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FOWLERTON,
TEXASA
"near-ghost town" La
Salle County, South Texas
Highway 97
25 miles E of Cotulla
74 miles S of San Antonio
98
miles N of Laredo
Population:
62 (2000) 100 (1990)
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One of Fowlerton’s
older churches
TE photo, 8-02 |
History
in a Pecan Shell
Just
into the 20th Century, James and Charles Fowler formed the Fowler Brothers Land
Company in an ambitious attempt to sell off and/or develop 100,000-acres that
had once belonged to the huge Dull Ranch.
Things looked promising –
they had a river for irrigation and a railroad to take produce to market.
The railroad was the San Antonio, Uvalde and Gulf Railway. The brothers convinced
the railroad to include the modestly named town on their tracks and they had constructed
dams on the Frio river to provide the water.
The town was platted on
a grid and 200 miles of public roads were graded. The brothers also built a cotton
gin in anticipation of huge cotton crops. With everything in place – they set
out to recruit settlers, investors and business people to populate their town. |
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The Fowlerton Post
Office
TE photo, 8-02 |
The land was divided
into small tracts sold on generous terms. For $25 down and $10 a family could
get land for crops AND a nice lot in town. By October 1911, when the SAU&G officially
arrived in Fowlerton, the town was prepared with two hotels, three stores, miles
of streets, telephones and 1,200 Fowlerites. By 1914 nearly 2,000 people were
comfortably enjoying life by the Frio River.
After 1917, a severe drought
set the entire area behind and people started moving to greener and wetter pastures.
Bitter farmers blamed the Fowler Brothers and they were the target of a number
of lawsuits accusing them of fraud. |
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The 1936 El Camino Real marker
TE photo, 8-02 |
The
town’s decline was immediate. By 1925 the population had dropped to 600, and by
1931 only six businesses were open. By 1949 the population had declined to only
300 residents and by the mid 1960s it was only 200.
In 1972 the population
was down to 100 (the same as the estimated population of 1990).
In 1986
one unnamed newspaper called Fowlerton a "near-ghost town." |
| | Fowlerton
Flora
TE photo, 8-02 |
A
recent visit showed Fowlerton to have new street signs for its well-planned grid
of streets. The post office is the dominant building and the abundance of cactus
and mesquite trees arrange picturesque groupings.
© John
Troesser |
Fowlerton
Texas ForumSubject:
Fowlerton Backstreets and BB Guns
Dear TE, Thanks for the memories. I
grew up around Fowlerton and Cotulla. My grandparents (Buck and Agnes Turman)
lived behind the general store, set back off the road, apiece, in a quaint red
house. My papaw was a well respected rancher, and my childhood memories of working
cattle at the ripe ol age of 5, or rabbit hunting with a B.B. gun, riding my horse
on the backstreets of town are plentiful. Such great memories. I used to ride
past the old falling-down saloon and imagine what stories were told there or how
many brawls took place. On my grandfather's land there was an old school. I’d
find old ink wells, and wonder how many children might've walked through those
schoolhouse doors. My papaw also owned an old theater. Not useable now, by any
means, but at one time the patrons watched movies on a 6 ft wide and 4 ft tall
screen that was bordered by old palm fronds. With no air conditioning, one wall
was slatted about halfway up so air could pass through and there was still remnants
of snowcone syrups, so they knew how to stay cool. My grandmother, still living,
is 95 years old. We live in Bandera Texas now, She knows much more of Fowlerton's
history and I have many more stories to share. - Demaris Wilson, Bandara, Texas,
January 14, 2007
Anyone wishing to share history, stories or photos
of Fowlerton, Texas, please contact
us.
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