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Henderson County

Athens Hotels

PICKENS, TEXAS

Texas Ghost Town
Henderson County, East Texas

32° 15' 15" N, 95° 55' 22" W (32.254167, -95.922778)
Highway 175 and FM 2329
5 miles NW of Athens

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History in a Pecan Shell

Settled by a man named John Mires Pickens, who built his home at the site prior to the Civil War, the town was called Picken's Spur when the railroad (Texas and New Orleans Railroad) came through about 1900 and designated it a flag stop. By the 1930s, Pickens had twenty-five people and a church and two stores.

The former church in Pickens
Photo courtesy Dustin Martin, February 2017

Photo courtesy Dustin Martin, February 2017

The church in 2004
Photo Courtesy Erik Whetstone, 7-04

Pickens, Texas - abandoned church interior

Photo courtesy Nick Samano, February 2017

Church interior
Photo courtesy Dustin Martin, February 2017

Pickens, Texas Forum:
"Unfortunately ... the Pickens Church ... is now falling apart. So sad to see something of such history go to ruin. Breaks my heart." - Kristihuls, March 09, 2016

Henderson County 1920s Map showing Baxter East of Athens
Courtesy Texas General Land Office

Sunday drives in and around Athens:

Athens: Where the hamburger was invented -
(From Bob Bowman's East Texas Sunday Drives)
Athens, New York, Texas Cheesecakes, LaRue, Brownsboro, Edom, Purtis Creek State Park, Eustace, Mabank, Gun Barrel City, Payne Springs, Caney City, Malakoff and Cross Roads.

Pickens Nearby Destinations

Hwy 19 : North to Canton, or South to Palestine.

Hwy 31 : East to Tyler, or West to Corsicana via Malakoff, Trinidad and Kerens.

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Pickens, Texas Area Towns:
Athens
See Henderson County, East Texas
More Texas Ghost Towns

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Texas Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history and vintage/historic photos, please contact us.