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1940s
Hockley County map showing Opdyke
(Above "L" in "H-O-C-K-L-E-Y")
Courtesy
Texas General Land Office |
History on
a Pinhead
The town's name is pronounced O. P. Dike - just as you would pronouce someone's
name. The someone in this case was probably Charles W. Opdyke, director of the
Santa Fe Railroad. It is also suggested that the name could've been after a relative
of the man (W. A. Dykes) who had built the town's first cotton
gin in 1937.
Opdyke had no 19th Century history. The town
got started in 1925 - and it wasn't until 1945 that they had a population of 50.
All activities revolved around the gin throughout the 40s and 50s with a service
station/general store to serve the needs of the citizens. By the late 50s the
Farmers Co-op Gin was the town's last business.
Forum:
Just
a line to say that Opdyke, Texas is 5 miles EAST (not south) of Levelland
on Hwy 114 a half mile west of Fm 2646. The store/gas station was open until the
mid 70's and the Opdyke Coop Gin was the last business to close.
I have
lived at or near three different ghost towns during my life. My family lived at
Frankel City
(Andrews county) in the Halliburton camp during the mid to late 50's. Then moved
to a farm south of Draw, Texas (Lynn county)
when my father started farming in 1961. Finally we moved to a farm between Levelland
and Opdyke in 1964 in Hockley county. I seem to have a knack for closing small
towns.
I have enjoyed reading the stories and looking at pictures of Texas
on your web site. - George Childress Jr., July 13, 2010 |
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