Editing Estelline, Texas (section)

==History==
[[File:Town Square - Estelline, Texas.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.25|Town Square – Estelline, Texas]]
Estelline was established in 1892 by the brothers Elam and Math Wright. It was on the Fort Worth and Denver City Railway and was named for Estelle de Shields, daughter of an early settler. The area was originally part of the Diamond Tail Ranch. The Mill Iron range lay nearby, and after 1896 the Continental Land and Cattle Company moved its headquarters to a nearby bluff overlooking the Red River. A post office was opened in May 1892, and by 1894 Estelline had two hotels, a Methodist church, a cotton gin, a livery stable, and a one-room schoolhouse. Tom Macy opened the first store, and soon afterward T. R. Garrott established the Estelline Supply Company. In 1894 Math Wright obtained a depot and sidetrack for his town, and throughout the remainder of the decade Estelline was an important shipping point on the Fort Worth and Denver City line. Cattle from nearby Silverton and Paducah were driven there for shipment. In 1896 the Mill Iron Ranch bought the Estelline Supply Company and opened a large general merchandise store and lumberyard with R. L. Biggerstaff as manager. Two years later Biggerstaff established a private bank, which became the Estelline State Bank in 1905. The town had two newspapers, the Estelline Star (1894–1896) and the Estelline News (1907–1910). A two-story school was built in 1909. In 1912 the citizens of Estelline elected to incorporate with a mayor, a city marshal, and five aldermen. By then the town had attained a population of over 1,000.<ref name="tshaonline.org">{{Cite web |title=TSHA {{!}} Estelline, TX |url=https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/estelline-tx |access-date=2023-04-26 |website=www.tshaonline.org}}</ref>

The 1920s saw the erection of permanent brick school facilities, the emergence of a champion basketball team, and the organization of a town band conducted by Paul James. In 1927 the railroad began construction of a branch line out of Estelline to Plainview in Hale County. However, the Great Depression led to the closing of the bank and a decline in the population to 603 by 1940. That year two fires destroyed several businesses. Subsequent improvements in highway transportation led to an overall decline in Estelline's importance as a railroad junction town. The number of businesses dropped from fifteen in 1947 to four by 1980, when the population was 258. The town was still incorporated, and the post office remained open.<ref name="tshaonline.org"/>

In 1983, Estelline citizens voted to allow the sale of alcohol beverages. Estelline is the only seller of alcohol beverages within 'dry' Hall County.<ref name="amarillo.com">{{Cite web|title=Beilue: Estelline speeding billboard: 'More money than sense' |url=https://www.amarillo.com/story/news/local/2012/01/31/estelline-speeding-billboard-more-money-sense/13135986007/ |access-date=2023-04-26 |website=Amarillo Globe-News}}</ref> Estelline has a reputation for being a prominent Texas speed trap and relies on speeders to pay its bills.<ref name="chron.com">{{cite web|work=[[Houston Chronicle]]|url=http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Small-town-relies-on-speeders-to-pay-its-bills-1842580.php|first1=Thomas|last1=Korosec|date=2007-04-08|access-date=2017-04-21|title=Small town relies on speeders to pay its bills}}</ref><ref name="billboard"/><ref name="thenewspaper.com">{{Cite web |title=Texas Cities Profit Despite Speed Trap Law |url=https://www.thenewspaper.com/news/17/1701.asp |access-date=2023-04-26 |website=www.thenewspaper.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://m.lubbockonline.com/filed-online/2013-01-21/due-diligence-or-policing-profit-woman-decries-seizure-nearly-30k-cash#gsc.tab=0 |title=Due diligence or policing profit |website=m.lubbockonline.com |access-date=2014-08-19 |archive-date=August 26, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140826115611/http://m.lubbockonline.com/filed-online/2013-01-21/due-diligence-or-policing-profit-woman-decries-seizure-nearly-30k-cash#gsc.tab=0 |url-status=dead }}</ref>  The Estelline Independent School District was declared dormant in 1987 and students were sent to [[Memphis Independent School District|Memphis]] schools. Estelline was home to 194 residents in 1990, 168 in 2000 and 145 in 2010. In 2012, the Town Hall was mysteriously gutted by fire. Texas Rangers and the State Fire Marshal have both described the incident as arson.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.newschannel10.com/story/16603409/sus |title=Estelline City Hall catches fire: Police now investigating |website=www.newschannel10.com |date=26 January 2012 |access-date=2014-08-18}}</ref><ref>[http://www.connectamarillo.com/m/news/story?id=713558 Fire at Estelline City Hall Believed to be Arson] ProNews7 2012-01-30 - Retrieved 2014-08-19.</ref> A highly publicized 2013 civil rights case revealed that 89 percent of Estellines 2012&nbsp;gross revenue came from asset forfeiture and traffic fine revenue.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Balko |first=Radley |date=2021-10-26 |title=The continuing outrage that is civil asset forfeiture |work=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-watch/wp/2014/07/24/the-continuing-outrage-that-is-civil-asset-forfeiture/ |access-date=2023-08-07 |issn=0190-8286}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Texas Motorist Wins $77,500 After Traffic Cops Steal Cash |url=https://www.thenewspaper.com/news/44/4469.asp |access-date=2023-04-26 |website=www.thenewspaper.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>[http://www.amarillo.com/news/2013-09-19/woman-sues-estelline-former-officers-over-cash-seizure - Woman Sues Estelline and Former Officers over Cash Seizure] ''- Amarillo Globe News'' Retrieved 2014-08-21.</ref><ref name="settle">[http://www.amarillo.com/news/local-news/2014-07-21/panhandle-speed-trap-settles-suit-over-missing-cash - Panhandle Speed Trap Settles Missing Cash Suit] ''Amarillo Globe News'' Retrieved 2014-09-06.</ref>

