Texas Ghost Towns: my pictorial essays (DIAL-UP WARNING)

[derby378]

I've been fascinated with ghost towns in Texas for quite some time, but never had the chance to explore any of them. After Ginny died back in May, even though I was still in mourning, I decided to start visiting some of those ghost towns as part of my recovery process. Thankfully, I remembered to bring a camera with me.

I'll be sharing photos of my excursions in the responses following this OP to better organize all of the images. Enjoy. And keep in mind that this is only the beginning - there's plenty more ghost towns to explore.

[derby378]

1. Belcherville, TX - May 2010

This may be the ruins of an old pharmacy building:



Street signs in Belcherville:



Exterior of an abandoned Belcherville church slowly being reclaimed by the woods:



A room in the back of the church:



Three shots inside the church sanctuary, with a view of the minister's platform as seen by the congregation (stained-glass windows long gone):







An example of the local flora at Belcherville, vibrant and thriving:

[tuckessee]

2. Cool pics! Thanks for sharing them.

I've always been fascinated by abandoned places.

Do you know what circumstances caused those towns to be abandoned?

[derby378]

7. There are various ways a town can become a ghost

Historian T. Lindsay Baker (whom I credit for getting me started on this project in the first place) states that a ghost town is simply a town whose primary reason for existence has ceased to be. That's a pretty good summeray of what causes a town to die.

Some of the towns I visited were either company towns or communities based around one particular industry. When that industry folded, so did the town. That's why so many new towns try their best to attract new business - diversification means long-term survival. Dallas took a financial hit when Braniff folded, but it still hosts a slew of corporations such as Texas Instruments, Neiman Marcus, and Southwest Airlines. ExxonMobil's corporate world headquarters are located in nearby Irving, as is Zale Corporation. Mary Kay World Headquarters sits just north of Dallas in the suburb of Addison. Our city's economy owes much of its survival to oil, microelectronics, and telecommunications. Our chances of becoming a ghost town are extremely remote. But imagine a town built up around only one of the businesses I mentioned above. If that company goes under, the townfolk either have to start up a new business or abandon the town in search of greener pastures.

Some towns, on the other hand, sat on the intersections of major roads or trails and thus became natural centers for commerce and trade. Every new development in transportation can threaten the survival of a growing town. In the Old West, towns frequently competed with each other to woo railroad companies into laying tracks by their towns. Those who gained the railroad lines gained the trade and industry that followed; those that didn't usually withered away. The evolution of the automobile helped preserve many towns across America, but when the interstate highway system was established in the 1950s, many towns that didn't sit next to an interstate lost business, and some of them turned into ghosts. Look at the effect that the interstates had on Route 66, which now exists only in fragmentary form.

Other towns died out because the water supply ran out, because the Army Corps of Engineers flooded the town to create a new dam, or because the climate was simply too inhospitable. One Texas town, Indianola, was utterly destroyed by two back-to-back hurricanes over a hundred years ago; before its destruction, Indianola was second only to Galveston in size on the Texas Gulf Coast.

The Roman Empire had a few ghost towns as well, Pompeii being the most famous of all. They did have a small city in southern Italy that became a ghost town because all of its human inhabitants were driven out by a massive infestation of mosquitoes; the site was abandoned and never resettled.

In short, there's all sorts of ways a community can become a ghost town, but I hope this helps you. :hi:

[SoCalDem]

17. Here's a site you'll love

http://www.dirjournal.com/info/abandoned-places-in-the-world/

and this one too

http://www.abandoned-places.com/links.htm

[derby378]

18. Hey, many thanks!

:hi:

[tuckessee]

27. Thanks for the links!!!

Those are some really fascinating sites.:)

[niyad]

5. wonderful pics, and thanks for sharing--I like the face in the window in pic #6 here.

[derby378]

8. You saw a face?

I looked again, but couldn't find one.

[derby378]

3. Spanish Fort, TX - May 2010

A historical marker detailing the 1759 defeat of Spanish forces by Taovaya warriors at this site:



Exterior of abandoned Hutson Hunters Supplies building at Spanish Fort; also the one-time home of the "Spanish Fort Coon Hunters Association:"





Inside the Hutson Hunters Supplies building, with various abandoned diversions and comforts:





Dilapidated house at Spanish Fort possibly used for a Halloween haunted house project:



The disused Spanish Fort High School, now on private property:



The front gate and a couple of plots at Spanish Fort Cemetery:

[mdmc]

4. thanks for the pics

as a yankee I am always interested in these kind of abandoned properties. I see a lot of beat places in the city, but never whole towns now empty...

