Although no ghost towns in texas made the cut for the smithsonians coolest ghost town list, dozens remain across the state. The town was home to indians first, then spanish and. Ive been using a laminated texas county map book from mapsco that has been indispensible in my searches. The authors criteria for inclusion were tangible remains, public access and statewide coverage. Stuck on the naughty list is set in capitola, texas, a town that no longer exists. Benficklin, texas aka ben ficklin former tom green county seat, 18751882 texas ghost town tom green county, panhandle west texas historical marker 4 miles s of san angelo on hwy 277 ben ficklin, texas area hotels san angelo hotels. In each case baker comments about the towns founding, its former significance, and the. I looked through the book myself before i wrapped it. Lindsey baker, author of ghost towns of texas, defines a ghost town as a town for which the reason for being no longer exists. Based on hundreds of miles of travel and fieldwork in abandoned towns all across texas, more ghost towns of texas lists sites throughout the state so that people from anywhere in the state can reach a ghost town in a days trip. The book is split into four parts, according to the table of contents. This is an incomplete list of ghost towns in texas, united states. The gnis aerial photo isnt conclusive as far as remaining buildings still standing.
The historical research is very indepth and resurrects these towns that time forgot in the readers mind. Ghost towns for sale, valuable properties and invaluable advice. We also allow photos of abandoned structures in extant communities. Hide town wheeler co hilda mason co holt san saba co hot springs brewster co huff archer co hughes irion co huron hill co. Lindsay baker provide driving directions to select ghost town sites throughout texas as well as some really good history on each site. Ghost town benficklin, aka ben ficklin, texas, former tom. Ghost towns of texas page front inside the portal to. A ghost town or alternatively deserted city or abandoned city is an abandoned village, town. Ghost towns are inherently unnerving, but theyre also fascinating snapshots of the past. Claylick, licking county located at the intersection of claylick and the licking river, this was one of the largest towns to be destroyed and caused primarily by 2 floods 1 in 1919 and 1 in 1959. Terlingua, texas stephen mauro terlingua, near the chisos and christmas mountains in texas big bend region, owes its existence to the bloodred ore cinnabar, from which quicksilver, or mercury, is extracted. Todays deals your gift cards help whole foods registry. Theres also a museum, a saloon, and other different merchants.
Texas ghost town gps maps and driving directions ghost. East texas ghost towns texas gulf coast ghost towns south texas ghost towns south texas plains. The enjoyment for travelers such as these lies in thejourney rather than the destination. List of ghost towns in the united states wikipedia. Find out some of the backstory of these texas ghost towns in this exclusive video from studies weekly.
Theres something spooky about the sheer number of ghost towns in america. In 1988, the defunct city took the route of a few other ghost towns and became a tourist attraction with a handful of activities including a zipline, a reptile exhibit, and horseback rides. This category has the following 7 subcategories, out of 7 total. Many of the towns are described with extended histories while others are simply noted with a. Free shipping get free shipping free 58 day shipping within the u. Buy a cheap copy of more ghost towns of texas book by t. Although, by their very nature, the texas ghost towns featured in bakers book have deteriorated even more or disappeared altogether since the publication of this book in 1986, it remains a classic reference on this material and is a must have for the ghost town hunters library. Many of the towns are described with extended histories while others are simply noted with a statement of their locations. Lindsay bakers book, ghost towns of texas, is long gone. Ghost towns of route 66 book for more on the haunting towns of route 66, pick up the book ghost towns of route 66, which is available at voyageur press and amazon. The walking tour of the town is neat, amazing that those buildings exist at all. A friend of mine has an interest in ghost towns in texas and wanted to learn more about them. Houston, texana, helena, egypt, east columbia, west columbia, matagorda. Dreams, conflicts, and losses still haunt what remains, so its no wonder we call these locales ghost towns.
Same comments as the original book, ghost towns of texas. Elkhorn, montana buildings by kathy weiseralexander. Texas named the state with the most ghost towns in america. So i went to and search for a book about them and this book popped up.
The icons on this map are locations i have personally visited and photographed. Spanish fort this ghost town has still quite a few residents, but can be considered a ghost nonetheless for the history that used to be here. Book of county maps dont rely on a simple travelers atlas or even one of those travel maps that you can pick up at a convenience store or visitors welcome center exploring ghost towns in texas calls for a really good county map book that shows all the highways, byways, county roads, gravel roads, pipelines, and all that. I bought it and gave it to him as a christmas gift. Ghost towns of texas has been added to your cart add to cart. This tiny map dot was a busy little town in 1890, consisting of two churches, a post office, a school and a store. Some ghost towns are protected by parks departments. Wikimedia commons has media related to ghost towns in texas this category includes ghost towns in the u.
Ghost towns of texas page front cover the portal to texas history. T lindsay baker the towns chosen for the book have histories which are so colorful and varied that they easily keep the readers attention. See photos from interesting places like fort griffin, langtry, marathon, terlingua, and more. Awesome general store where you can buy beer by the bottlecan, then sit on the front porch to drink with the locals. This book gives an overview of ghost towns in the state of texas. The past belongs to the future but only the present. Lindsay baker in his 1986 book ghost towns of texas, the ruins of the old town lie east of the present very large, still active gypsum plant. Other times people abandon towns quickly, due to a tragedy or because of lost economic opportunities. Part ii religious havens zodiac, burning bush, kelsey.
The 35 best ghost towns in east texas and 220 other towns we left behind. Located near big bend, terlingua is one of texas most famous ghost towns. Like many of the more than 1,000 ghost towns, capitola, located in mason county which is part of the texas hill country,boomed briefly and then faded away. Further down the road is the site of a caddo archaeological excavation. There is something romantic yet harshly concrete about an abandoned town. Lindsay baker has now turned his enormous mental and physical energies to the subject and has brought to view if not to life eightysix texas ghost towns for the readers pleasure. The books ghost towns of texas and more ghost towns of texas by t. The best texas ghost towns with photos tripadvisor. After the 2nd flood the dillon dam floodplain project destroyed this town. Lindsay bakers more ghost towns of texas provides readers with histories, maps, and detailed directions to the most interesting ghost towns in texas. Texas ghost towns these towns once prospered but have since fallen into decay and isolation.
Highest rated places of interest or tour operators on tripadvisor, promoting those where there is at least one tour or activity available to book on tripadvisor. The population in 1900 was 81, but is way less now. Here are 8 of the many ghost towns located in new mexico. Dreams, conflicts, and losses still haunt what remains, so its no wonder we call these. Ghost towns texas ghost towns there are over 800 ghost towns in texas, ranging from old west towns, once popular route 66 stops, oil boom cities and camps, and lots more. Geotab, a global leader in internet of things and connected transportation, named texas as the state with the most ghost towns in america. More ghost towns of texas is a book for historyminded motorists who prefer farmtomarket roads to interstate highways and the states vast rural expanses to its urban metropolises. This was the 3rd book ive set in a town that was once a real town and is now just a memory. Texas ghost town a z list alphabetical listing of 1051 ghost towns in texas. Some still have a handful of inhabitants, but many are completely abandoned. Texas ghost town books ghost towns and history of the.