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WHITTENBURG,
TEXAS
A Panhandle Ghost
Town*
Hutchinson County, Texas Panhandle
Founded as Whittenburg, merged with Pantex in 1938 and now part of
present-day Phillips, Texas
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"Drilling for oil in the main street of Whittenburg, Texas"
Photo Courtesy Ken Sharpe Collection |
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History
in a Pecan Shell
Just a mile from Borger (northeast),
Whittenburg was founded by area rancher James A. Whittenburg when
oil was discovered in the area in 1926.
The Phillips Petroleum Company had a refinery under construction and
the "town" had originally been intended to house Phillips employees.
But the oil seemed it would flow forever and permanent structures
soon replaced the tin roofed shanties. |
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Oil Derrick next to the Whittenburg Post Office
Photo Courtesy Ken Sharpe Collection |
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| Whittenburg
was granted the post office shown above in 1926 - while Isom
and Borger argued about who would get naming rights for the oil field.
Isom lost and merged with Borger in 1926 - about the time Whittenburg's
population was 200. Whittenburg maintained its separate identity until
1936 when it merged with Pantex, Texas, both becoming Phillips.
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Back of above postcard, postmarked in Whittenburg
Courtesy Bob Walker |
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| *Not
a traditional "ghost town" but one that once had its own separate
identity which has been lost - for whatever reason. |
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