Antelope is a small community near the intersection of Loop 187, U.S. Highway 281

U.S. Route 281

U.S. Route 281 is a north–south United States highway. At 1,872 miles long it is the longest continuous three-digit U.S. Route....

, and Farm to Market Road 175

Farm to Market Road 175

Farm to Market Road 175 is a farm to market road in Jack and Clay counties, Texas.-Route description:The western terminus of FM 175 is in northwestern Jack County at Loop 187, the former alignment of through Antelope. The two-lane road travels to the east, then the north, and again to the east...

, twenty miles northwest of Jacksboro

Jacksboro, Texas

Jacksboro is a city in Jack County, Texas, United States. The population was 4,533 at the 2000 census. Jacksboro is located at the junction of U.S...

 in northwestern Jack County, Texas

Jack County, Texas

*Bryson*Jacksboro*Jermyn *Joplin *Perrin *Gibtown-See also:*National Register of Historic Places listings in Jack County, Texas-External links:*...

. The population is 65.

History

Antelope is one of the oldest active communities in Jack County. After receiving a post office in 1858, the town became a ranching center because of its fertile soil and proximity to the West Fork of the Trinity River. It served as a frontier town for Anglo settlers in Jack and southern Clay counties. Its initial success led to a town survey in 1875, after which a town square, hotel, general store, churches, and a school were developed to service the farmers and ranchers of the area. When US Route 281 was developed through Jack County, it bypassed Antelope by less than a mile, but a "spur" or "loop" was built (Loop 187) to connect the small community to the major highway. Antelope never particularly flourished in the 20th century, despite oil discoveries in the area, and the population never exceeded 300, its population at the 1900 census. By the 1940s, the population had dropped in half, and by 2000, the population stood at 65.