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WINK,
TEXASRoy Orbison's
boyhood home
Winkler County, West
Texas
Hwy 115 and FM 1232
7 miles SW of Kermit
54 miles W of Odessa
73 miles W
of Midland
51 miles NE of Pecos
Population: 1,200 |
Old
gas station in Wink circa 1910
Photo courtesy Marianne Clancy |
History
in a Pecan Shell:
Wink was born late for a Texas town. The year was 1926 and oil
had just been discovered. They wanted the town named Winkler after the
County, but the postal authorities said no. So they shortened their application
to Wink and got their post office in 1927. This was the same year they organized
a school. |
| | A
view of Wink
Photo Courtesy The Winkler County Historical Society |
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original residents (both of them) were surprised when the population swelled to
3,500 by late 1927. By 1929 the population was 6,000 and that even surprised the
newcomers. It's entirely possible that with all the activity that several people
were counted twice. Naturally, the infrastructure had a hard time keeping up.
A wave of boom-town parasites invaded the town and earned Wink a place in Texas
history alongside Kilgore,
Borger, Ranger,
Freer and Beaumont
as one of the wilder oil towns.
The
city government was under the control of organized crime in 1928. This was unheard
of in Texas! Texans were used to crime in local
government - they just hadn't heard of any being organized. A Judge declared the
city's incorporation void in 1928 and they went about building a jail. We're told
the jail was the first municipal building.
When
the Texas-New Mexico Railroad came through in 1929, the population was
already declining. Even connecting the town to Monahans
didn't stop the former Winkites from moving away.
The
30s saw another attempt at incorporation, and this time it took. There was increased
medical care, even as the population continued to decline.
A
cycle of small gains and losses in both people and businesses kept Wink busy through
the 40s and 50s. The town made National headlines in 1960 when it received
a million dollars in Federal funds which it spent on curbs, gutters and sidewalks.
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| | The
Roy Orbison Museum
If you are old enough, you've heard Wink mentioned
for being Roy Orbison's boyhood home. If you're like most people, while you were
on the way to get an atlas you probably got distracted, so you're still unaware
of exactly where Wink is. If you're young enough, you'll probably ask Roy who?
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| | The
Old Wink Cemetery
Old
Wink Cemetery is the burial site of 26 persons who died during the early days
of the oil boom, 1926-1929. ... The cemetery marker is inside the Wink Museum.
more |
| | The
Rig Theatre
A
handsome survivor of Wink's heyday and one of the rare Texas theaters from the
20s has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places. more |
| | Sidewalks
of Wink -
Like-New Sidewalks and a Paper Historical Marker
"Wink
qualified as a perfect example - the "poster child" for Urban Renewal in Texas.
$1,000,000 was awarded to raze dilapidated and/or dangerous structures plus install
new infrastructure for future growth." more |
Wink
Texas ForumI am
watching a Roy Orbison concert special on National Public Television. I decided
to search for information about Roy. I found his home town of Wink, Texas and
was entertained by the historical notes about Wink. I also noted the 'Roy
Orbison Museum' located there which I will remember to visit when I travel
through Texas. Thank You - V, Seattle, Washington, 11/Jun/2002 |
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