tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65525171968185131792024-03-17T20:02:24.165-07:00Texas Ghost TownsDaniel Barnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17615302374593754111noreply@blogger.comBlogger63125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552517196818513179.post-42369865123351199302015-07-19T18:37:00.002-07:002015-07-19T18:37:39.503-07:00Vanishing BelchervilleSome of you may remember my photos of <a href="http://texasghosttowns.blogspot.com/2011/10/belcherville-montague-county-may.html">the Montague County ghost town of Belcherville</a> from 2010-2011. I finally had a chance to take a friend of mine on a ghost town expedition through Cooke County and Montague County over the weekend after returning to college in January, and since Belcherville was the first Texas ghost town I ever discovered, I had to put it on our itinerary.<br>
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When we got out to the site, there were some drastic changes. A sturdy fence with numerous "No Trespassing" signs has been erected around much of downtown Belcherville, putting the remains of at least two churches and the Manley homestead on Elm Street off limits. In addition, the Vannoy gas station off Highway 82 has been wiped off the face of the earth. All that appears to be accessible in the original townsite are the old post office and the cemetery.<br>
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This appears to mark the imminent demise of the old Belcherville site for all time. My guess is the former downtown area will be razed and converted into farmland. Belcherville's population remains tiny, but the town also remains incorporated - the smallest incorporated city anywhere in the state of Texas. The locals have developed some farms and ranches on the old site, and it looks like we've stumbled upon the latest phase in what appears to be Belcherville's transformation from a collection of abandoned buildings into a quiet, dispersed farming community.<br>
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If anyone has further information on these developments, please feel free to share.Daniel Barnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17615302374593754111noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552517196818513179.post-20138309302081353672014-10-14T06:56:00.001-07:002014-10-14T06:56:14.964-07:00Possible renovations for historic mansion in TerlinguaFor those of you following the Brewster County ghost town of Terlingua, the historic Perry Mansion <a href="http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/article/Historic-Terlingua-mansion-could-see-renovations-5774932.php">maybe be getting some renovations</a> courtesy of owner Bill Ivey, who currently runs the mansion as a hotel. Check it out.Daniel Barnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17615302374593754111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552517196818513179.post-845739607717554452014-10-05T15:21:00.001-07:002014-10-05T15:21:37.869-07:00Have you ever misplaced an entire town?I know this isn't about anyplace in Texas, but there's a wonderful article in <i>The Huffington Post</i> about a small town that was abandoned and forgotten <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/roadtrippers/hiker-discovers-an-abando_b_5927164.html?ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000063">within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee.</a> Photographer Jordan Liles rediscovered the site last year, which he calls the Wonderland Club. He has photographed the ruins of several houses and even a hotel at the site. By all means, please check it out.Daniel Barnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17615302374593754111noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552517196818513179.post-8774160639059073982014-07-20T16:36:00.000-07:002014-07-20T16:41:14.700-07:00Dexter (Cooke County) - April 2012 photosI haven't been on a ghost town expedition for quite some time due to financial and personal constraints, and I miss being out on the road, exploring abandoned towns throughout Texas and bringing you pictures of what's left of these forgotten communities. Still, it turns out I still have a bunch of photos I haven't shared with you yet, and one set of photos is of the Cooke County town of Dexter, reduced to a mere shell of its former self. I don't know why, but I've been sitting on these photos for over two years - guess it's time I shared the history of Dexter with you, right?<br>
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<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/user/derby378/media/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns%202/DSC02894_zps7cc291d4.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns%202/DSC02894_zps7cc291d4.jpg" border="0" alt="Dexter April 2012 #1 photo DSC02894_zps7cc291d4.jpg"/></a><br>
<b>County Road 106, winding through what used to be the heart of Dexter</b><br>
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Take a good look at the above image of Dexter's now-quiet main street. Over a hundred years ago, what Gainesville is today, Dexter once aspired to be - the most important stop on the road north before crossing the Red River into Oklahoma. The <i>Captured by Jess</i> blog <a href="http://captured-byjess.blogspot.com/2009/12/visting-past-dexter-texas.html">features a picture of Dexter in its heyday,</a> and I strongly encourage you to visit Jessica's blog for that photo as well as other great shots of what's left of this once-ambitious town. If you wish to visit Dexter yourself, it's approximately 10 miles north of Callisburg on County Road 678 in extreme northeastern Cooke County; when you reach the intersection with County Road 106 and see the church on your left, you have arrived.<br>
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<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/user/derby378/media/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns%202/DSC02891_zps294f9644.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns%202/DSC02891_zps294f9644.jpg" border="0" alt="Dexter April 2012 #2 photo DSC02891_zps294f9644.jpg"/></a><br>
<b>Dexter Community Church, still in use today</b><br>
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<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/user/derby378/media/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns%202/DSC02868_zps0263ef7c.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns%202/DSC02868_zps0263ef7c.jpg" border="0" alt="Dexter April 2012 #3 photo DSC02868_zps0263ef7c.jpg"/></a><br>
<b>A peek inside Dexter Community Church</b><br>
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<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/user/derby378/media/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns%202/DSC02872_zps08c49f43.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns%202/DSC02872_zps08c49f43.jpg" border="0" alt="Dexter April 2012 #4 photo DSC02872_zps08c49f43.jpg"/></a><br>
<b>Look closely to see my little furry friend romping the church grounds at Dexter</b><br>
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Dexter's life as a bustling border town was short, but marked by aggressive growth. Founded around 1870 by Dick Collum, S.E. Collum, Jesse Morris, and Bill Munday, it was originally located about three miles east of its present location, next to a natural spring that was certain to draw travellers. The site was originally called Sugar Hill, but Jesse Morris is credited with renaming the town Dexter after <a href="http://xwebapp.ustrotting.com/absolutenm/templates/hoofbeats_blog.aspx?articleid=42172&zoneid=56">a once-famous racehorse.</a><br>
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Jason Schall inaugurated Dexter's post office on March 31, 1873, and the town quickly blossomed afterwards, reaching a population of 300 in the early 1880s. By that time, Dexter was home to 37 businesses, including its own district school, four blacksmith shops, four physicians, three hotels, two steam gristmills and cotton gins, a bank, a barber shop, and at least one church. The rapid growth of Dexter did not go unnoticed by Gainesville, which had become a supply point for cowboys headed north to Kansas with herds of cattle in tow.<br>
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<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/user/derby378/media/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns%202/DSC02857_zps729b4e4e.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns%202/DSC02857_zps729b4e4e.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo DSC02857_zps729b4e4e.jpg"/></a><br>
<b>Side view of Dexter's school auditorium</b><br>
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<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/user/derby378/media/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns%202/DSC02860_zps478d694f.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns%202/DSC02860_zps478d694f.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo DSC02860_zps478d694f.jpg"/></a><br>
<b>Front view of Dexter's school auditorium</b><br>
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<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/user/derby378/media/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns%202/DSC02861_zps89ba2ec7.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns%202/DSC02861_zps89ba2ec7.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo DSC02861_zps89ba2ec7.jpg"/></a><br>
<b>A peek inside Dexter's school auditorium</b><br>
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Every town in Cooke County anticipated the coming of the railroad, hoping to be the first town in the county to welcome trains to its own depot. The townfolk of Dexter were apparently convinced that the Denison and Pacific Railway was going to lay tracks right through their town, but as luck would have it, the railway instead chose to build through the town of Woodbine, 20 miles south of Dexter. Stung but undaunted by the financial loss, Dexter held a vote on February 28, 1885 on incorporation; turnout was somewhat light, but the town incorporated on a 30-18 vote. It was nevertheless becoming obvious to Dexter's denizens that the town was declining, with many of its businesses moving north of the Red River to resettle in Ardmore, Oklahoma. Dexter was also beginning to attract a more unsavory lot who occasionally used the town as a hideout; a posse tracked down brothers James and Pink Lee of the Lee Gang to a hayfield near Dexter on September 7, 1885, where both brothers were killed in a gunfight.<br>
