AMARILLO

city, seat (1887) of Potter county (and partly in Randall county), on the high plains of northern Texas, U.S. It is the chief city of the Texas Panhandle. Amarillo originated in 1887 as a railroad construction camp and grew after 1900 when wheat cultivation and ranching became important in the region. The discovery of petroleum and natural gas deposits in the 1920s further promoted the community's development as a regional and industrial centre, though in the 1930s the general economic depression and prolonged drought restricted growth. After 1940, however, extensive irrigation from underground water increased agricultural output. In addition to oil, farming, and ranching, the city has a large copper refinery and ordnance and helicopter factories. Helium is found in large quantities in the area, and Amarillo is the site of a major helium plant and an unusual monument (a six-story stainless steel column built in 1968 to commemorate the element). Amarillo College, with the Amarillo Art Center on its campus, was founded in 1929. The city has a notable medical centre, holds a huge livestock auction, and is the headquarters of the American Quarter Horse Association. West Texas A&M University (1909) is at nearby Canyon. Palo Duro Canyon State Park is 16 miles (26 km) southeast, and Buffalo Lake National Wildlife Refuge is southwest. The name Amarillo probably comes from the Spanish word for yellow, the colour of local clay deposits. Inc. 1892. Pop. (1990) city, 157,571; Amarillo MSA, 187,514; (1994 est.) city, 165,036; (1995 est.) Amarillo MSA, 201,012.