The Brazos River in Justiceburg

The river here belongs to the Double Mountain Fork's main stream, which rises in Double Mountain Canyon, a break in the Caprock in eastern Lynn County. It runs 165 miles east across southern Garza and Kent counties and on through Fisher, Stonewall and Haskell counties before turning back to meet the Salt Fork northeast of Aspermont, where the Brazos River proper is formed. The town never grew large. Justiceburg counted fifty people in 1915, twenty-five in 1925, seventy-five in 1947 and seventy-six from 1980 through 2000.

What the plaque says

The Brazos River in Justiceburg Located on the south branch of the Double Mountain fork of the Brazos River, the area now known as Justiceburg has been inhabited for centuries. Inhabitants and visitors of the area recorded their encounters with the Brazos River and its integral role in their lives and the landscape. The earliest recorded name for the river was "Tokonohono" by the Caddoan Tribe. Expeditions by La Salle recorded it as "Malingne" and during their 1716 expedition, Isidro Felix de Espinosa and Domingo Ramon referred to it as "La Trinidad." Several legends exist recounting tales of men on the brink of death from lack of water and then finding the fresh water of the Brazos, saving their lives (including Coronado's 1540-42 expedition). This led to the current name of Los Brazos de Dios, or the arms of God. The proximity to fresh water led to the establishment of a post office (1902-1905) named Leforest. The town of Justiceburg was established in 1910, named after early rancher and landowner Jefferson Davis justice when he donated land for a new town site. Many residents are descendants of the town namesake. With its proximity to a variety of transportation mediums, including the river and the Santa Fe railroad line (1910), the town grew in population and businesses opened. In the early twentieth century, the town had a hotel, grocery store, mercantile, school and train depot, attracting visitors and new citizens (2015)

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• Garza County Historical Museum — 15 mi
  The county museum of Post, C. W. Post's planned town below the Caprock, kept in the stone sanitarium the town opened in 1912 as the best-equipped medical building west of Fort Worth.

More markers nearby

• Llano Estacado — 5.3 mi
• Fluvanna — 11 mi
• Post — 14 mi
• Postex Cotton Mill — 14 mi