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<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/user/derby378/media/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns%202/DSC02883_zps92874c4e.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns%202/DSC02883_zps92874c4e.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo DSC02883_zps92874c4e.jpg"/></a><br>
<b>Rear view of the abandoned bank vault at Dexter, now hidden from the road by dense foliage</b><br>
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<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/user/derby378/media/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns%202/DSC02881_zps943c8fd2.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns%202/DSC02881_zps943c8fd2.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo DSC02881_zps943c8fd2.jpg"/></a><br>
<b>Side view of the Dexter bank vault</b><br>
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<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/user/derby378/media/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns%202/DSC02888_zpse85f9afb.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns%202/DSC02888_zpse85f9afb.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo DSC02888_zpse85f9afb.jpg"/></a><br>
<b>Detail of ironwork molding around front door to the Dexter bank vault</b><br>
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<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/user/derby378/media/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns%202/DSC02864_zps0d0fc6fc.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns%202/DSC02864_zps0d0fc6fc.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo DSC02864_zps0d0fc6fc.jpg"/></a><br>
<b>Remains of a wooden shack that reportedly housed the barber shop; said to have finally collapsed around 2000</b><br>
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The city government of Dexter managed to hold out until around 1900, and the post office was apparently discontinued sometime after 1925. The population continued to decline until 70 people were left at the townsite from the late 1960s until 1987, when the population began to plummet even further. The 2000 census reported only 18 people left at what used to be Cooke County's most ambitious town.<br>
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<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/user/derby378/media/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns%202/DSC02890_zpsf8d3055a.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns%202/DSC02890_zpsf8d3055a.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo DSC02890_zpsf8d3055a.jpg"/></a><br>
<b>Rusting machinery reposing in the vicinity of what used to be Dexter's general store</b><br>
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<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/user/derby378/media/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns%202/DSC02873_zpsf70ba02f.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns%202/DSC02873_zpsf70ba02f.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo DSC02873_zpsf70ba02f.jpg"/></a><br>
<b>Gate to South Dexter Cemetery - unlike many Texas ghost towns, Dexter has two cemeteries instead of just one</b><br>
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<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/user/derby378/media/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns%202/DSC02877_zps5d220f38.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns%202/DSC02877_zps5d220f38.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo DSC02877_zps5d220f38.jpg"/></a><br>
<b>Tombstone for W.L. Butt and his two wives, located in South Dexter Cemetery</b><br>
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<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/user/derby378/media/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns%202/DSC02878_zps5126a592.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns%202/DSC02878_zps5126a592.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo DSC02878_zps5126a592.jpg"/></a><br>
<b>Gate to Dexter North Cemetery - or North Dexter Cemetery, depending on whether you believe the gate or the nearby sign</b><br>
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<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/user/derby378/media/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns%202/DSC02900_zps65bcc839.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns%202/DSC02900_zps65bcc839.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo DSC02900_zps65bcc839.jpg"/></a><br>
<b>Masonic gravestone for George P. Barclay and wife Rosa, located in Dexter North Cemetery</b><br>
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I hope you enjoyed this pictorial essay of Dexter. If you choose to visit this ghost town yourself, most of the roads are paved, but be advised that some of the roads are gravel and dirt that are prone to bumps and ditches and may be impassable after recent rainfall. Be safe, stay hydrated, and enjoy - and thank you for learning about the history of Dexter!<br>
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One more thing: Happy Birthday to my brother Steve! Love you, bro!Daniel Barnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17615302374593754111noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552517196818513179.post-7208264233069594672014-03-17T15:39:00.003-07:002014-11-19T11:16:15.739-08:00Field trip to Picher, OklahomaThis is a departure from the original purpose of this blog, but this trip was definitely on my ghost town "bucket list," and the window of opportunity to visit this particular site is closing little by little. One day, the last remains of the mining town of Picher will be swept away forever, brought down by the Federal government's wrecking ball. And the demolition process has already begun.<br>
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Of the various mining ghost towns such as Cardin and Zincville located in northeastern Oklahoma, Picher was the big daddy of them all. Located just north of historic Route 66 in Ottawa County, at its height in 1926, Picher had a population of 14,525, most of whom were involved in lead and zinc mining operations at the town. Mining activity was so extensive that there was almost one mine shaft or bore hole dug for every man, woman, and child in Picher. If anyone from the United States Armed Forces fired a shot at the enemy during either world war, chances are good that the lead in that bullet was mined in Picher. As the mining operations tapered down, however, so did the population. The mine shafts were abandoned, allowing water to collect in them and become contaminated by the mining waste. Eventually, it bubbled to the surface again as an acidic red soup that left burns on flesh and killed all aquatic life in nearby Tar Creek. And all 40 miles of these abandoned mine shafts are still chock full of this poison.<br>
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To make matters worse, some of the abandoned shafts caved in, leaving sinkholes throughout the town, including one behind Picher-Cardin High School. Lead contaminated the town's water supply, resulting in a spike in cognitive disabilities in many of the children who drank the water. On top of everything else, an EF4 tornado slammed into southern Picher in 2008, killing eight people and injuring many others while destroying a lot of houses and buildings in the area. This turned out to be the last straw for the doomed community.<br>
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Picher is now the epicenter of the Tar Creek Superfund site, considered one of the most toxic sites in America. The municipality has been officially dissolved, but there's still a handful of diehards who refuse to leave. Less than 20 people are left, including a pharmacist who has vowed to keep his shop in downtown Picher open as long as someone remains in the ghost town. The Federal government has been knocking down abandoned buildings in Picher since 2011 because of the danger of lead contamination from these structures. I visited Picher in early March during a nasty rainstorm, but I was able to snap some pictures of the few remnants of Picher that the Federal government and that tornado in 2008 haven't demolished yet:<br>
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<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/DSC03410_zps4fd70e98.jpg"><br>
<b>Remnants of downtown Picher - the surviving pharmacy is on the left-hand side behind the tree</b><br>
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<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/DSC03412_zpsd62b801b.jpg"><br>
<b>The abandoned Picher Mining Museum</b><br>
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<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/DSC03408_zps85664052.jpg"><br>
<b>Picher-Cardin High School building</b><br>
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<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/DSC03400_zps05b1292a.jpg"><br>
<b>In honor of the once-formidable Picher-Cardin football team</b><br>
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<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/DSC03405_zpsa6791dcd.jpg"><br>
<b>Forsaken remains of a Disciples of Christ church</b><br>
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<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/DSC03403_zps9ceeb01c.jpg"><br>
<b>A small house in Picher, abandoned but still standing for the time being</b><br>
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As I mentioned earlier, I arrived at Picher during a bad rainstorm that never let up. This was probably a good thing, as the rain weighed down any airborne sediments from the contaminated chat piles that surround Picher, immense mountains of mining waste infiltrated by lead, zinc, and cadmium. If not for the rain, I might have been able to take a few more pictures, perhaps even visit Tar Creek or one of the sinkholes. Under the circumstances, however, safety and discretion were the order of the day. Highway 69 runs right through Picher, but nobody stops here anymore. If you wind up with a flat tire in this town, you simply limp southwestward until you reach Commerce or Miami if you know what's good for you.<br>
