Mentone, County seat in Loving County, Texas, United States
Mentone is the county seat of Loving County in West Texas and contains a two-story courthouse alongside a handful of other structures scattered across the arid landscape. The settlement sits in a dry, sparsely populated region where ranching remains the primary economic activity.
An earlier settlement with this name was abandoned in 1905, then a new community was established in 1931 and took its name from Menton, France. This refounding marked the return of administrative functions to the area.
The population of 22 residents maintains a close-knit community structure centered around local government activities and ranching traditions.
The location is reached across considerable distances since the region is sparsely populated and characterized by vast open spaces. School-age children ride buses to the Wink-Loving Independent School District, which has served the community even after the local elementary school closed in 1978.
Loving County is among the least populated counties in the United States and is administered from this settlement. This extreme demographic characteristic makes the location a notable example of human settlement in one of the driest regions of the country.
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