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CLEO, TEXAS
Texas Ghost Town
Kimble County, Texas Hill Country
Farm Road 2291
10 miles NW of Junction
Population 003 (1990)
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The
old store in Cleo
Photo courtesy Erik Whetstone, August 2005 |
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History
in a Pecan Shell
A
man with the very southern-sounding name of Raleigh Gentry reportedly
settled in around Cleo just prior to the Civil War. In 1880 a post
office was opened under the name of Viejo named after nearby Viejo
Creek.
Postal service was transferred to Junction
in 1886, but reopened in Viejo in 1915. John Simpson ran the post
office in his store and when the business was sold in 1920 – the post
office was renamed after the niece of the new owner (Sam L. Pearson).
Cleopatra Weston was the honoree.
During the Great Depression cutting cedar for posts became about the
only money-making enterprise in the area.
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"The
sign on the building refers to it as the Bear Creek Community Center.
It's across the street from the old store, on the west side of 2291."
Photo courtesy Erik Whetstone, August 2005 |
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Cleo
Face by Mike Cox (From "Texas Tales" Column)
The folks along Bear Creek in Kimble County always called the mysterious
stone carving the “Cleo Face.”
That is not to say that the Cleo Face is Cleo’s face.
About as close to a ghost town as you can get, Cleo is on Farm Road
2291 about 10 miles northwest of Junction. Founded in 1880 and first
known as Viejo... more
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