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Texas Gulf
Coast Ghost Town
MEANSVILLE,
TEXASSan Patricio
County
3 miles SE of Odem
South of Sinton
Population: 0
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History in
a Pecan Shell
Texas towns have been destroyed by flood, fire, hurricane, deforestation,
sunk under reservoirs, and the all-time #1 reason - "death by railroad
bypass. Meansville has the distinction of being depopulated overnight
by order of the Texas Rangers.
Named after early settler William Means, who was elected and served
as county sheriff (1862 - 1867), the town was centered around one
building that served as school, Union Church, and lodge hall. The
building was sold in 1881 - having "been abandoned as a school."
The trouble began in January of 1876, when three Means boys shot up
Papalote, Texas in neighboring Bee County. It stirred up a swarm in
the form of a posse who rode immediately to the Means Ranch. The short
version is that Old Man Means was shot and the boys (later) shot the
Bee County sheriff in retaliation.
Citizens who weren't named Means appealed for outside help. In 1879
Texas Rangers "persuaded" the Means family that the grass was greener
anywhere but San Patricio County. The much more entertaining story
of Meansville's demise is told by Western Historian Charley Eckhardt
in his "The
Rise and Fall of Meansville, Texas."
All that remains of Meansville today is the Meansville Cemetery. |
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