Claude

Claude, on U.S. Highway 287 in north central Armstrong County, is the county's largest town. It was originally named Armstrong City when the Fort Worth and Denver City Railway built through the county in 1887, but the name was soon afterwards changed to Claude, after Claude Ayers, the engineer who brought the first train through. Though E. H. Trice platted the town's business district in conformity with the railroad, which angles southeast to northwest, later additions, platted by various promoters including Samuel H. Graves, J. A. Parham, Lee Bivins , and R. A. Montgomery, were laid out by the compass. A post office was opened in June 1888 with Trice as postmaster.