Mobeetie’s colorful history is retold at the Old Mobeetie Jail Museum. The settlement grew into Mobeetie, one of the Panhandle’s earliest towns and the original Wheeler County seat. The fort was served by African American troops called Buffalo Soldiers, among them West Point’s first black graduate, Henry O. In 1875, a trading post and buffalo hunter camp sprang up near Fort Elliott, one of Texas’ last frontier forts. The museum and research center also highlights the broader industrial past of Texas and the Southwest. Gordon Center for Industrial History of Texas, a component of Tarleton State University, uses lively interactive exhibits to trace Thurber’s boom-to-bust story. The company continued operation of the brick plant, but by the late 1930s, Thurber was a ghost town. Ironically, steam locomotives began burning oil instead of locally mined bituminous coal. Gordon, struck oil in nearby Ranger, setting the stage for the West Texas oil boom. In 1917, the company’s entrepreneurial executive, W.K. Owned by the Texas and Pacific Coal Company, the booming company town became America’s first totally unionized community. In the early 20th century, a prosperous coal and brick operation made Thurber a thriving city between Fort Worth and El Paso. The Perry Mansion underwent a restoration in 2014, and guest rooms are available in the historic old building.
Many of the original mining buildings are filled with saloons, eateries, and small shops today, and a number of the tiny rock structures have been restored to serve as residences for Big Bend’s desert dwellers. Quicksilver mining peaked by the end of World War I. The Chisos Mining Company provided employment for hundreds of workers, many of whom lived in the simple, stacked-rock structures that still stand. In 1906, wealthy businessman Howard Perry built a mansion overlooking the town. The name Terlingua has been applied to three different settlements in this area, with the current version founded after the discovery of quicksilver in the late 1800s. A smattering of motels, restaurants, shops and outfitters occupy the streets where miners once struggled to survive on meager wages. The remains of the Big Bend Quicksilver Mine can be found at the base of Study Butte, which serves as the western entrance to the national park. Tucked in the lowland desert between the national and state parks lie the small communities of Study Butte, Terlingua and Lajitas.
Dress smart and bring the right tools and equipment with you. Having a friend with you will allow you to share the experience at that moment and will serve as a resource for assistance. In addition, she said it’s important to familiarize yourself with potential dangers or risks in ghost town explorations, such as unstable structures, condemned conditions, or even harmful air quality. “The best bet is to choose ‘Open to the Public’ locations that may even offer historical tours.You will be contributing to historic preservation efforts needed by the ghost town.” If able and available, ask permission to enter and respect ‘Private Property’ or ‘Do not enter’ signs,” she says. “The cardinal rule is to be smart, safe and a good citizen when visiting ghost towns, especially those that are abandoned. Maria Schmidt, who operates Mysterious Adventures Tours, says those visiting ghost towns should keep in mind that it’s a historical location, so they should always take precautions relating to the integrity of the physical structure, history and, per Schmidt, its potential supernatural exchange. The main house at The Villa de la Mina, a ghost town in Terlingua, which is near Big Bend in West Texas. They have the ruins of farming communities destroyed by the Dust Bowl and economic downturns of the 1930s.
Other top states include those in the Great Plains, such as Kansas, Oklahoma and the Dakotas. Texas and California top the list thanks to mining and oil towns. That means most such towns date from the 1880 to 1940 period. Ghost towns are primarily associated with the Wild West frontier and people flocking to areas with valuable mineral resources, including gold and silver in the Rockies and oil in Texas, GeoTab reports.