Region: Panhandle Plains
Established in 1881 with an initial name of Eagle Flats, Vernon is the county seat for Wilbarger County, which borders the Red River. Wilbarger County was named for Josiah Wilbarger, a man famous both for being an early surveyor and as one of very few men to survive being scalped. Vernon is home to the headquarters of huge W. T. Waggoner Ranch and commercial center for rich farming, ranching and oil area with industries involved in agricultural supplies and processing, seed propagation, textiles, meat packing, cottonseed and alfalfa milling. About 15 miles north is Doan's Crossing, one of the most famous historic cattle crossings on Red River. The city is home to Vernon Regional Junior College and the Santa Rosa Palomino Club, a precision equestrian riding club, which has been proclaimed by the Texas Legislature as Texas' Ambassadors on Horseback.