Ghost Towns of Texas (San Antonio, Corpus Christi: house, school, live) - (TX) - City-Data Forum

gy2020 · 04-08-2008, 10:54 AM

I hope I'm not repeating an old thread, but I did a search for this name and came up blank. How about posting your experiences in ghost towns around the state. Back in 1971 I was in Energy, TX. It had a population of 25. I was in a small store and got a picture with 5 people in it. In one shot I recorded 20% of the towns population. I'll look up some information and post more soon.
gy2020

gy2020 · 04-08-2008, 11:22 AM

Here's one of my favorites. I had to look it up, it's been a while. The ghost town of Helena, ne of Karnes City on highway 80. This was considered the meanest town in Texas. It was on the cattle trail between Corpus Christi and San Antonio. It's heyday was the 1880's and the cowboys were mean. They loved their saloons and they loved to shoot people. The town had a leading citizen who's son went into town and was beaten up by the cowboys and the father punished the town by making sure the railroad bypassed the community and it did. The rail line built a station at Karnes City instead of Helena and eventually everyone moved away. I was in the town in the 70's and got some photos. I don't have them or they are in my slide collection and I just haven't found them.
One of the things the town folk like to do was to have a linching followed by a town dance to celebrate.
In contrast to this nasty little town is another small settlement just a few miles north, Panna Maria, a very religious Catholic community settled by Polish immigrants.

JamesAbilene · 04-08-2008, 05:26 PM

Lots of information about Texas ghost towns here:

Ghost Towns of Texas

leorah · 04-08-2008, 09:10 PM

Thurber is pretty well known, but if you haven't been there, they have an interesting museum. If you take I-20 you may get a glimpse of Greystone Castle.

GoingHome2TX · 04-08-2008, 09:19 PM

Another good site with Texas ghost towns would be:

Texas ghost towns.

gy2020 · 04-08-2008, 10:41 PM

Actually, what I am trying to get on this thread, is for people to express their own experiences at these ghost towns sites. I already have most of those links.

GoingHome2TX · 04-09-2008, 01:42 PM

Where I grew up has many ghost towns around the area. The one that I know better and spent more time in than the others was Annarose.

Annarose had one major building, the old dance hall, which was supposed to be a major attraction for most of Live Oak County in the 20's-mid50's. Last time I saw it, the dance hall was technically still there, but the roof was sitting on top of the porch. Sunday I leave to move back home, and should arrive on Tuesday. Later in the week I will see if I can get out there and snap a picture, if it is still there.

Ten miles from Annarose is the old Dobie (J. Frank Dobie's grandfather) homestead, and where some of Dobie's fondest memories are from, if you have read The Longhorns. I will also get a picture of that one. It is located in Clegg. Clegg isn't really at ghost town status yet, as it is still an unincorporated community.

I am technically moving to a ghost town, as I am not moving to George West proper. The place is called Mahala. All that is currently left of the town itself, aside from area farms and ranches, is the old schoolhouse. You would not know it to be a school house anymore as it has been converted into a residence.

A quick list of some other ghost towns that I have been to and am familiar with are as follows:

Aguilares
Callaham
Cheapside
Cuba/Belle Kid/Lebanon (All less than 3 miles apart)
Cost (Not what I would call a true ghost town, though, and very historic!)
Dinero (Not really a true ghost either)
Dryden
Fort Merril
Lapara
Marback
Pumpville

There are several I know am I missing, both in and outside of Live Oak County. I am not exactly sure what there is to say about them experience wise. I've been there, I know their locations, their rough history, grew up around several, but whats to say, really? They are ghost towns.

gy2020 · 04-09-2008, 02:17 PM

That's a good start GoingHome2Tx:
Years ago I had an experience in north Texas near Wichita Falls area. There is a road with a grave on it. Back in the 1880's or earlier a family was going to California and past through this town (forgotten the name). The wife died in this town and she was buried on the outskirts of the town. The husband was going to come back for her, but never did. The town became a ghost town and then disappeared. All that was left was this solitary grave. It sat in the center of two future roads. The hiway dept has preserved the grave and built the road around it. It just seems peculiar to see it. Always been a favorite of mine.

GoingHome2TX · 04-09-2008, 02:47 PM

Oh, I forgot to mention Helena as well. And I will see about getting you some more recent pictures of that.

As far as most violent, I would hold my reservation on giving it the nod. A lot of Texas towns have equally violent all day affairs of partying after a hanging. I know we love any excuse to throw a BBQ and socialize, but I question if our forefathers didn't really reach out and stretch for a reason there, or if they were just macabre.

The one that I always found as a true indication of how tough of a town was, is the fact that during his tenure at one particular town, John Wesley Hardin was very well behaved, and served his full term. That town is Gonzalez. I think we know of other incidents in her past that has shown she is one of the towns thats more likely to shoot first and then yell, "Come an' git it!".

Jack Miles · 01-23-2011, 03:14 PM

am not experienced with computers and 81 years old. I wanted to know about Helena, Texas due to a rifle I own that was there at about the time of the railroad. Iknow of Butler's oath and the relocation of the railroad to Karnes City.I was told never to take the gun to Helena by a long time railroad employe.