunteer fire, EMS, Emergency Management, and Sheriff’s Office representatives across the county’s small communities (Archer City, Holliday, Lakeside City, Megargel, Windthorst). This is a small, rural county (pop. approx. 8,700) – several towns maintain their own volunteer fire departments with separate local contacts; confirm which applies to a specific address before an emergency.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-281 and US-82 are the primary highways through the county
Transit: No dedicated county-wide public transit system was found in this search – confirm directly with the county whether any current transit option serves residents
Notes: A rural North Texas county with an economy built on ranching, agriculture, and oil and gas.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: No dedicated county building/permitting department was found in this search – Archer County is small and rural, and building permitting for most Texas counties this size is limited to floodplain development and septic (OSSF) permits, typically handled through the County Clerk or Commissioners Court
Within incorporated towns: City of Archer City handles its own permitting – (940) 574-4570, 118 S. Sycamore Street
Notes: This is a genuine gap in what this search could confirm – call the Archer County Clerk’s office, (940) 574-4302, to ask who currently handles floodplain or septic permitting for a specific unincorporated-area project, rather than assuming a formal county building department exists.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Veterans Service Office listed at the Archer County Courthouse, 100 S. Center St, Archer City, TX 76351 – “see Contact Us” on the county’s own page, suggesting no dedicated direct line; call the county’s main courthouse number to be connected
Nearby regional option: Wichita County Veterans Service Office, (940) 716-8599, may serve Archer County residents regionally – confirm directly, since Archer County does not appear to maintain its own accredited Veterans County Service Officer per the state’s VCSO directory
State VSO: Texas Veterans Commission – tvc.texas.gov
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Archer Public Library – 105 N. Center St, Archer City, TX 76351 | (940) 574-4954
Services: Over 25,000 items including books, audiobooks, and DVDs, public computers, free Wi-Fi, printing/scanning/faxing/copying, a meeting room (seats 12) available free to nonprofits
Notes: Serves all Archer County residents, not just Archer City.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: The Archer County Courthouse and Jail, built 1891–92 in the Romanesque Revival style, is individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated a Texas State Antiquities Landmark and Recorded Texas Historic Landmark; Archer City is the birthplace and lifelong home base of novelist Larry McMurtry (1936–2021), author of Lonesome Dove and The Last Picture Show, and the county’s literary heritage draws visitors to the town
Notes: These are genuine, verifiable points of distinction rather than manufactured superlatives – a small county with a real, specific claim to fame.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Archer County Appraisal District (Archer CAD) – 112 E. Walnut, Archer City, TX 76351 | (940) 574-2172; online interactive map available via the district’s website
Tax Assessor-Collector: Based at the Archer County Courthouse, 100 S. Center St
Notes: Archer CAD appraises for 13 taxing jurisdictions across the county due to cross-county school district boundaries – a ranch or rural tract property may need the Advanced Search option rather than a simple address search.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility/Enforcement: No dedicated county-wide animal control department or shelter was found in this search for Archer County
Notes: This is a genuine gap rather than an oversight in this write-up – for a stray or nuisance animal, contact the Archer County Sheriff’s Office, 100 S. Sycamore St, Archer City, to confirm current response options, since no separate animal control line could be confirmed.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Facility: No official county-run landfill or transfer station was found in this search – Archer County’s own website emphasizes that illegal dumping (within 300 feet of a public highway, on right-of-way, or on public/private property without authorization) is a criminal offense under Texas Health and Safety Code Section 365.012, with fines from $500 up to $4,000 and up to a year in jail for repeat/aggravated violations
Notes: Residents should confirm current household trash and disposal arrangements directly with the county or their town, since this search did not turn up a public transfer station serving unincorporated Archer County – private haulers are active in the area but are not a substitute for confirming official disposal options.
NOTES: Archer County is the first of this five-county batch (Archer, Armstrong, Atascosa, Austin, Bailey). Being honest is especially important here: this is a small, rural county, and several sections (building permits, animal control, waste disposal) turned up real gaps rather than confirmed offices – those gaps are flagged plainly rather than papered over with generic language. What IS genuinely notable here – the 1891 courthouse and Larry McMurtry’s literary legacy – earned its place because it’s specific and verifiable, not filler. All contact information above was sourced via web search as of early August 2026 and should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit, deadline-sensitive filing, or emergency-adjacent decision.
