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Category Archives: Texas Towns

FOCUS ON THE BACKROADS: CLAIREMONT, TEXAS – a West Texas ghost town

In the center of Kent County Texas is Clairemont – the formal county seat and now a ghost town.  Clairemont was established in 1892, located on land owned by R.L. Rhomberg, a local rancher.  The new town was named after his niece, Claire Becker.   The town soon had several stores, a bank, a newspaper, […]

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FOCUS ON THE BACKROADS: PORT ISABEL CEMETERY – PORT ISABEL TEXAS

Hidden on the backroads of Texas are thousands of historic cemeteries that contain important  bits of history of the people who settled the Lone Star State.  A wonderful example of this is the Port Isabel Cemetery in Port Isabel, Texas.  Every summer tens of thousands people travel on Hwy 100 through Port Isabel on there […]

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FOCUS ON THE BACKROADS: BIG BEND TEXAS

In far southwest Texas a vast area known as Big Bend.  This area is named for the vast curve of the Rio Grande River.  Throughout the years people have passed trough this area, including Indian tribes, Spanish conquistadores, U.S. Soldiers, miners, ranchers, farmers, and many legendary outlaws and bandits.  In the 1500’s several Indian tribes inhabited Big […]

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FOCUS ON THE BACK ROADS: TERLINGUA, TEXAS: Best Little Ghost Town in Texas

Terlingua is located southwest Texas near Big Bend National Park.  It is the most visited ghost town in Texas.  The name Terlingua comes from two Spanish word, tres and lenguas meaning “three tongues”.  This was either because of the three languages that were spoken in the area at that time – English, Spanish, and Native American. […]

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FOCUS ON THE BACKROADS: THE SMALLEST CATHOLIC CHURCH IN THE WORLD – ST. MARTIN WARRENTON, TEXAS

By 1886 a large number of Catholic families were living in and around Warrenton, Texas.    The priest from near by Fayetteville organized a congregation and visited saying mass in private homes.  In 1888,  Frederick and Helen Spies sold one acre of land to the Catholic bishop on which a church and cemetery were to […]

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