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Still, these few reminders of Picher remained - for now. One of these days, they'll be demolished, and the rubble will be cleared away. The very name of Picher is being removed from state maps, leaving behind only a network of paved streets that will lead to nowhere except sinkholes, toxic groundwater ponds, and mountains of chat as well as the tainted land, far beyond the current ability of the government to decontaminate. A visitor in the future might stop in the middle of this wasteland, intrigued by some broken or rusted remnant - some discarded masonry, the skeletal remains of a water tower - and ask herself what used to be here so many years ago.<br>
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As for me, I'm turning my attention back to Texas ghost towns for the foreseeable future. But there might be another out-of-state field trip or two somewhere down the line.<br>
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I've also created <a href="http://www.mixcloud.com/derby378/ghost-town-essay-3-picher-oklahoma/">an ambient Mixcloud essay</a> of my visit to Picher using field recordings from the townsite if you'd like to check it out.Daniel Barnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17615302374593754111noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552517196818513179.post-65788574130703643452014-02-18T16:30:00.000-08:002014-02-20T15:56:45.713-08:00Mantua (Collin County) - February 2014 photosOnce upon a time, <a href="http://texasghosttowns.blogspot.com/2011/09/vanished-ghost-towns.html">I talked about ghost towns in Texas that have completely vanished from the map,</a> preserved only in the memories of historians and those whose ancestors lived in these communities. Those of you who live in the Dallas/Fort Worth area probably noticed substantial population growth in Collin County over the past 25 years, but as cities such as Frisco, McKinney, and Plano continue to expand and flourish, there is one town on the northern edge of Collin County that has, for all intents and purposes, disappeared.<br>
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Mantua (pronounced <i>MAN-too-AY</i> in case you were wondering) was one of the oldest towns in Collin County. Mantua was born in 1854 when a delegation that included James Webb Throckmorton, a state legislator and future Texas governor, purchased 200 acres from one of the sons of Texas hero Collin McKinney; on February 23 of that year, the delegation set aside 25 of those acres for development of a town and a seminary. Proceeds from the sale of town lots were intended to finance construction of the seminary, and in order to ensure a less ungodly environment in which the seminary could operate, Mantua's town fathers forbade gambling, horse racing, prostitution, and sales of alcohol.<br>
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<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns%202/Feb14Mantua01_zpse2465f21.jpg"><br>
<b>Historical marker at the townsite of Mantua, near the intersection of US 75 and Mantua Road in Collin County</b><br>
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Masonic Lodge No. 209, which sponsored the seminary, organized on February 7, 1857, on the second floor of Horatio N. Walcott's store building in Mantua. The town received its own post office the following year, with E. B. Rollins serving as the first postmaster. In 1859, a new two-story building was constructed at Mantua, with the upper floor used by the lodge for meetings and the lower floor serving as the Mantua Seminary, which educated male and female students alike. In 1860, Mantua boasted a Disciples of Christ church, three stores, and a population of 50 in addition to the seminary and lodge. By 1870, the population of Mantua had increased to 300.<br>
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<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns%202/Feb14Mantua04_zps8af663f9.jpg"><br>
<b>Historical marker for Mantua Masonic Lodge No. 209, vital to the development of Mantua</b><br>
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Just as Mantua's long-term prospects were looking up, though, it suffered a fate shared by many forgotten Texas towns in those days - death by railroad. The Houston and Texas Central Railway purchased land in neighboring Grayson County for $20 an acre from the great-grandson of Collin McKinney in 1872, laying tracks through the region that sat around one and a half miles east of the town. A new depot town called Van Alstyne was established on the railroad line just over the county line in Grayson County. The death of Mantua came quickly, with some residents of Mantua quickly snatching up land at Van Alstyne. By the end of 1873, Mantua had lost its businesses, the post office, the lodge, and most of its population to the new town; the church stayed put until 1888.<br>
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<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns%202/Feb14Mantua03_zps4739fcdd.jpg"><br>
<b>The Mantua Lodge at its current digs in Van Alstyne in Grayson County</b><br>
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County Road 371, which winds along the northern edge of Collin County, is still identified as Mantua Road, as this is the road that the town was developed on. Today, however, there is absolutely no trace of the old town on CR 371, which has been converted into farmland and housing developments. A historical marker erected on the western edge of the old townsite indicates that there is also a Mantua Cemetery that carries the name of the forgotten community, but a descendant of one of the town's residents has informed me that the cemetery, which was always quite small to begin with, now sits on private property and cannot be viewed from the road; I have also been unable to pinpoint the cemetery's location with satellite images. In fact, the only tangible evidence of what <b>might</b> have been part of Mantua was found after marching through various trees and thorns to discover what looks like a small collapsed structure on the banks of a winding creek.<br>
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<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns%202/Feb14Mantua02_zpsb7c4fb9c.jpg"><br>
<b>The final, forlorn remnants of Mantua?</b><br>
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If anyone has information on what this building once was, please share - it will certainly be appreciated. But it is somewhat poignant that this growing seminary town has become such a complete ghost that only a historical marker and a county road bear testimony to its former existence over 125 years later. In another 125 years, will even historians and descendants of the townfolk remember the little town of Mantua?Daniel Barnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17615302374593754111noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552517196818513179.post-34681850179421659452014-01-18T16:51:00.001-08:002014-01-18T16:51:54.844-08:00Ghost town photography project by Noel KernsA friend of mine just introduced me to <a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/behold/2014/01/17/noel_kerns_uses_light_painting_to_capture_ghost_towns_by_moonlight_photos.html">this article on Slate's website</a> about photographer Noel Kerns capturing images of ghost towns in Texas and elsewhere by using a neat photography technique called "light painting." A host of lovely images can be found at the link - and they're giving yours truly some interesting travel ideas for the future. (I'm finally back at work, and can soon afford to go jaunting across Texas once again!)Daniel Barnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17615302374593754111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552517196818513179.post-49081003113799583642013-10-11T14:28:00.000-07:002013-10-11T14:28:21.446-07:00Where have I been?Hey, folks - I need to level with you. I've been unemployed since Memorial Day, and my search for gainful and permanent employment has been unsuccessful to date. I appreciate being called in for a few interviews, but it would be nice if just once an interview blossomed into a job offer. That said, without the funds to explore ghost towns, my activities have been severely curtailed as of late.<br>
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I appreciate everyone's patience with the recent dry spell on photos. What I really need to do is delve into my archives and post some pictures of Texas ghost towns that I've visited in the past but haven't gotten around to telling you about. Maybe this weekend I'll be able to do something along those lines, but please bear with me. Gotta submit a few more resumes first.<br>
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Thanks to all of you for continuing to check in on this site. One way or another, I'm going to bring you some new content soon.Daniel Barnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17615302374593754111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552517196818513179.post-83731024147930846662013-08-14T12:11:00.002-07:002013-08-14T12:11:45.714-07:00Yet another West Texas community facing extinction due to lack of waterAs I said once upon a time, a sure-fire way to transform a community into a ghost town is to deprive it of fresh water. Now it appears that the Irion County town of Barnhart <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/aug/11/texas-tragedy-ample-oil-no-water">has run out of water</a> due to factors that include prolonged drought, climate change, agricultural overuse, and now the widely-criticized practice of fracking by the oil industry, which uses a tremendous amount of water to process a single oil well. This is a very dire situation for Barnhart, and I hope the people are able to save their town in the end.Daniel Barnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17615302374593754111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552517196818513179.post-13027202845905822342013-05-28T15:58:00.000-07:002013-05-28T15:58:51.771-07:00Sounds of The Grove now available on MixcloudFor those of you who recall <a href="http://texasghosttowns.blogspot.com/2012/02/grove-coryell-county-august-2010-photos.html">my trip to The Grove in August 2010</a>, I made some field recordings of the town back in March while exploring The Grove with Jayme Carr. The recordings are now available as part of another audio ghost town essay on Mixcloud, complete with another helping of evocative music to help set the mood. Texas artists are represented in this cloudcast, including a live performance by Chuck Allen during the last night that the Cocklebur Saloon was open for business in The Grove.<br>
