This article by Ray Spitzenberger first appeared in IMAGES, August 25, East Bernard Express, East Bernard, Texas.
Down through the years, when a favorite aunt or uncle would pass away, I would be given the opportunity to choose something of theirs to remember them by. From the “stuff” left by a much-loved aunt and uncle a very long time ago, I chose to keep a depot sign of a small town that had passed away to the realm of Texas ghost towns. Each time I see that sign in my tool shed, I feel very sad.
Although according to my research, Texas has at least 511 “ghost towns” (the largest number of ghost towns of any state in our country), no research turned up this little town, may it rest In peace!
When loved ones die, we leave beautifully engraved tombstones so that they will never be forgotten, but many old towns die, left with no marker of any kind. Yes, some special ghost towns do live on with Texas State Historical markers, or by means of annual festivals to keep the “ghost” alive, — examples would be Luckenbach and Terlingua.
My sources for the various “facts” in all this were The Handbook of Texas, The Texas Almanac, Texas Escapes, and Wikipedia, though I must say they didn’t always agree with each other. In fact, I don’t think there’s even an agreement on what constitutes a “ghost town,” — I was surprised to see Serbin and The Grove listed as ghost towns. I can tell you that those two towns are very thriving Lutheran towns, with Serbin as the historical seat of the Texas Wends! Just wondering about Teacup, Alligator, Catfish, Rest, Diddy Wa Diddy, Welfare, Quicksand, Soda, and Sugar Loaf! Aren’t those absolutely wonderful names for towns, ghost or otherwise!?
I did find ghost towns in Wharton County, though they are not as famous as Indianola, Luckenbach, and Terlingua. If you’re living in one of the Wharton County ghost towns right now, you may be surprised that they’re “dead.” Maybe your town “dies” when it loses its post office! Who knows, I don’t!
Plainview is located at the intersection of FM 441 and FM 1163, southwest of El Campo. It had its own school from 1916 until 1948. Since there are just a few houses left, and no school, it’s listed as a ghost town. Shanghai, Texas seems a little stranger since it passed away before it was even fully planned. A cotton gin and a prisoners’ quarters were built and then the town kind of disappeared. Peach Creek had a post office (a real sign you’re not a ghost) until 1847. This Wharton County ghost town, named after the creek it was built on, is located west of FM 102 near Egypt, Texas. When William Kincheloe established Peach Creek, he believed it would become the county seat of Wharton County, but that didn’t ever happen.
For my last Texas ghost town, I want to switch geography back to my old stomping grounds, Lee County, because I remember Blue, Texas when I was a kid in the 1940’s. My sources listed Blue currently as “a dispersed rural community,” whatever that means. It lost its post office in 1913, so I suspect that’s when it became a ghost. Founded in 1846, it is located 8 miles northwest of Lexington, on FM 696, not far from where many of my Wendish relatives lived (Lincoln, Lexington, Fedor area). Originally named “Blue Branch,” the post office shortened its name to “Blue” in 1897. In its heyday, it had a one-room school, a cotton gin powered by horses. a small chair factory, a Methodist church, and a “newspaper,” printed on blue paper called “Blues News.” Now the town can be “adopted.”
The Texas Almanac Land Rush Program lets you adopt a town of your choice (Blue being one of them), and share your message with the world, benefitting education in Texas. Might be fun to adopt a ghost! Go Blue! That’s what we used to say at the University of Michigan!
I think it is very important to remember the past, — people you loved, places you loved! So, let’s adopt a ghost!
-o-
Ray Spitzenberger is a retired Wharton County Junior College teacher, a retired Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod pastor, and author of three books, It Must Be the Noodles, Open Prairies, and Tanka Schoen.