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Mankins
History in a Pecan ShellThe
town began on a ranch belonging to Sam Lazarus. The Wichita Valley Railroad had
extended a spur to the ranch headquarters (just north of the present-day site).
Lazarus built a church and the railroad built a loading facility. It went by the
name Lazarus Switch unil 1908 when the ranch was bought and a store and
hotel built.
The new owner, Charles Mangold platted a townsite just south
of the former ranch headquarters which was also home the ranch foreman (and storekeeper)
Tom Mankins. Mangold was evidently a modest type, for he allowed the town he was
building be named for Mr. Mankins.
The 1914 population has been given as
55 residents. Mankins had an nearby oil discovery in the 1920s, but nothing remotely
approaching the oil booms of other towns. There was no population explosion and
the 85 residents that lived there in the late 20s remained in place through the
Great Depression. The town spent some of its oil revenue on a large two story
brick building that served as high school, church and community center until it
was destroyed in a 1938 tornado.
The 1950 census reported 120 residents
and by the early 1960s, the town had lost its post office. The population had
dropped to a mere 50 at the close of the 1960s. The Mangold estate still owned
much of the original plat – preventing growth.
Mankins was once the wintering
grounds for The D. S. Dudly Show, a multi-generational circus / carnival, into
the 1970s.
The 1990 population of 45 has declined to an estimated 25 Mankanites
by the year 2000. Mankins is included in More Ghost Towns of Texas.
See
A Drive Around Mankins - Mankins photos
Mankins
Forum Subject:
The Unfortunate Chimp/Auto Collision of Mankins, Texas
My
wife is a teacher in Wichita
Falls and works with the Pastor at the Mankins Baptist Church. Once while
visiting the church I was speaking with an old-timer that had lived in Mankins
his whole life. He told me that Mankins was the only place in Texas
that a Chimpanzee had been killed by an automobile. This of couse peaked my imagination
and interest so I had to ask how. He said the Dudley show folks lived there and
apparently had some animals. The Chimpanzee got loose, ran out onto the highway
and along came a semi. As you can imagine, the rest is history.
I'm sure
there are many strange stories ya'll here but this Chimp story goes along with
the true (yes I googled it and found an article on it) about an Elephant
being killed by a train in Wichita
Falls (just about 20 miles east of Mankins). How does an Elephant get killed
by a train? In Wichita Falls, TX? You have to google it yourself. You should be
able to find it since the article
is on your website! - Michael A. Mitchell, Wichita Falls, TX, April 28, 2011
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Wild
West Circus D.S. Dudley Show Historical Marker
Photo courtesy Barclay
Gibson, April 2009 |
D.S. Dudley Show Headquarters?
Photo courtesy Barclay
Gibson, April 2009 |
Is
this the end of Kiddie Land?
Photo courtesy Barclay
Gibson, April 2009 |
Experiment
in weathering No. 36942
Photo courtesy Barclay
Gibson, April 2009 |
| Texas
Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing
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