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<a href="http://www.mixcloud.com/derby378/ghost-town-essay-2-the-grove-texas/">Click here to listen on Mixcloud</a> if you'd like to check it out. The entire piece runs for just under 45 minutes.<br>Daniel Barnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17615302374593754111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552517196818513179.post-54247323029332707032013-05-12T13:57:00.000-07:002013-05-12T13:58:27.560-07:00Caddo (Stephens County) - May 2013 photosHappy Mother's Day, everyone! This photo essay is my long-distance gift to my mom, who lives in East Texas. I love you!<br>
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Almost a hundred years ago, the Stephens County town of Caddo was growing with the promise of new industry and wealth. Today, it is one of those places I can travel to if I need to get away from all the sounds of mankind and the civilization we have created. Located on the at the intersection of US Highway 180 and State Park Road 33 about 10 miles east of Breckenridge, Caddo is peaceful, quiet, and a shell of its former self.<br>
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I would have liked to share a photo of the historical marker of Caddo with you, but the marker has somehow gone missing, so I gathered pieces of the town's history from the <a href="http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hnc01">Texas State Historical Association</a> as well as conversations with some of the town's residents. (Thanks for the eggs, guys!)<br>
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The town was established sometime in the late 1870s on what used to be a Caddo campsite - hence the name - and soon the settlement started growing steadily, with 60 residents in 1880, 75 in 1890, and 149 in 1900. At this point, Caddo featured at least two churches as well as a school and a post office.<br>
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<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/user/derby378/media/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns%202/DSC03233_zps05773938.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns%202/DSC03233_zps05773938.jpg" border="0" alt="Caddo May 2013 #1 photo DSC03233_zps05773938.jpg"/></a><br>
<b>The Caddo Mercantile building located "at the Y" formed by US 180 and Loop 252 on the southeastern edge of town</b><br>
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<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/user/derby378/media/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns%202/DSC03237_zps5c0f95fb.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns%202/DSC03237_zps5c0f95fb.jpg" border="0" alt="Caddo May 2013 #2 photo DSC03237_zps5c0f95fb.jpg"/></a><br>
<b>An old house at Caddo, apparently abandoned</b><br>
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<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/user/derby378/media/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns%202/DSC03244_zpsc9d68190.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns%202/DSC03244_zpsc9d68190.jpg" border="0" alt="Caddo May 2013 #3 photo DSC03244_zpsc9d68190.jpg"/></a><br>
<b>A "ghost church" at Caddo with pews still remaining inside, now apparently used for farm storage</b><br>
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While World War I raged in Europe, wildcatters were combing through various Texas sites in search of promising oil wells. One such entrepreneur hit paydirt in May 1916 in the vicinity of Caddo, drilling a 2,740-foot well on the farmland of W.L. Carey that produced a modest amount of oil. Soon, more oil wells began to spring up around Stephens County, with Texas Pacific Coal & Oil Company drilling its own well in the Caddo region as well - potentially bad news for the nearby Erath County town of Thurber, a company town of 10,000 that depended on bituminous coal mining and brickmaking to stay alive. Caddo was the first town to reap the benefits of the oil boom, and the town's population quickly swelled to 1,000 by 1920.<br>
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<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/user/derby378/media/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns%202/DSC03243_zps9d71b17f.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns%202/DSC03243_zps9d71b17f.jpg" border="0" alt="Caddo May 2013 #4 photo DSC03243_zps9d71b17f.jpg"/></a><br>
<b>Stone foundations for a defunct Ford Motor Company dealership in Caddo from the 1930s - note the front steps to the right</b><br>
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<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/user/derby378/media/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns%202/DSC03240_zpsd749a68a.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns%202/DSC03240_zpsd749a68a.jpg" border="0" alt="Caddo May 2013 #5 photo DSC03240_zpsd749a68a.jpg"/></a><br>
<b>The Caddo Post Office, still in operation</b><br>
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<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/user/derby378/media/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns%202/DSC03230_zps390122df.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns%202/DSC03230_zps390122df.jpg" border="0" alt="Caddo May 2013 #6 photo DSC03230_zps390122df.jpg"/></a><br>
<b>A former church in Caddo, now a community center and headquarters for the Caddo VFD</b><br>
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There were other oil discoveries in nearby Breckenridge as well as Ranger, and both towns started to grow dramatically, which may have contributed to Caddo's eventual decline. Still, Caddo managed to maintain a healthy population of 600 until 1940; during World War II and the postwar era, the population plummeted and never recovered. Today, a maximum of 40 residents call Caddo home.<br>
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<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/user/derby378/media/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns%202/DSC03241_zps728ebb53.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns%202/DSC03241_zps728ebb53.jpg" border="0" alt="Caddo May 2013 #7 photo DSC03241_zps728ebb53.jpg"/></a><br>
<b>Crumpled ruins of a house off Loop 252 in Caddo</b><br>
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<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/user/derby378/media/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns%202/DSC03247_zpsfc385f22.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns%202/DSC03247_zpsfc385f22.jpg" border="0" alt="Caddo May 2013 #8 photo DSC03247_zpsfc385f22.jpg"/></a><br>
<b>Stone walls from a crumbling building on a county road in Caddo</b><br>
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<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/user/derby378/media/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns%202/DSC03226_zpsed497d17.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns%202/DSC03226_zpsed497d17.jpg" border="0" alt="Caddo May 2013 #9 photo DSC03226_zpsed497d17.jpg"/></a><br>
<b>A cross-section of graves at Caddo Cemetery - lots of Confederate flags planted to honor those born before or during the Civil War</b><br>
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<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/user/derby378/media/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns%202/DSC03221_zpscc650d71.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns%202/DSC03221_zpscc650d71.jpg" border="0" alt="Caddo May 2013 #10 photo DSC03221_zpscc650d71.jpg"/></a><br>
<b>Resting place of C.M. and Millie Hamil</b><br>
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<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/user/derby378/media/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns%202/DSC03223_zps09ba7316.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns%202/DSC03223_zps09ba7316.jpg" border="0" alt="Caddo May 2013 #11 photo DSC03223_zps09ba7316.jpg"/></a><br>
<b>Grave marker for L. Shoffit</b><br>
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<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/user/derby378/media/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns%202/DSC03227_zps1f26a6ba.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns%202/DSC03227_zps1f26a6ba.jpg" border="0" alt="Caddo May 2013 #12 photo DSC03227_zps1f26a6ba.jpg"/></a><br>
<b>Masonic tombstone for John H. Patton</b><br>
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<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/user/derby378/media/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns%202/DSC03225_zps52bad7a6.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns%202/DSC03225_zps52bad7a6.jpg" border="0" alt="Caddo May 2013 #13 photo DSC03225_zps52bad7a6.jpg"/></a><br>
<b>Memorial for Delta Oil & Gas wildcatter Sammy Rogers</b><br>
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Aside from the post office, which continues operation to this day, the only other business in Caddo appears to be oilwell operations by Delta Oil & Gas, based out of Breckenridge. The Caddo Mercantile building, once a convenient source of gas and groceries for the town, has been closed for some time, and the current property owner is looking to sell the building (current asking price: $119,000). Some of the folks at Caddo say a lot of the town's history is sealed up in the mercantile building, but for now it remains off limits. They're also hoping to bring in a few more people from the surrounding area to make Caddo their new home, especially with some new uncertainty over the future of commerce and development in Breckenridge. Caddo is a quiet little ghost town today, but given its location and the circumstances of nearby communities, the folks I met at Caddo told me it could all change before I knew it - signs of life and opportunity still persist in the heart of Caddo today.Daniel Barnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17615302374593754111noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552517196818513179.post-52623575839974737412013-05-06T17:39:00.000-07:002013-05-06T17:39:06.088-07:00A long-overdue update on BankersmithSorry about the delay in posting, folks, but those 50-hour workweeks tend to sap you of your free time. I did want to share with you, however, <a href="http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local_news/article/Much-more-to-the-story-3724203.php">this article from the <i>San Antonio Express-News</i></a> concerning last year's alleged purchase of the Hill Country ghost town of Bankersmith by Bikinis magnate Doug Guller. Among other developments, it appears that there are remains of the town itself, including the old post office and general store. Check it out.Daniel Barnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17615302374593754111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552517196818513179.post-88067374798397119642013-03-21T18:43:00.000-07:002013-03-22T14:21:08.277-07:00Ireland (Coryell County/Hamilton County) - March 2013 photosA lot of communities in Texas became ghost towns because railroad tracks were never laid anywhere in the vicinity of these sites. Ireland, however, is an example of a town that gained a railroad, then lost it.<br>
