If any of Maphill's maps inspire you to come to Thurber, we would like to offer you access to wide selection of nearby hotels at low prices and with great customer service. Marker can be reached from Private Road 741, 0.1 miles north of Texas Highway 108, on the right when traveling north. In turn, the farmers bought their necessities at the company stores: clothing, dry goods, groceries and an occasional bottle of liquor. near Palo Pinto County line. Im going to get to go through and buy a few things and then Ill let you know what I find. The company was once said to have the best equipped brick manufacturing operation west of the Mississippi. The dusty gravel driveway up to the castle was paved and a giant lake project was initiated to create a Trophy Bass Fishing haven.In 2011, Greystone Castle was awarded its first Orvis Wingshooting Lodge of the Year award. The site of the town is seventy-five miles west of Fort Worth in the northwest corner of Erath County. The restaurant also has Thurber information and merchandise and displays historical pictures and artifacts. Does your community have an annual fair or festival you'd like to have listed on our site, or in the next Texas Almanac? I didnt have a hope chest or saved hand work such as pillow cases, tablecloths or such as that because my family was big. There are several landmarks in Thurber, such as The Thurber Cemetery (which has over a thousand graves), the restored St. Barbara's Catholic Church, a restored and furnished coal miner's house, New York Hill, and much more. Hill-shading simulates the shadows cast by terrain features. $('atlas_img').set('src', $('atlas_img').get('src')); Verify to immediately update business information, respond to reviews, and more! He and his brother Harvey lived in Strawn, early on, and were involved in ranching and land sales. The largely migratory population of this town has been estimated at 10,000 at the height of Thurber's coal production in 1920-21. Your email address will not be published. Thurber, Texas - 2016 to Present. At that time (191820) it was the principal bituminous-coal-mining town in Texas. 32 30.465 N, 98 24.96 W. Marker is near Mingus, Texas, in Erath County. }); Highway 80 in northwestern Erath County. The couple had two children, Marion and William Harvey, neither of whom lived to adulthood. window.addEvent('domready', function(){ Plans were finalized and ground broken to build a brand new 2600 square foot pavilion. Unique Restaurants Thurber. Feel free to remix and share. Established as a company town, the mining operations in Thurber were unionized in 1903, and Thurber became the first totally closed shop town in the country. Thurber is located about seventy-five miles west of Fort Worth just into Erath County as you travel west out of Palo Pinto County. Whether you are a teacher or home-school parent, you will find our Teacher's Guide to be an invaluable tool for teaching all things Texas to your students. W.K. On-route maps, 1,000s of photos, special research targets! See Thurber from a different perspective. We also have maps for nearby towns: Mingus, TX Gordon, TX Strawn, TX Huckabay, TX Metcalf Gap, TX Santo, TX Tiffin, TX Ranger, TX Desdemona, TX Palo Pinto, TX Caddo, TX Highland, TX Stephenville, TX Lipan, TX Gorman . Lines and paragraphs break automatically. W.K. Once completed in 1923, the mausoleum was sealed according to Mrs. Johnsons instructions and sits on a high point of the former Johnson ranch on private property, a few miles from Gordon. /*d.setStyle('padding', '6px 9px');*/ The Texas and Pacific Coal Company created a subsidiary company, Texas Pacific Mercantile and Manufacturing Company, to operate its mercantile operation, with company-run retail outlets like the grocery, dry goods, hardware, and drug stores, as well as saloons and other establishments. Cotton The only product the farmers could not sell around Thurber was cotton, and for several years just after the turn of the century, a company gin even processed that for the farmers. This is a list of smaller local towns that surround Mingus, TX. After finishing the three walls and 4 turrets, he sold the beginnings of the castle and its 4,000 acres to several investors. Art Nationwide, there are several thousands of people whose roots go back to Thurber. In 1917, the company's entrepreneurial executive, W . })(); See Thurber and Texas from a different view. Both Poles and Italians lived on Hill Number 3. Bring your own wine or beer . Physical Description 1 ms. map ; sheet 46 x 77 cm. The next project was to upgrade the Sporting Clays program. if (mh_touch && $('mm_lkll')) $('mm_lkll').dispose(); Many miners accepted UMW assistance and moved to mining areas in other states. for the white-collar clerks and brick-counters that the company Leaders in all matters of material and moral progress. Follow TEXAS HISTORY NOTEBOOK on WordPress.com. Worth Hotels | Weatherford https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/thurber-tx. It is now only a collection a few building sites and foundations of others but once Thutber was a boom town of as many as eight to ten thousand people. During the latter part of the 1930s, the entire town was literally sold: houses, school buildings and their equipment, mine equipment, even gas and water pipelines were dismantled and carted away. This left the once booming town a virtual ghost town. //googletag.pubads().enableSyncRendering(); Hillshading is used to create a three-dimensional effect