Texas, also known as “The Lone Star State,” is the second largest state in the south-central region of the US. The Lone star state label signifies the prior status of Texas as an independent state. It is famous for its BBQ, hot varying temperatures, live music, and rich history of creepy ghost towns. 

As we look deeper into the history of deserted towns in Texas, It is intriguing to wonder what exactly went wrong, how and why those towns were abandoned to rot, and how many are still left unexplored.  It will take only daring people to venture around in these towns. The set of experiences and records they hold will leave you charmed, astounded, and possibly a little disturbed too.

So apart from the supernatural activities, if you are interested in the history of Texas, check out our guide Texas History Timeline

Following are the most famous abandoned towns in Texas:

Terlingua

Most of this land was owned by Howards E. Perry, who opened up a mining company. Chisos mining organization was well known in the early 1900s, attracting many people to get settled in this town. The mine flooded soon after World War II, and the mineral prices fell, leading to an abrupt abandonment of this town. 

If you happen to go to Big Bend National park, then Terlingua is worth the visit.

Indianola 

The second-largest port city in Texas is well known for the hurricane that hit this town in 1875 and 1886, and the remains were later burned down in a fire. It burned till nothing was left of this town. Also, the former name, Indian point, was changed to Indianola for unknown mysterious reasons. 

If you want to catch up on the worst disasters to hit Texas, check out our guide Worst Disasters in Texas History

Medicine mound

Medicine mound is well known for its three standing dolomite hills surrounded by flat land. These hills are known for having supernatural healing powers. Indians claimed that the hills provided the medicinal herbs that did wonders. This town, too, met the same fate of catching fire, and today the only remains that are in sight are that of a burned down gas station, deserted houses, and three hills. 

Barstow 

The irrigation business was introduced by the founder of this town, George E. Barstow. He recruited other people to help expand the business. It was running smoothly until the destruction of the Pecos River dam in 1904, leading to drought and the demolition of crops. This incident led to the end of the Barstow business. 

Catarina 

A town that once flourished with yielded crops and had a plentiful supply of water turned into ruins soon after the Great Depression. The place was deserted, and no ray of life was left behind as soon as the wells started drying up. Today, only the ruins of the buildings stand, waiting to rot away.  

Thurber 

This town was owned by the Johnson Coal company and was later bought by the Texas and Pacific Coal Company. Coal-burning fuel was extracted from the mining operations for railroads. Soon a brick factory was opened, which provided Thurber bricks all over the state. The rise of conversion to oil-burning fuels and other business problems slowly eliminated the population. Then in 1933, the Great Depression led to the end of this prosperous town.

Even today, Thurber is one of the most photogenic towns. 

Lobo

This town along the highway was the primary source of water. Therefore businesses like Agriculture and cotton farming prospered back in the days before farmers’ income fell short, and they earned less than they had to spend. People soon migrated, but today the remains of crumbling buildings are still found. 

Creepy facts about Texas 

Since the places are abandoned over a long period, mystical and spooky incidents come into sight. Following are the creepy facts and locations that stretch from the famous Galveston sites to the deserted building.

The face 

“The Face” is found on one of the buildings of the University of Texas in Galveston. It is said that many efforts were put in to get rid of the face, but it still kept on appearing, even after having it coated with several layers of paint. It reappears every time, giving a message that some things just can’t be removed. 

Bruce halls 

Bruce hall is located in the University of North Texas and is one of the oldest dorms present. This dorm is haunted by a ghost named Wanda, who makes sure that people visiting down these halls feel her presence. If you don’t believe in ghosts, visit Bruce halls, and it will make you think otherwise. 

Have you ever felt like knowing what spirit haunts a specific site, why they exist, and what led them to creep around?  Well, these questions aren’t asked in the Hotel baker as it is famous for knowing the spirits that linger around the space. These spirits have their backstories like one was cut in half by an elevator in the hotel, another jumped from the top floor, etc. 

Galvez hotel

This hotel was constructed by the coastal city of Galveston, which was ruined after the brutal hurricane that almost destroyed Galveston and killed many people in the process. Centuries ago, this hotel rebuilt and regenerated life back in the cities but faced some tragedies that haunted the hotel, specifically in room no.505. The woman committed suicide in this room when she got the news of her fiancé having an accident at sea. The spirit is still known to haunt the hotel, creating inconvenience for the visitors. 

Demon’s road

Among many other haunted roads, Demons road is located in Huntsville. People have reported many cases on this road. Some travelers said ghosts accompanied them all the way to their place, handprints were found on the vehicle, and a random red flashing light appeared out of nowhere. Also, a cemetery that is supposed to be deep in the woods is situated right by this road. 

Goat-man’s bridge 

Klansman killed a black goat farmer, and his spirit still haunts the bridge. It is still believed that the goat-man still appears on the bridge after the sun set. 

Conclusion 

The abandoned ghost towns play an essential role in the history of the Lone Star State. The must-visit towns like Terlingua, Indianola, Medicine mound, Barstow, Catarina, and Thurber speak for themselves and are major tourist attractions. The fascinating history of Texas has some inspiring stories as to why and how some communities succeeded with others failed. It shows how a once flourished land can turn into ruins due to natural disasters. Also, since the ruins are deserted, the people affected during these times were huge, so many creepy facts regarding ghosts and spirits came into sight.