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Santa
Rita #1
TE photo, September 2000 |
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Texon is located
about 3 /10 mile south of Hwy 67 on FM 1657. Here you'll see a derrick
and the well-preserved remains of Santa Rita #1, the well
that brought in the huge Big Lake Oilfield. Historical marker
will provide details.
There are two "ghost towns" in Reagan County. Texon has the greater
population. The other is Stiles,
with only the ruins of the recently torched former courthouse (Christmas
Eve 1999).
Texon was a
planned community that at one time had a population of over 1000.
The Big Lake Oil Company was sole owner of the property. Sidewalks,
street signs and mailboxes with two or three wooden structures are
all that remain. Two homes appear to be occupied and strangely enough,
as if anticipating a rebirth, the street signs are new reflective
ones, in some cases standing alongside the old wooden ones that
they're replacing. The postal service has also installed a new mailbox
looking out of place among the five-foot tall weeds.
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A
house in the old residential area
TE photo, September 2000 |
It's
obvious that there is recent activity with the wells. Hoses and wires
follow the grid of the former yards where deer and jackrabbits now
graze undisturbed and unfrightened by visitors. The abundance of these
creatures along with roadrunners, makes Texon a good spot for observing
wildlife. Texon is one of the featured ghost towns in T. Lindsay
Baker's Ghost Towns of Texas.
© John Troesser
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I was born and
raised in Texon. The old building pictured with the mailboxes in front
was actually the Post Office for many years. It was owned by my parents
and leased by the Postal Service. The front half of the building was
the Post Office. My Mother, Bertha Delz, was the postmaster for many
years and retired there. - Ronnie Delz, April 03, 2008 |
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