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Ireland, which straddles the Coryell/Hamilton county line about 16 miles northwest of Gatesville, got its start as the rural community of Hamco, which took its name from the first letters of each county. In 1911, however, the St. Louis Southwestern Railway Company (better known as the Cotton Belt Railway) ran a line between Gatesville and Hamilton that ran right through Hamco, which blossomed into an actual town through the work of the Mid-Texas Improvement Company. The locals then petitioned for a post office to be named in honor of John Ireland, a former Texas governor. The post office was granted, and Ireland was born in earnest.<br>
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<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/user/derby378/media/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/DSC03177_zpse1b75999.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/DSC03177_zpse1b75999.jpg" border="0" alt="Ireland March 2013 #1 photo DSC03177_zpse1b75999.jpg"/></a>
<b>The handsome train depot at Ireland, now on private farmland</b><br>
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<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/user/derby378/media/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/DSC03178_zps68d3c8c7.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/DSC03178_zps68d3c8c7.jpg" border="0" alt="Ireland March 2013 #2 photo DSC03178_zps68d3c8c7.jpg"/></a>
<b>A closer look at the depot</b><br>
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The new town attracted cotton farmers who were eager to sell their crops to European nations, where World War I drove up prices for agricultural commodities. Ireland's population swelled to 400 by 1921, when a two-story brick schoolhouse was built on the county line to replace its previous wooden frame schoolhouse. In addition to the school, Ireland now boasted a bank (also two stories) with $20,000 of capital stock and a chamber of commerce as well as three churches, three general stores, a drug store, a restaurant, and several other businesses.<br>
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<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/user/derby378/media/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/DSC03186_zps8133147e.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/DSC03186_zps8133147e.jpg" border="0" alt="Ireland March 2013 #3 photo DSC03186_zps8133147e.jpg"/></a>
<b>A general store in downtown Ireland</b><br>
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<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/user/derby378/media/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/DSC03188_zpse3821b0b.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/DSC03188_zpse3821b0b.jpg" border="0" alt="Ireland March 2013 #4 photo DSC03188_zpse3821b0b.jpg"/></a>
<b>Another general store that converted into a gas station</b><br>
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Unfortunately for Ireland, agricultural prices collapsed in 1921, making it harder for farmers to realize a profit on their crops. Then the Great Depression hit in 1929, and Ireland's downward spiral was now unstoppable. Families who couldn't sell their land often had it foreclosed by the banks. The Cotton Belt Railway stopped passenger service to Ireland in 1936, finally pulling up its tracks in 1942. By the end of World War II, only 40 residents remained.<br>
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<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/user/derby378/media/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/DSC03182_zpsc8797d58.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/DSC03182_zpsc8797d58.jpg" border="0" alt="Ireland March 2013 #5 photo DSC03182_zpsc8797d58.jpg"/></a>
<b>Foundations and vault of the bank in Ireland</b><br>
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<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/user/derby378/media/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/DSC03179_zps206ffbbf.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/DSC03179_zps206ffbbf.jpg" border="0" alt="Ireland March 2013 #6 photo DSC03179_zps206ffbbf.jpg"/></a>
<b>A closer look at the vault</b><br>
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<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/user/derby378/media/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/DSC03189_zpsc6ae5bbd.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/DSC03189_zpsc6ae5bbd.jpg" border="0" alt="Ireland March 2013 #7 photo DSC03189_zpsc6ae5bbd.jpg"/></a>
<b>Historical marker designating the location of the schoolhouse, which was finally demolished in 1984</b><br>
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<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/user/derby378/media/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/DSC03199_zpsd999c01a.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/DSC03199_zpsd999c01a.jpg" border="0" alt="Ireland March 2013 #8 photo DSC03199_zpsd999c01a.jpg"/></a>
<b>Front steps and foundations of the school, now on private property (Thanks to Jamye Carr for discovering this)</b><br>
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<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/user/derby378/media/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/DSC03197_zps0a3fd5ce.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/DSC03197_zps0a3fd5ce.jpg" border="0" alt="Ireland March 2013 #9 photo DSC03197_zps0a3fd5ce.jpg"/></a>
<b>Table inscribed with JUNIORS 31 just outside the school (Thanks again, Jamye)</b><br>
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<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/user/derby378/media/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/DSC03195_zpsa3d717ac.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/DSC03195_zpsa3d717ac.jpg" border="0" alt="Ireland March 2013 #10 photo DSC03195_zpsa3d717ac.jpg"/></a>
<b>A water cistern (?) behind what may have been a gymnasium for the school</b><br>
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<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/user/derby378/media/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/DSC03204_zpsef0dda3f.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/DSC03204_zpsef0dda3f.jpg" border="0" alt="Ireland March 2013 #11 photo DSC03204_zpsef0dda3f.jpg"/></a>
<b>A state marker at Ireland Cemetery</b><br>
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<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/user/derby378/media/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/DSC03211_zps9b5caa3a.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/DSC03211_zps9b5caa3a.jpg" border="0" alt="Ireland March 2013 #12 photo DSC03211_zps9b5caa3a.jpg"/></a>
<b>This tree stands vigil over Ireland's dearly departed</b><br>
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<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/user/derby378/media/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/DSC03206_zps9499b65a.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/DSC03206_zps9499b65a.jpg" border="0" alt="Ireland March 2013 #13 photo DSC03206_zps9499b65a.jpg"/></a>
<b>Various gravestones at Ireland Cemetery</b><br>
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<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/user/derby378/media/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/DSC03209_zpse21f06a0.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/DSC03209_zpse21f06a0.jpg" border="0" alt="Ireland March 2013 #14 photo DSC03209_zpse21f06a0.jpg"/></a>
<b>Resting place of Ella Stewart, wife of W.R. Stewart</b><br>
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Ireland's post office managed to linger on until 1970, when it became a rural branch of the Gatesville service. The population grew to 60 in 1990 and stayed there for at least 10 years. A recent estimate says that there may now only be 20 people living at the townsite. One of the churches has also been converted into a private residence.<br>
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Today, Ireland is a quiet place, farmed and ranched by the few diehards who stayed behind, and friendly dogs play amongst the building foundations that straddle Farm Road 932 on the county line. Jamye and I truly enjoyed our visit to this once-promising Texas ghost town, built on cotton and the railroad, but doomed by outside forces beyond its control.Daniel Barnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17615302374593754111noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552517196818513179.post-51393289449391967902013-03-09T18:24:00.000-08:002013-03-21T17:41:19.745-07:00Exploring ghost towns - with a friendPhew! I just got back in town from Coryell County, where I've been running around for the better part of Saturday with my friend Jamye Carr. We had a lot of fun exploring The Grove, which I visited before <a href="http://texasghosttowns.blogspot.com/2012/02/grove-coryell-county-august-2010-photos.html">back in August of 2010</a>, but this was Jamye's first time to visit this historic and picturesque Hill Country ghost town. And yes, the town well still has water in it to this day. We made sure to check closely this time.<br>
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Afterwards, we paid a visit to Ireland, which straddles both Coryell County and Hamilton County. We discovered the downtown area, the cemetery, and the remains of the historic school in Ireland. (It <b>must</b> have been historic - Texas erected a historical marker in its memory.)<br>
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I'm very happy that this was my first ghost town expedition with a running buddy, and we're already looking forward to our next expedition together. I will share my photos from Ireland soon, but as many of you know, I've been swamped with work and other commitments lately, and right now I'm just flat out tired. Going home to relax and adjust myself to Daylight Savings Time. Spring forward, remember?<br>
