Armstrong County is situated in the Panhandle region of Texas. The county population is estimated to be 1,887, a small decline from 1.910 in 2010. The county seat is Claude, Texas.
Paleo-Indians began living in the area at least as far back as 10,000 years ago. More recently it was dominated by the Apache, Comanche, Kiowa and Cheyenne nations. The Red River War in 1874 ended with the Battle of Palo Duro Canyon fought along the present day Randall and Armstrong county line. Euro-American settlement did not begin until the late 1870s.
Charles Goodnight first brought cattle to the area in 1876, after the removal of the native nations. The county was formally created by the legislature in 1876, but was not organized as a county until 1890. It was named Armstrong after a pioneer family named Armstrong, although it is not clear which one.
The southern half of the county contains a large part of the great Palo Duro Canyon including a significant portion of the state park. The county is crossed by three streams, the Prairie Dog Town Fork of the Red River in Palo Duro Canyon, the Salt Fork of the Red River, and Mulberry Creek. The economy of Armstrong County is still dominated by ranching. It has been estimated that ranches, occupy around 68 percent of the land in the count . The rest is devoted to crops, including wheat, sorghum, cotton, and hay. The Texas Department of Agriculture chose Claude as one of the state's "Texas Yes! Hardworking Rural Communities." Recreation and tourist attractions include Palo Duro Canyon State Scenic Park, the pioneer Goodnight Ranch Home, the Old Settlers Reunion, and the Caprock Roundup, which is held each year in July.
Several movies have been filmed in and around the county set of Claude, Texas including Hud with Paul Newman, Leap of Faith with Steve Martin and the last scene of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
Sources: The Handbook of Texas and Wikipedia