Editing Muleshoe, Texas (section)

==History==
The name Muleshoe can be traced in the region to Henry Black, when he registered a brand on November 12, 1860. In 1877, Black purchased three houses on  {{convert|40000|acre|km2}} in [[Stephens County, Texas|Stephens County]], naming it Muleshoe Ranch. Later, he built a large ranch house and a log schoolhouse, and established a small cemetery for family members.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.city-of-muleshoe.com/history.html |title=History of City/Area |publisher=City of Muleshoe |date=July 20, 1944 |access-date=2013-11-08 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131210194422/http://www.city-of-muleshoe.com/history.html |archive-date=December 10, 2013 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> Muleshoe Ranch was supposedly named after the owner found a [[Horseshoe|mule shoe]] in the soil.

On April 23, 1906, the Gulf, Santa Fe and Northwestern Railway Company and the Pecos and Northern Texas Railway Company merged (eventual successor [[BNSF|BNSF Railway]]) and were chartered to construct a railway between Lubbock and Farwell on the New Mexico border. From 1901 to 1915, communities along the future railway contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to its construction.<ref name="tshaonline.org">Hunt, William R. [https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hgm09 "Muleshoe, TX,"] ''Handbook of Texas Online'', accessed November 8, 2013. Published by the Texas State Historical Association.</ref> Muleshoe was founded in 1913 when the Pecos and Northern Texas Railway laid rails across northern Bailey County; residents borrowed the name from the nearby Muleshoe Ranch.<ref name="tshaonline.org"/>

Soon after the railroad passed through Muleshoe, the town expanded rapidly. In 1917, Muleshoe became the county seat after the county was organized, but it was not incorporated until 1926. Muleshoe continued to grow quickly, and by 1930, 800 residents were in the town. Three decades later, Muleshoe had tripled in population to 3,871. In 1970, Muleshoe reached its pinnacle at over 5,000 residents, 200 businesses, two hospitals, two banks, a library, a newspaper, and a radio station. 

During the 1970s and 1980s the population stagnated, and by the 1990s Muleshoe's population had begun to decrease. The population went from 5,048 in 1988 to 4,530 in 2000.<ref name="tshaonline.org"/> The once lively and vibrant Main Street is now quiet, with many abandoned buildings. Many of the businesses that once called Main Street home are now on American Boulevard (US Highway 84/70).

During the early 1960s, Texas residents were eager to build a memorial to the mule for its strength and sparse eating habits, traits that endeared it to the pioneers. In war, the mule carried [[cannon]]; in peace, it hauled [[freight]]. Its small hooves allowed it to scale rocky areas.<ref>Texas Historical Commission marker, National Mule Memorial</ref> The Mule Memorial was first displayed on July 4, 1965, near the intersection of US 70/84.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.texas-on-line.com/graphic/muleshoe.htm |title=Muleshoe, Texas |publisher=Texas Online |date=July 4, 1965 |access-date=2013-11-08}}</ref> Muleshoe is the home of the world's largest mule shoe, at the Muleshoe Heritage Center.

In January 2024, a Russian hacktivist group hacked the town's water supply, causing flooding. <ref> [https://apnews.com/article/texas-muleshoe-water-systems-cyberattacks-russia-5f388bf0d581fc8eb94b1190a7f29c3a] </ref><ref>[https://notthebee.com/article/russian-attackers-reportedly-hacked-a-small-texas-town-and-flooded-its-drinking-water]</ref>

{{wide image|Muleshoe, Texas (circa 1914-1915).jpg|1000 px|Muleshoe, c. 1914–1915}}