Focus on the Backroads: GHOST TOWNS

Ghost town noun:  a town that no longer has any people living in it:  an abandoned town

A ghost town is actually a site where evidence was left of a town’s previous existence.  This can be in the form of abandoned buildings, ruins of old buildings, or simply an old cemetery.  These are reminders of towns that once were inhabited by people full of life and dreams.

As people moved westward in search of adventure and a better life, they built farms, homes, stores, schools, and churches.  We have been told stories of the great western expansion.  Of the cowboys, the miners, and the famous lawmen and outlaws.  These folks have been depicted in books, on TV, and the big screen for years.  The real heroes of this time were the homesteaders that settled and built towns and communities.  Many of these have become our great cities of today while others are now abandoned and have become ghost towns. 

Most people speed by these towns missing out on a part of American history.  You can visit these long forgotten towns and wonder what they must have been like in their heyday.  Most of us are only a generation or two removed from ancestors that settled and raised their families in these towns.

There are over 800 ghost towns in Texas.  Some are a cross road or a long forgotten graveyard.  Others, such as Terlingua, Gruene, and Luckenbach have re-invented themselves thanks to antique shops, chili, and music!

You might wonder why someone would drive hundreds of miles to visit these long forgotten towns – well for the same reason that one would climb a mountain…because they are (were) there.