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Have a great weekend, everyone!Daniel Barnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17615302374593754111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552517196818513179.post-5070102447817856522013-01-12T13:55:00.000-08:002013-01-12T13:55:25.098-08:00Experience the sounds of a ghost town - without leaving your keyboardI want to try something a little different, and I hope you enjoy it.<br>
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Last month, I took a microphone out to Gilliland in Knox County <a href="http://texasghosttowns.blogspot.com/2012/12/gilliland-knox-county-december-2012.html">during my visit to the ghost town</a>, and I made some field recordings while snapping pictures. When I got home, I did some research into music that suited the frame of mind that Gilliland put me in as explored the site, trying to capture just the right moods. I then mixed the music and field recordings together, boiled it down into a stereo mix, and <i>voila!</i> My first attempt at an audio ghost town essay.<br>
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<a href="http://www.mixcloud.com/derby378/ghost-town-essay-1-gilliland-texas/">Click here to listen on Mixcloud</a> if you're interested in checking it out. The entire piece runs for a little under 50 minutes. Listen at home, at work, in your car, wherever you feel the need for some minimal, contemplative music.<br>
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As a shameless plug, the Mixcloud suite also features a performance by my good friend, Laura Ainsworth. <a href="//http://www.lauraainsworth.com/">Click here</a> to visit Laura's website or to learn about her debut album, <i>Keep It To Yourself</i>. You can also <a href="https://twitter.com/LauraAinsworth1">click here</a> to follow Laura's Twitter feed. The mix also includes performances by Stars of the Lid, Rafael Anton Irisarri, and many more.<br>
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I hope to do more of these in the future, and unlike this blog, the "Ghost Town Essays" might not be restricted to Texas sites. There are other fascinating abandoned towns all across the Southwest, and I would also love to set foot one day in the perpetually smoldering mining ghost town of Centralia, Pennsylvania - <b>that</b> would make for a compelling audio project.Daniel Barnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17615302374593754111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552517196818513179.post-20352658731903235312013-01-11T09:56:00.001-08:002013-01-11T09:56:49.400-08:00UK television host scheduled to visit Texas ghost townBen Fogle, who has done extensive work for the BBC in the past, is now working on a series for the UK's Channel 5. Titled <i>Where the Wild Men Are with Ben Fogle</i>, the series will track Fogle as he visits some of the most remote places on Earth and interacts with locals. One of his destinations is reportedly a ghost town in Texas, but the identity of the town is unknown to me at present.<br>
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<a href="http://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/news/commissioning/ben-fogle-travels-to-c5-for-adventure-series/5050376.article?blocktitle=LATEST-NEWS&contentID=870">Click here</a> for more information on the upcoming Channel 5 series.Daniel Barnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17615302374593754111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552517196818513179.post-78891031680698250792012-12-27T17:17:00.001-08:002012-12-27T17:17:34.686-08:00Obligatory holiday ghost town photo!Taken at the townsite of Silver Lake on December 26, 2012. This old gas station sits close to the line that divides Van Zandt County and Smith County, which Silver Lake straddles.<br>
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<a href="http://smg.beta.photobucket.com/user/derby378/media/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/DSC03172_zps48fdf935.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/DSC03172_zps48fdf935.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"/></a><br>
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I'll present a more complete picture of Silver Lake real soon. Best wishes to everyone for a happy and peaceful New Year!Daniel Barnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17615302374593754111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552517196818513179.post-57926734307124852012012-12-19T18:31:00.001-08:002012-12-19T18:33:45.510-08:00La Reunion - A different sort of expeditionIf you haven't checked out the December 19 edition of <i>The Dallas Morning News</i> yet, <a href="http://www.dallasnews.com/news/community-news/oak-cliff/headlines/20121218-in-dallas-a-search-for-the-la-reunion-colony-leads-to-something-else.ece">take a look at this article.</a><br>
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Joe Ramirez has been in contact with me a couple of times looking for the scant remains of the La Reunion ghost town west of downtown Dallas, and when he came across what might be the old DeLord homestead, he found <a href="http://texasghosttowns.blogspot.com/2012/03/back-to-la-reunion.html">he found the site in disarray just as I had in March.</a> Suspecting that the site was being used as a meth lab, Joe tried in vain to get various Dallas organizations to pay attention to the old colony site.<br>
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<a href="http://www.dallasnews.com/news/community-news/oak-cliff/headlines/20121218-in-dallas-a-search-for-the-la-reunion-colony-leads-to-something-else.ece">That's when Joe led a small expedition to the DeLord homestead, as recorded in <i>The Dallas Morning News.</i></a><br>
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I don't want to spoil the story, and besides, the paper would appreciate a few more on-line visitors. But please read it - the article's not too terribly long.<br>
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I'm happy that this blog played some part in shining light on a forgotten chapter of Dallas' history, and I'm proud of Joe for staying on the case and not letting this site fall through the cracks.Daniel Barnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17615302374593754111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552517196818513179.post-55815682212594775212012-12-03T18:02:00.000-08:002012-12-04T18:06:23.328-08:00Gilliland (Knox County) - December 2012 photosSome ghost towns in Texas have long and detailed histories replete with tales of ambition, grandeur, innovation, and sometimes lawlessness and mayhem. And then there are ghost towns like Gilliland, which is located on Farm Road 1756 in north central Knox County, within an hour's drive from the Panhandle.<br>
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<a href="http://smg.beta.photobucket.com/user/derby378/media/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/DSC03119.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/DSC03119.jpg" border="0" alt="Gilliland December 2012 #01"/></a><br>
<b>Downtown Gilliland today</b><br>
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Located smack dab in the middle of nowhere, Gilliland never grew to any great size - boasting a reported peak of 120 residents in 1947 - but those that called Gilliland home worked hard to build it into a community that could take care of itself. The first white settlers to put down roots here established a community called Coyote, and their efforts managed to attract some Norwegian families from Bosque County, who migrated to Coyote in 1890. The community established its own school district on May 1, 1892, and opened the doors of its school in 1895, with Oma Aker serving as the community's first teacher. When Coyote resident O.M. Olson opened a post office inside his home in 1907, the post office was named after district judge W.A. Gilliland, and the name quickly stuck to the town itself.<br>
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<a href="http://smg.beta.photobucket.com/user/derby378/media/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/DSC03125.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/DSC03125.jpg" border="0" alt="Gilliland December 2012 #02"/></a><br>
<b>Abandoned and deteriorating general store at Gilliland</b><br>
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<a href="http://smg.beta.photobucket.com/user/derby378/media/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/DSC03126.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/DSC03126.jpg" border="0" alt="Gilliland December 2012 #03"/></a><br>
<b>Remains of Gilliland's garage</b><br>
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<a href="http://smg.beta.photobucket.com/user/derby378/media/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/DSC03128.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/DSC03128.jpg" border="0" alt="Gilliland December 2012 #04"/></a><br>
<b>A peek inside the disheveled garage</b><br>
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A cotton gin was built just outside Gilliland in 1910 and later modernized in 1936. Gilliland's population grew from 50 in 1925 to 120 in 1947, with the school, four businesses and one church serving the town's needs.<br>
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<a href="http://smg.beta.photobucket.com/user/derby378/media/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/DSC03122.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/DSC03122.jpg" border="0" alt="Gilliland December 2012 #05"/></a><br>
<b>Gilliland's abandoned gas station and grocery</b><br>
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<a href="http://smg.beta.photobucket.com/user/derby378/media/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/DSC03123.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/DSC03123.jpg" border="0" alt="Gilliland December 2012 #06"/></a><br>
<b>Closer look at the rusting Esso gasoline pumps (today, Esso is known as ExxonMobil)</b><br>
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<a href="http://smg.beta.photobucket.com/user/derby378/media/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/DSC03160.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/DSC03160.jpg" border="0" alt="Gilliland December 2012 #07"/></a><br>
<b>One of numerous derelict houses in Gilliland being reclaimed by the elements</b><br>
