| |
US
Post Office Desdemona TX 76445
Photo by John Troesser, 2004 |
"even from my
boyish days…
…wherein I spake of most disastrous chances,
Of moving
accidents by flood and field,
of hair-breadth escapes in the imminent deadly
breach.."
Othello - The Wooing of Desdemona
History
in a Pecan Shell
Settlement of Desdemona began around 1857, making one of the earliest communities
west of the Brazos River. Settlers built a small fort to protect themselves from
Indian attack and in 1875 the Funderburg brothers acquired the land that had once
been old fort and began to develop.
Originally the town had been called
Hogtown, for it's location on Hog Creek. A post office was granted in 1877
under the name Desdemona (not the heroine of Othello, but for the daughter of
the community's JP. The town has been shown on maps and on records as Desdemonia
or Desdimonia, but the unusual name spared the town confusion with other post
offices.
Peanut farming became an important part of the economy early
on and Desdemona's population went from 100 in 1892 to over 300 by 1904. In September
1918, a driller named Tom Dees, struck oil and Desdemona was catapulted (for better
or worse) into a bona-fide Texas boomtown. Population estimates of the period
suggest that there may have been as many as 16,000 citizens, speculators, workers
and camp followers during the zenith of the 1919-1922 boom.
Those smart
enough to have invested in Tom Dee's Hog Creek Oil Company were able to sell $100
shares for over $10,000, but aside from these new fortunes, Desdemona had some
huge problems. Rains flooded the town and overflowed pools of standing oil. Influenza
and typhoid fever broke out. Sanitation and public health were enough to strain
the town to its breaking point, but on top of this they also had to combat the
lawless element.
Citizens banded into a group called The Law and Order
League. But when one of their leaders (Pastor J. A. Kidd of the Rockdale Baptist
Church) became too vocal - the church was set afire on the night of November 27,
1920. The blaze was soon extinguished, but now all Desdemonites were united in
outrage. The church was a beloved landmark and even the non-Baptists were furious
at the act and especially the perpetrators. Texas Rangers who had been conducting
roving patrols of the boomtowns of Eastland,
Ranger and Cisco
now descended on Desdemona, arresting 125 men and expelling at least that many
prostitutes.
Oil production fell from over seven million barrels of oil
in 1919 to less than three million in 1921. By 1922 the boom was over and Desdemona
had experienced one of the most drastic population fluctuations in Texas boomtown
history. Fires in 1920 and 1921 destroyed entire blocks, leaving the town today
where it may have naturally evolved had oil not been discovered. In 1936 Desdemona
dissolved their city government. |
by
Clay Coppedge
"Of all the nastiness that might be found in Texas oil
boom towns during the era of discovery in the early 20th Century, Desdemona was
reported to be the nastiest." more
|
| | "My
grandfather Joe Duke was at one time known as Texas' youngest millionaire. A few
years later he had no money left and was a pauper at the time of his death."
- John Keith |
| | A
former business from boom times?
Photo by John Troesser, 2004 | |
|
The
well-used Desdemona Jail - built of Thurber
Brick
Photo by John Troesser, 2004 |
The
Desdemona School (grades 1-12) was built in 1922 and expanded as a WPA project
completed in 1937. It finally closed in 1969.
Photo by John Troesser, 2004 |
| | The
school's cornerstone now lies horizontal in the school yard
Photo by John Troesser, 2004 | |
|
Desdemona
Photo courtesy Kim Carter April 2007 |
Desdemona Texas Forum Subject:
Desdemona
Dear
TE, I recently drove to Desdemona after visiting a friend who attends Baylor.
I had once played a character named "Desdemona" in a play, so when I saw signs
for a town of the same name, I jumped at it! I saw no businesses, but I saw some
cute little houses, and I took a picture of the town marker sign. I really enjoyed
the detour! Cute Little Town! - Kim Carter, April 19, 2007
Subject:
Desdemona Oil Boom
My Grandfather, John Robert Palmer was a farmer and teaching school in Hogtown
prior to the discovery of the Duke Well in 1918 and was instrumental in organizing
the mineral leases prior to the well. My father (John Derwin Palmer) wrote a Thesis
for a Master of Arts Degree from Hardin-Simmons University, August 1938, entitled
"The History of the Desdemona Oil Boom". I assume copies are available from the
University. There is a stone marker just outside of town for the location of the
first school building in Hog Creek where my grandfather taught school. As I recall
my maternal grandfather Charles Thomas Moorman and family also lived in the area
and was instrumental in establishing the first school. - CR Palmer, November
17, 2005
I've
enjoyed reading about Desdemona on the TexasEscapes website. My Great-Great-Grandfather,
Christian Bowman (originally Bohrman or Borman) was one of the 42 Army Dragoons
that Captain Ripley Arnold brought to the Clear Fork of the Trinity in 1849 to
build the fort that later became the City of Fort Worth. Christian pre-empted
land in Denton County after leaving the Army and settled his family in Little
Elm. In about 1865, Christian was killed in an explosion near Desdemona, referred
to as Hogtown in our family, while digging a well. We have no documentation of
the date or the event, but it has been passed down as fact by several of his children.
How would I research this? Would there have been a newspaper publishing in any
of the nearby towns? Or any surviving records from the town? - Thank you, Linda
Culbertson, StormCnter@aol.com , Pound Colleyville, Texas, October 21, 2005
I
am writing an article about an event that occurred in May, 1945 in Desdemona where
one or perhaps two Japanese Balloon Bombs landed harmlessly. Thousands of these
balloon bombs were launched from mainland Japan in the closing months of the war
as a desperate effort to achieve victory. Two of them landed in Desdemona or that
vicinity. Do you know about this event and perhaps you could steer me to someone
who could. What is the name of the local newspaper in that area if you know? I
would like to place an ad for people who may have remembered the event. Thanks.
- Michael Phillips, September 02, 2004
Subject: Desdemona,
Texas (WW II Japanese balloon bombs)
In regards to the inquiry about
two Japanese balloon bombs landing in Desdemona in May 1945, I can provide the
following. Two balloon bombs landed at Desdemona on March 23, 1945. Another balloon
bomb landed in Woodson, Texas (approx. 75 miles NNW of Desdemona) the next day.
None caused any damage. - Steve Allen Goen, Wichita Falls, December 23, 2007
Texas
Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic,
endangered and vanishing Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local
history, stories, and vintage/historic photos of their town, please
contact us. |
©
John Troesser
Sources:
The Handbook of Texas Online
Brownson
Malsch, "Lone Wolf" Gonzaullas, Texas Ranger, 1998, U. of Oklahoma Press
T.
Linday Baker, More Ghost Towns of Texas, 2003, University of Oklahoma Press
Interview with Desdemona native Joe Grimshaw, February 2004
|
| More
Ghost Towns of Texas |
|
|
| Book Hotels
- Expedia
Affiliate Network | |