that provides a sense of land relief. It was the second marriage for each. The Texas & Pacific Coal Company became the Texas Pacific Coal and Oil Company and turned its attention more to oil production after a 1915 oil find near Thurber. The dining room was upgraded, and the castle walls were improved. It was the site of coal mining operations coupled with labor troubles from its beginning in 1886. He searched for years to find the ideal land with unparalleled natural beauty. Although the T&P Coal Company discouraged free-lance produce dealers, probably because the company owned the grocery stores in town and the free-lancers cut into their profits, local farmers hauled in produce and sold it to the residents of Thurber, Mingus and other neighboring towns. (254) 968-1886 The Snake closed with the adoption of Prohibition and was never reopened. I was looking for some specific information on Thurber today. All Thurber and Texas maps are available in a common image format. Local towns near Mingus, TX. Proceeds benefit education in TX. [6] Also at Thurber is the W. K. Gordon Center for Industrial History of Texas, a museum containing information on historical Thurber (operated by nearby Tarleton State University),[5] as well as the historic Smokestack Restaurant, and the New York Hill Restaurant built on what was once the site of the town's Episcopal Church at the top of New York Hill. While nice, a king sized pillow nor a king sized bed existed back in the day. Shaft No. It was, between 1888 and 1921, one of the largest producers of bituminous coal in Texas and the largest company town in the state, with a population of over 10,000. POTUS landmarks, oddities. Every dollar helps. Bus and RV parking is available and we are disabled accessible. At the close of the 19th century, the value of the state's coal output exceeded the combined value of all other mineral products. $(window).fireEvent('scroll'); // kvuli 1px ve ff This view of Thurber at an angle of 60 is one of these images. But there is good chance you will like other map styles even more. Restaurants near Thurber, Texas: See Tripadvisor traveler reviews of dining near Thurber and search by cuisine, price, location, and more. 78 miles to Arlington, TX. Air Quality Fair. By 1900, the town had over 200 houses, more than 30 stores and shops, a waterworks, churches, schools, offices, stables, an opera house seating more than 650, a dairy, a meat market, a 200-room hotel and an ice plant. We live in the small town of Manvel, a largely first generation Italian population. I-20. At first, he was no more tolerant of unions than his predecessors. Maps are assembled and kept in a high resolution vector format throughout the entire process of their creation. Since the company owned everything in town, there were no taxes. One of the elders in the Scopel family (Americanized) passed several years back and his wife followed shortly after. Eastern investors, headed by Col. Robert Dickey Hunter, bought the mines from Johnson late that year and formed the Texas & Pacific Coal Company. Web page addresses and e-mail addresses turn into links automatically. Click on the Detailed button under the map for a more comprehensive map. 7 Farms, Lessons & Workshops Hico Mercantile 11 Art Galleries, Antique Shops Stephenville Historical House Museum 27 Speciality Museums Not Too Shabby 8 Speciality & Gift Shops Big Axe House 1 Game & Entertainment Centers, Sports Complexes Political map illustrates how people have divided up the world into countries and administrative regions. mh_atlas.set('e', 'atlas/32n35-97w40/3d-maps/satellite-map/'); var src = (useSSL ? Despite occasional strikes, basic labor-management harmony prevailed, and Thurber remained a union stronghold until the demise of mining operations in the 1920s, after railroad locomotives began to burn oil rather than coal. Labor unrest during the '20s led to strikes in 1926 and 1927 and many of the miners left forbetter prospects elsewhere. We are a community-supported, non-profit organization and we humbly ask for your support because the careful and accurate recording of our history has never been more important. Admission: Free. The Thurber Smokestack was part of the town's electric power plant - very high-tech for its time. His daughter-in-law was 3rd generation Italian immigrant. Thurber, TX, Handbook of Texas Online, When Erath County voted dry in 1904, the company built a big saloon just across the county line in Palo Pinto County. Opened in 2002, it was the prized project of Anna Melissa "Chissa" Hogsett Gordon (1918-2013), descendant of Fort Worth's founding families andwidow ofW.K. The History of Thurber, Texas began with its founding in 1888 by the Texas and Pacific Coal Company. And just one piece of advice. 2023 Texas Historical Commission. After they failed to meet payroll, the miners struck and the owners sold out to the Texas and Pacific Coal Company. mh_atlas.set('sw', 'atlas/32n05-99w20/3d-maps/satellite-map/'); A trip to THURBER What if a once prosperous place turned into a ghost town almost overnight? The Mercator projection preserves the shapes and angles of small areas better, but on the other hand, it significantly distorts the size of areas. Submitted by Teresa Wingfield on Tue, 02/19/2019 - 9:43am. Exit 367 on Interstate 20. This is how the world looks like. Im not sure if it specified in the Manvel Tx history book. Sort by: Highest Rating As it became obvious that many upgrades and expansions were needed, 2 of the original investor groups decided to sell out. Sure, there is. We build each 3D map individually with regard to the characteristics of the map area and the chosen graphic style. After years of labor agitation, the United Mine Workers organized Thurber's miners in 1903, and by 1907, the community was one of the first 100 percent union towns in the United States. Get free map for your website. 