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The most important building in Gilliland appears to have been its school. Although small compared to many modern school buildings in Texas today, Gilliland's school featured numerous classrooms, a cafeteria, and a gymnasium that doubled as an auditorium for plays and assemblies. Over the years, the school absorbed other schools in the region, which undoubtedly contributed to the town's growth. In 1948, however, it was Gilliland's turn. The town's high school was transferred to the city of Munday, some 20 miles south of Gilliland, leaving the town with only a grade school that continued to operate until the school itself was closed down in 1975.<br>
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<a href="http://smg.beta.photobucket.com/user/derby378/media/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/DSC03135.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/DSC03135.jpg" border="0" alt="Gilliland December 2012 #08"/></a><br>
<b>Gilliland's school building as seen from the rear</b><br>
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<a href="http://smg.beta.photobucket.com/user/derby378/media/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/DSC03132.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/DSC03132.jpg" border="0" alt="Gilliland December 2012 #09"/></a>
<b>Weatherbeaten swingset at the Gilliland school</b><br>
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<a href="http://smg.beta.photobucket.com/user/derby378/media/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/DSC03142.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/DSC03142.jpg" border="0" alt="Gilliland December 2012 #10"/></a>
<b>Ingenious front gate to Gilliland's school - students can fit through, but cattle cannot</b><br>
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<a href="http://smg.beta.photobucket.com/user/derby378/media/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/DSC03145.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/DSC03145.jpg" border="0" alt="Gilliland December 2012 #11"/></a>
<b>Front door to Gilliland's school building</b><br>
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<a href="http://smg.beta.photobucket.com/user/derby378/media/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/DSC03136.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/DSC03136.jpg" border="0" alt="Gilliland December 2012 #12"/></a><br>
<b>Stage in the gymnasium, still outfitted for a school play</b><br>
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<a href="http://smg.beta.photobucket.com/user/derby378/media/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/DSC03139.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/DSC03139.jpg" border="0" alt="Gilliland December 2012 #13"/></a><br>
<b>Bleachers in the gymnasium</b><br>
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<a href="http://smg.beta.photobucket.com/user/derby378/media/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/DSC03141.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/DSC03141.jpg" border="0" alt="Gilliland December 2012 #14"/></a><br>
<b>Hallway between classes with rotting and deteriorating floor - walking on the floorboards is NOT recommended</b><br>
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The closing of Gilliland's school appears to mirror the fortunes of the town itself; in 1990, the population was reported as 103, but ten years later, the number plunged to only 25. Today, there may be even fewer than that.<br>
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<a href="http://smg.beta.photobucket.com/user/derby378/media/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/DSC03147.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/DSC03147.jpg" border="0" alt="Gilliland December 2012 #14"/></a><br>
<b>Front gate to Gilliland Cemetery</b><br>
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<a href="http://smg.beta.photobucket.com/user/derby378/media/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/DSC03148.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/DSC03148.jpg" border="0" alt="Gilliland December 2012 #15"/></a><br>
<b>Some of the numerous graves at the cemetery</b><br>
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<a href="http://smg.beta.photobucket.com/user/derby378/media/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/DSC03149.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/DSC03149.jpg" border="0" alt="Gilliland December 2012 #16"/></a><br>
<b>Memorial to World War I and World War II veterans at the cemetery</b><br>
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<a href="http://smg.beta.photobucket.com/user/derby378/media/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/DSC03150.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/DSC03150.jpg" border="0" alt="Gilliland December 2012 #17"/></a><br>
<b>One of Gilliland's denizens had a striking name</b><br>
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<a href="http://smg.beta.photobucket.com/user/derby378/media/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/DSC03158.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/DSC03158.jpg" border="0" alt="Gilliland December 2012 #18"/></a><br>
<b>Tombstone for a nurse</b><br>
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Gilliland Cemetery is approaching its sesquicentennial, and unfortunately some of the older gravestones have been damaged or disappeared completely. A couple of graves caught my eye in the far corner of the cemetery - the only known African-Americans buried in Gilliland. Whoever interred them apparently felt the need to not only isolate their graves from the general population at the cemetery, but also to stamp the word "Negro" on each of their headstones.<br>
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<a href="http://smg.beta.photobucket.com/user/derby378/media/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/DSC03154.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/DSC03154.jpg" border="0" alt="Gilliland December 2012 #19"/></a><br>
<b>Grave marker for Herman Williams</b><br>
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Looking back at the photographs I took of Gilliland, while I am proud of the images I've been able to share with you, there were so many more images of the ghost town I could have captured. I've been looking forward to visiting Gilliland for a long time, and while the chances are remote that I will ever set foot in the townsite again, if I ever do, I will definitely have to grab more photos of this small but proud town nestled in the Rolling Plains, just southeast of the Panhandle. Sometimes, the best stories come out of the smallest towns, and in the case of towns such as Gilliland, it's not just a matter of what the town has built - but also what it has left behind.
Daniel Barnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17615302374593754111noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552517196818513179.post-75310627406774905362012-12-02T15:40:00.002-08:002012-12-03T15:44:27.271-08:00From the Rolling Plains to downtown Dallas in 4 1/2 hoursYesterday, I pushed all the way into Knox County during my first ghost town expedition in months, and after seeing some impressive sights and taking lots of photos, I raced all the way back to Dallas to catch a performance of <i>Avenue Q</i> with some old friends of mine, walking through the front door with only a couple of minutes to spare.<br>
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I did mention photos, right? I'll be sharing them with you sometime this week, and they will definitely be worth the wait. Can't do it today, though - too many errands, and I'm still feeling exhausted. The leg cramp that woke me up this morning didn't help. Please bear with me; the photos are coming really soon. I have some catching up to do on this site.Daniel Barnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17615302374593754111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552517196818513179.post-48024035466936206182012-11-11T18:22:00.001-08:002012-11-11T18:22:16.213-08:00If you're staying home on the night of November 15...The folks at the Discovery Channel are unveiling a series called <i>Ghost Town Gold</i> on Thursday, November 15. I intend to catch the debut while waiting patiently for my first opportunity to hit the ghost town trail once again. Sorry about the delay in updating the blog, but life has intervened in the form of work, politics, more work, Halloween, and catching up with old friends.<br>
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No word on whether <i>Ghost Town Gold</i> will visit any Texas sites, but if you plan on heading out to an abandoned townsite with metal detector in hand, make sure you're not digging on private property and keep mindful of all applicable laws, please. We're ghost town enthusiasts, not Visigoths.<br>
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You can read more about the Discovery Channel series <a href=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/discovery-ghost-town-gold-388092>here.</a>Daniel Barnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17615302374593754111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552517196818513179.post-45213376620527930852012-10-14T18:52:00.000-07:002012-10-14T18:52:20.555-07:00How a Navarro County ghost town keeps the spirit alive<a href="http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local_news/article/Too-much-spirit-to-be-a-ghost-town-3944776.php#page-1">A recent article available on mySA</a> covers the ghost town of Pelham, formed by freed slaves in 1866. Once boasting a population of 350, the community has dwindled down to between 40 and 50 residents. But once every year, the town holds a homecoming that draws in people from all over Texas. <a href="http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local_news/article/Too-much-spirit-to-be-a-ghost-town-3944776.php#page-1">Click the link to learn more.</a>Daniel Barnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17615302374593754111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552517196818513179.post-9248133111186109292012-10-08T17:39:00.001-07:002012-10-08T17:39:56.770-07:00It's October the WHAT?!?I apologize profusely for neglecting the blog for almost a month. Things have been rather busy in my neck of the woods. But I noticed that there aren't any guesses for the mystery photo that I posted last month, so I'll post a photo essay of the ghost town in question this coming weekend. It will definitely be worth the wait - and now that temperatures are dropping, worth the trip!Daniel Barnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17615302374593754111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552517196818513179.post-67608202091081212092012-09-11T18:51:00.002-07:002012-09-11T18:52:34.695-07:00Mystery Photo! Mystery Photo!For a little change of pace tonight, I'm going to post a photo taken at a ghost town somewhere in Texas and then see if <b>you</b> can tell me where this particular landmark is located.<br>