[Freetradesucks]

22. That's a sweet old chair

in front of the fridge. With a new finish and upholstery job that thing would be sick.

[DearAbby]

6. Very nice

[ceile]

9. Very cool....

Keep posting.

[derby378]

10. Thurber, TX - June 2010 (Part 1)

The gorgeous smokestack from the town's former coal mining operation:



A historical marker in front of the smokestack:



The Thurber smokestack, up close and personal:



TPC&O sign on front of the smokestack:



A snakeskin in the shadow of the smokestack - a reminder that if you're going to explore ghost towns, be very careful:



Home of the Thurber Fire Station:



Ruins of an old building at Thurber, almost completely obscured by trees:

[sonias]

11. Nice pictures Derby!

There is some beauty to things forgotten and rediscovered.

:applause: :thumbsup:

[MadHound]

12. A suggestion for you,

Judging from your pictures, there is a lot of salvage left in those buildings. You would be surprised at the prices being paid for old weathered wood, brick, etc., especially back out east. Not to mention that old soda machines, etc. all have some sort of collectible value.

If you have the time, tools, storage space and expertise you could set yourself up in a tidy little business.

[xchrom]

13. recommend -- thanks for the cool pics. nt

[Froward69]

14. Awesome derby... for more (a bit further away) check it out

http://www.ghosttowngallery.com/

[Hun Joro]

15. Beautiful. Thanks for sharing. nt

[derby378]

16. Thurber, TX - June 2010 (part 2)

Smokestack Restaurant, one of two Thurber restaurants still in business, offers their own version of tater tots, served with ranch dressing and stuffed with chopped jalapenos. You must eat these:



Front view of Smokestack Restaurant:



Historical marker at the site of the old Hotel Knox and the Thurber mining office:



Ruins on private land at the old Hotel Knox site:



Historical marker at the site of what used to be the Snake Saloon, which once featured a magnificent horseshoe-shaped bar:



Current denizens of the Snake Saloon site:



St. Barbara's Church, which I believe is still in use:



A company-owned home typical of those inhabited by Thurber miners and their families:

[ceile]

19. May have to check it out next time we're up Stephenville way.

I checked on a map- doesn't look too far out of the way...

[derby378]

20. Check out the W.K. Gordon Center if you can

It's a Thurber museum run by Tarleton State (Ginny's alma mater). You can get bottled mineral water from Mineral Wells (I like the #3), learn about daily life in Thurber, and even buy a replica TPM&M token good for a stick of dynamite.

[ceile]

24. Thx!

Check your PM.

[derby378]

21. Kick for the evening crew (n/t)

[WolverineDG]

23. k&r

Cool pics, Derby! :hi:

dg

[derby378]

25. Glad you like them!

More on the way - I have a set from Helena I need to upload, and I may be visiting a few more sites today.

[onethatcares]

26. buy yourself a metal detector and look around a few of those sites

you don't need an expensive one, just an ace250 (200.00 complete). You'd be surprised what you can find.

[derby378]

28. I already have one

In some ghost towns, it's impractical to use one because much of the land is private ranch property nowadays. As for the others, it would probably be best if I wait until the temperature drops a bit - October would be good.

[derby378]

29. Helena, TX - June 2010

Historical marker next to what used to be the Karnes County Courthouse in Helena:



The courthouse, now converted into a museum:



If you were a bad boy in Helena, but not too bad to be hanged, they stuck you in an iron cage, outdoors, rain or shine:



Sign above the entrance to the Carver-Mayfield Store:



The Carver-Mayfield Store in Helena:



A spider guarding a hole in the rear wall of the Carver-Mayfield Store:



Interior of what's left of the Carver-Mayfield Store:



St. Helena Catholic Church:



A small Helena house on the courthouse site:



A decaying barn on the courthouse site:



A ruined wall on private land in Helena:



Gil's Country Store, the only business in Helena - and a great place to get pizza and beer at 9 in the evening:

[derby378]

30. FYI, I definitely want to visit this site again

The museum keeps pretty short hours, and I'm sure it holds a lot of information about Helena's history and local culture.

You know that switchblade duel in Michael Jackson's Beat It video where the combatants gripped each other's forearms? That particular style of duel originated in Helena. Very rough town in its heyday.