Seminole

Seminole got its name from former slaves who escaped Southern

plantations in the early 1800s and fled to the swamps of Florida.

They lived alongside Seminole Indians and later came to be known

as Black Seminoles. Renowned for excellent tracking abilities, they

eventually served as guides for the Shafter expedition to West Texas

in the mid-1870s, which opened the region. In a shallow draw on

the prairie, the Black Seminoles discovered water wells dug by the

Comanche. The Seminole Wells demonstrated the area’s livability.

Settlers arrived a few decades later, and by 1905, Gaines County and

its county seat were established. This small town became Seminole.

Ranching was the area’s first industry, but it was eclipsed in the 1920s

with the discovery of oil. Today, Seminole is a thriving multicultural

farming and oil-producing center with excellent schools, a booming

economy, and the friendliest people around.