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<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/?action=view&current=DSC02200.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/DSC02200.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
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Trying to Google this photo won't do you any good, so don't even try it. I know that little trick, too. :)<br>
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Funds are a bit tight, so I'm afraid the winner only gets bragging rights - but hey, it shows you're a true fan of Texas ghost towns. Good luck!Daniel Barnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17615302374593754111noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552517196818513179.post-82355719282266004642012-08-22T17:33:00.000-07:002012-08-22T17:41:33.346-07:00Corn Hill (Williamson County) - April 2011 photosIf you're heading down Interstate 35 in the vicinity of Jarrell, see if you can cast your gaze eastward on the southern edge of town - you just might see a few remnants of a fading town known as Corn Hill.<br>
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<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/?action=view&current=CornHillTXApr11001.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/CornHillTXApr11001.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<b>Historical marker for Corn Hill</b><br>
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As far as Texas ghost towns go, Corn Hill (also spelled Cornhill) enjoyed a relatively tranquil life, free of the lawlessness of Helena or the industrialism of Thurber. In its latter days, Corn Hill also served as the birthplace of Texas Governor Preston Smith (1912-2003). The site was originally settled in 1852 by John E. King, who would later serve as County Judge for Williamson County from 1858 until 1860. King built a house and planted a cornfield on top of a small hill, which is how Corn Hill got its name. By 1855, the small farming community that sprung up around King's hilltop farm served as the first stop on a stagecoach line connecting Georgetown to Fort Gates in Coryell County, and Corn Hill had established its own post office that same year.<br>
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<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/?action=view&current=CornHillTXApr11003.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/CornHillTXApr11003.jpg" border="0" alt="Corn Hill April 2011 #3"></a><br>
<b>A collapsed concrete building at Corn Hill</b><br>
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The town's growth was fairly slow until Corn Hill opened its first store in 1869 and its first cotton gin in 1871, capable of producing three bales of cotton per day. By 1884, Corn Hill boasted a multicultural population of 250 that included Czechs, Slovaks, Moravians, Germans, and Austrians as well as other settlers from Arkansas and Tennessee. At that time, Corn Hill also featured two mills, two (some say three) cotton gins, four churches, a Masonic lodge, a blacksmith's shop, a school (on land donated by Judge King), and the <i>Express</i>, Corn Hill's weekly newspaper. In 1886, the school outgrew its original building and moved into a new two-story facility with four rooms, an auditorium, and a bell tower; the new schoolhouse also provided meeting space for churches. The population grew to 350 by 1896, and by this time Corn Hill also featured a hotel that was actually a converted two-story house built by John Wesley Shaver, although Mr. and Mrs. John D. Black actually operated the hotel beginning in 1889.<br>
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<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/?action=view&current=CornHillTXApr11002.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/CornHillTXApr11002.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<b>Remains of the Shaver Hotel, now on private property</b><br>
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Corn Hill's zenith appears to have been in 1909, when the town's population grew to an estimated 500. Many farmers in the town were taking an increased interest in the pro-agrarian People's Party, of whom William Jennings Bryan (prosecutor for the Scopes Trial of 1925) was one of its brightest luminaries. Corn Hill was also developing its own waterworks and telephone company by this time, and the Corn Hill College graduated a class of 36 students in 1909.<br>
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<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/?action=view&current=CornHillTXApr11004.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/CornHillTXApr11004.jpg" border="0" alt="Corn Hill April 2011 #4"></a>
<b>Deteriorating house at Corn Hill, now the site of a Verizon communications tower</b><br>
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The only problem was that Corn Hill failed to secure a railroad through its vicinity. In 1909, the Bartlett and Western Railway bypassed Corn Hill, and a new town called Jarrell was established on the line by developers from the towns of Temple and Bartlett. Over the next decade, many of the residents of Corn Hill migrated over to the new townsite. When Jarrell established its own post office in 1912, it was simply because Corn Hill's post office had been moved to Jarrell. A steam engine was used to move many of the other buildings from Corn Hill to Jarrell during this period, and the Corn Hill College graduated its last crop of students in 1915.<br>
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<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/?action=view&current=CornHillTXApr11005.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/CornHillTXApr11005.jpg" border="0" alt="Corn Hill April 2011 #5"></a>
<b>A once-lovely abandoned house in Corn Hill on County Road 312</b><br>
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<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/?action=view&current=CornHillTXApr11006.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/CornHillTXApr11006.jpg" border="0" alt="Corn Hill April 2011 #6"></a>
<b>Say hello to my little friend</b><br>
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<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/?action=view&current=CornHillTXApr11007.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/CornHillTXApr11007.jpg" border="0" alt="Corn Hill April 2011 #7"></a>
<b>Collapsing interior of the County Road 312 house</b><br>
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Unfortunately for the town of Jarrell, it did not fare much better than the small farming town it had just depopulated. The cotton industry declined, the Great Depression struck, and the Bartlett and Western Railway went out of business. By 1933, Jarrell had been reduced to a population of 200. A handful of determined holdouts remained at what little remained of Corn Hill, but most of the original population had already moved to Jarrell or Georgetown, while some other townfolk moved eastward in an attempt to preserve their community. New Corn Hill was established sometime around 1913 on FM 1105, approximately two miles east of "Old" Corn Hill. New Corn Hill today appears to have dispersed into a possible ghost town itself, although it still features a Moravian Hall and the beautiful and historic Holy Trinity Catholic Church. One of these days, I need to arrange another trip down to Williamson County to photograph New Corn Hill for you.<br>
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<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/?action=view&current=CornHillTXApr11008.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/CornHillTXApr11008.jpg" border="0" alt="Corn Hill April 2011 #8"></a>
<b>Cornhill Cemetery, just outside Jarrell city limits</b><br>
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<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/?action=view&current=DSC02313.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/DSC02313.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<b>Resting place for the gravestone of James G. Wilkinson, one of the heroes of the Battle of San Jacinto - but his body is actually buried in Austin</b><br>
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Today, the town of Jarrell has rebounded from its early brush with disaster, not to mention a devastating 1997 tornado that killed 27 people in Jarrell and destroyed numerous homes and structures. According to the 2010 Census, Jarrell currently boasts a population of 984, and its boundaries are starting to swallow much of what remains of Corn Hill. The Shaver Hotel is the only remaining historic structure at the former townsite, although there are also a few other abandoned and dilapidated houses as well as a few that are still occupied. The town cemetery, however, lies just outside of Jarrell city limits and a mile east of the old townsite, and it serves as the final resting place for many of those who worked and toiled to preserve their town and their way of life.<br>
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<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/?action=view&current=CornHillTXApr11010.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/CornHillTXApr11010.jpg" border="0" alt="Corn Hill April 2011 #10"></a>
<b>Tombstone for E.M. Donnell, Citizen of the Republic of Texas</b><br>
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<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/?action=view&current=DSC02316.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/derby378/Texas%20Ghost%20Towns/DSC02316.jpg" border="0" alt="Corn Hill April 2011 #11"></a>
<b>The grave marker of J.H. Biles records his birth date, his death date, and the date he became a Mason</b><br>
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For those who are interested, the Williamson County Historical Commission <a href="http://www.williamson-county-historical-commission.org/corn_hill/corn_hill_texas_est_1855.htm">has published some old photos of Corn Hill online</a> as well as a more detailed history of the community. I highly recommend it for the amount of detail that is presented on the life and death of this humble yet progressive Williamson County town.Daniel Barnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17615302374593754111noreply@blogger.com2