Vega, Texas

[4] In 1903, Whitfield sold a 100-foot (30 m) strip of land that extended across the southern part of Oldham County to the Choctaw, Oklahoma, and Texas (later Rock Island) Railroad as a right-of-way.

[6] The name Vega, which is Spanish for "meadow", was chosen because it reflected the vast prairie and surrounding countryside of the area.

[5][7] Soon after, Miller opened a store, and a post office, saloon, and a school that doubled as a Masonic Lodge were built in the community.

In 1907, ranchers Patrick and John Landergin purchased a part of the LS Ranch from Swift & Company.

Working in association with the Amarillo, Texas-based Pool Land Company, the Landergin brothers brought more prospective settlers to the community.

[6] The nearby town of Tascosa, which was designated Oldham County seat in 1880, declined in both importance and population as Vega grew.

A five-year battle over which community should serve as Oldham County's seat of government was put to a vote in 1915.

In 1926, Route 66 (superseded by Interstate 40) was commissioned as a link from Chicago to Los Angeles and ran through Vega along the Old Ozark Trail.

[10] It is situated at the junction of Interstate 40 (Old Route 66) and U.S. Highway 385 in southern Oldham County, approximately 30 miles west of Amarillo.

[16] The library was originally built in 1911 and housed a silent movie theater; today, it touts 11,000 volumes.

Water tower
Restored Magnolia gasoline station on U.S. Route 66 .
Downtown Vega, with courthouse to the right and City Hall to the left
Oldham County map