===2013 civil rights case===
In September 2013, a federal suit was filed by Laura Dutton, alleging that the cities of Estelline and Memphis, former Officer Jayson Fry and Memphis Police Chief Chris Jolly violated her Fourth Amendment rights against illegal search and seizure when she was arrested November 28, 2012, in Estelline on a felony money laundering charge, seizing more than $29,000 from her pickup and keeping $1,400 of her cash. The city maintained no written records of past searches or seizures, yet traffic fines and forfeitures made up more than 89 percent of its gross revenues in fiscal year 2012. The cities and the officers denied her claims, but in July 2014, the city of Estelline and City of Memphis authorities settled with Dutton for $77,500.<ref name="settle"/><ref>[http://blog.motorists.org/worst-speed-trap-city/ Worst Speed Trap Lives Up To Its Name] motorists.org Retrieved 2014-09-03.</ref><ref>[http://www.forfeiturereform.com/texas_town_settles_suit_with_cash_seizure_victim_after_revealing_that_89_of_its_revenues_came_from_fines_and_forfeitures Texas town settles suit with 64-year-old cash seizure victim after revealing that 89% of its revenues came from fines and forfeitures] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160328173933/http://www.forfeiturereform.com/texas_town_settles_suit_with_cash_seizure_victim_after_revealing_that_89_of_its_revenues_came_from_fines_and_forfeitures |date=2016-03-28 }} forfeiturereform.com Retrieved 2014-09-03.</ref>

=== 2015 police chief arrest ===
Estelline Chief of Police Duwayne Marcolesco surrendered his peace officer license after being charged with official oppression, stemming from an incident on February 9, 2015. Duwayne Marcolesco was arrested after stopping a car while off duty in his personal car in Childress County. The two women in the car that was stopped made an official complaint, and through an investigation the Childress County Sheriff says they discovered Marcolesco was threatening and terrorizing the women. Marcolesco surrendered his peace officer licenses meaning he can no longer work as a peace officer in Texas, and no longer is the chief of police in Estelline.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.newschannel10.com/story/28095627/estelline-chief-of-police-charged-with-official-oppression|title=Estelline Chief of Police charged with official oppression|access-date=2017-07-25|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://amarillo.com/news/2015-02-12/estelline-police-chief-turns-badge-after-official-oppression-charge#|title=Estelline chief resigns after oppression charge|access-date=2017-07-25|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.kcbd.com/story/28095627/estelline-chief-of-police-charged-with-official-oppression|title=Estelline Chief of Police charged with official oppression|access-date=2017-07-25|language=en}}</ref>

=== 2017 police chief arrest ===
On the night of June 1, 2017, Estelline Police Chief Leigh Weiser was arrested for alleged sexual activity with a person in custody, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. The case was handled by the [[Texas Ranger Division|Texas Rangers]]. Weiser was arraigned on a charge of violation of civil rights of person in custody, by improper sexual activity, as defined by the Article 39.04 Texas Penal Code.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://amarillo.com/crime-and-courts/local-news/news/2017-06-02/estelline-police-chief-arrested-improper-sexual|title=Estelline police chief arrested for improper sexual relations with person in custody|access-date=2017-07-25|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://abc7amarillo.com/news/local/estilline-police-chief-arrest-for-improper-sexual-activity-with-person-in-custody|title=Estelline police chief arrested for improper sexual activity with person in custody|last=Wilbanks|first=Kase|work=KVII|access-date=2017-07-25|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.newschannel10.com/story/35577217/estelline-police-chief-arrested-for-improper-contact-with-victim|title=Estelline Police Chief arrested for improper contact with victim|last=Johnson|first=Kaitlin|access-date=2017-07-25|language=en}}</ref> Weiser was indicted by Childress County in November 2017 and his peace officer status was revoked in June, 2018.<ref>[https://www.tcole.texas.gov/sites/default/files/June%202018%20Agenda_0.pdf Quarterly Meeting Agenda] tcole.texas.gov</ref>