| |
 |
History in a Pecan
Shell
Present-day Nix was originally settled along one of the mail /stage routes
out of Lampasas in the 1880s. Prior
to that the only activity was being part of the Fort Phantom Hill road (1850s).
A blacksmith and store opened around 1883, with the storekeeper becoming
postmistress. Nix's high-water mark was reached in the 1890s when two mills and
gins were in operation and two churches established. The population which had
been recorded as only 8 people suddenly swelled to 27 by 1896.
It seems
to have felt comfortable at this level and stayed below 30 throughout the 1940s.
Lampasas County drilled and found oil in the 20s and 30s, and Nix had the dubious
distinction of having the only test well to come in dry.
Nix had a store
in the late 40s and just west of town was a combination school/church.
In 2005, the old Nix store was still standing - although not in business. Reportedly
TxDoT uses the site as a gravel storage area. |
 |
1907
Lampasas County map showing Nix W of Lampasas
Courtesy
Texas General Office |
Nix,
Texas ForumI
grew up on a ranch south of Lometa near
the ghost town of Nix west of Lampasas.
As a kid I took a picture of an abandoned victorian mansion about two miles south
of Lometa. I lost the picture but Ive
never been able to forget that house. It was torn down many years ago but thought
perhaps someone may have information or a picture of it? It was located on Co
Rd 55 off Fm Rd 3415 off 183/190 south going towards Lampasas. It was symmetrical
in design with two big stone chimneys & two turrets with steeples on each side
of the house. A covered porch with turned posts wrapped around the front of the
house and a balcony was over the top of the porch with a pediment front off the
center of the roof. There was lots of fancy woodwork, cut shingles, etc. Not typical
for most houses around Lampasas county! - Dave Porter, August 20, 2010
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
of their town, please contact
us. | |
|