About Archer County
Archer County is north Texas’s Larry McMurtry literary heritage and Rolling Plains ranch county – Archer City’s extraordinary connection to one of Texas’s greatest writers gives this small county a cultural significance far beyond its size while the rolling mesquite terrain continues to support the cattle ranching economy McMurtry so memorably documented.
Archer City (the county seat, population ~1,600) is Archer County’s governmental hub and literary destination, a small north Texas town whose Royal Theatre, bookstore heritage, and McMurtry connection draw literary visitors from across the country.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Archer County Appraisal District at 112 E. Walnut Street, Archer City, TX 76351, phone 940-574-2266.
Courts & Legal
Archer County District Court at 100 S. Center Street, Archer City, TX 76351, phone 940-574-4615, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
100 South Center St, Archer City, TX 76351
(940) 574-4415
DISTRICT CLERK
100 South Center St, Archer City, TX 76351
(940) 574-4302
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Archer County Clerk’s Office, Archer City (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Archer County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
County Clerk, Archer County PO Box 427, Archer City, TX 76351 (940) 574-4302 Archer County is in North Texas, seated in Archer City.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Texas probate law is governed by the Texas Estates Code. Probate jurisdiction in Texas is split between statutory probate courts (in larger metro counties) and county courts (in smaller counties like Archer, sometimes assisted by district courts). In Archer County, the County Court handles probate matters.
Small Estate Affidavit (Tex. Est. Code § 205.001) – available ONLY when the decedent died WITHOUT a will (intestate), the estate (excluding homestead and exempt property) does not exceed $75,000, and assets exceed debts. At least 30 days must have passed since death. The affidavit must list every asset and debt, establish the family history showing who the heirs are, and be sworn to by the heirs and two disinterested witnesses; a judge then reviews and approves it under § 205.003.
Independent Administration – used when a will exists (or all heirs agree) and the estate has debts; minimal court supervision after the executor is appointed. This is the most common and efficient path in Texas when available.
Muniment of Title – available when a valid will exists, there are no unsecured debts (other than a mortgage), and there’s no other need for a full administration; transfers title without appointing an executor.
Dependent Administration – required for complex, contested, or disputed estates; involves ongoing court supervision and approval of most actions.
Step 2: filing for administration
The personal representative (or an interested party) files an Application for Probate of Will and Issuance of Letters Testamentary (or Letters of Administration, if intestate) with the Archer County Clerk.
The original will (if one exists), a certified death certificate, and information about heirs and the proposed executor are included with the application.
The court holds a hearing and issues Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration.
The personal representative publishes notice to creditors and gathers, inventories, and appraises the estate’s assets.
The personal representative pays valid debts and expenses.
Remaining assets are distributed to beneficiaries or heirs, and the estate is closed.
What it costs
Filing fees in Texas typically run $250–$400 depending on the county; confirm current Archer County fees directly.
Texas law allows a statutory executor fee of 5% of all sums actually received and paid out in cash, with specific exceptions. The court may also approve reasonable attorney fees paid from the estate.
Small estate affidavits typically cost $600–$1,900 total when factoring in filing and related fees.
Texas does NOT impose a state estate tax or a state inheritance tax. Only the federal estate tax may apply, and only to very large estates.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
100 South Center St, Archer City, TX 76351
(940) 574-4415
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
100 South Center St, Archer City, TX 76351
(940) 574-4415
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
100 South Center St, Archer City, TX 76351
(940) 574-4415
HHSC Office
100 South Center St, Archer City, TX 76351
(940) 574-4415
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Archer City WIC Clinic – 509 S. Cedar St, Archer City, TX 76351 | (940) 574-2513 (also listed as (940) 575-7491 in a state WIC directory – try either)
Hours: Monday, 7:00 AM–12:00 PM and 1:00–4:00 PM (limited to one day per week per available listings – confirm current schedule directly)
Notes: No standalone Archer County health department was found in this search; the county appears to rely primarily on the WIC clinic locally and on the Wichita Falls–Wichita County Public Health District, (940) 761-7815, for broader public health services – confirm current arrangements directly for anything beyond WIC.
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Archer City
Population: 8,700
Established: 1858
Tier: 4
Public Records
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