65258 Interstate 20 Presented by I cant remember where I read it but there is at least one website that talks about all the various ethnicities of the miners in Thurber, including Italians. It was, between 1888 and 1921, one of the largest producers of bituminous coal in Texas and the largest company town in the state, with a population of over 10,000. It's neither this satellite 3D map nor any other of the many millions of maps. The old course was removed, and two new courses were designed and built by William Walton, the 2015 National Sporting Clays Champion. In truth, they actually oversaw the This airport has domestic flights from Abilene, Texas and is 80 miles from the center of Thurber, TX. In 1886, mining of hard bituminous coal was almost unheard of in the state. wg_adresa_cela="united-states/texas/erath-county/thurber/3d-maps/satellite-map/"; operations of the Ranger Oil Field. Maybe it was a website for a cafe there in Thurber where I read it. } Based on images taken from the Earth's orbit. Continuation of such activities resulted in a concentrated effort by the United Mine Workers to unionize the Thurber miners. Visitor Tips and News About Thurber's Lonely Smokestack Reports and tips from RoadsideAmerica.com visitors and Roadside America mobile tipsters. Another boom occurred when oil was discovered in nearby Ranger around 1917. Update on the Thurber Texans associated with my family history tree. googletag.pubads().setTargeting("vyrez", ["133340", "32n35-98w30", "the area around 32 36' 26" N, 98 31' 30" W"]); Texas leads the country in the number of ghost towns 511 according to the research group Geotab. The mining operation was begun by Johnson in the mid to late 1880s but ceased for a time due to the influence of Knights of Labor, an early mine workers union, leading Johnson to shut down the mine and convey his interest to others. And yet a century ago, it was one of the . (18.4 km) var useSSL = 'https:' == document.location.protocol; "The victory at Thurber indicated what unions might accomplish with effective leadership and more congenial opponents than employers like Col. Hunter, even when confronted with problems as difficult as organizing diverse ethnic groups. left: 0; Website, W.K. if (! Beer sales averaged seven carloads a week. Maphill presents the map of Thurber in a wide variety of map types and styles. All rights reserved. With the strike still on, the new owners fenced part of the property and began building a town, which they named Thurber for New York grocer and T&P investor H. K. Thurber. wg_jeste_like = ''; Thurber, TX; Lyra . His death notices mention these and other occasions of his generosity. Collecting what some may see as trash. The historical markers, dedicated on October 12, commemorate such topics as the community cemetery, the site of the first coal mine, the Texas and Pacific Coal Companys mining office, and the Thurber Brick Plant. Gordon Center for Industrial History of Texas, W.K. jQuery.noConflict(); This map is available in a common image format. While driving on Interstate 20 recently I was surprised to see a tall structure that resembled a lighthouse. with a Past Western Food Thurber. '//www.googletagservices.com/tag/js/gpt.js'; Its economy was initially based on coal. Catch up on the latest discoveries from the road. Thanks to automating the complex process of turning data into map graphics, we are able to create maps in higher quality, faster and cheaper than was possible before. Sunday lunch specials are a traditional. googletag.pubads().setTargeting("adm2", ["2832", "erath-county", "Erath County"]); In 1899, the more nimble and educated William Knox Gordon (18621949), a civil engineer and namesake for today's center,took over the Thurber properties. Just like any other image. Our goal is different. New York Hill is now the site Map shows Thurber, Texas railroads, mines, named hills, roads, and lakes. When he died in 1899 he was still trying to do so. A historic Thurber smokestack can be seen from Interstate 20 near Thurber. While the Wingshooting program continues to be world-class, the Whitetail Deer Hunting and Exotic Hunting programs are seeing the results of the extensive long-term investment. Ironically, steam locomotives began burning oil instead of locally-mined bituminous coal. Gordon Center, just 30 miles away, is part of the Tarleton State system. Save to My Sights Results 1 to 2 of 2. The site of the town is seventy-five miles west of Fort Worth in the northwest corner of Erath County. Halfway between Abilene and Fort Worth. Texas has a lot to offer. A marker bears this inscription: Residents of Palo Pinto County from the year 1880. Texas Railroads, Weatherford, The population was listed as eight in 2000. Required fields are marked *. Founded in the 1880s by the Texas and Pacific Coal Company, Thurber at its height was the largest town between Fort Worth and El Paso. Coal, oil, and brick were the most important factors in Thurbers growth. if (!wg_load_jinde) wg_ad_je(); Population: 48 (2010) It is affiliated with nearby Tarleton State University. Yet visiting Stephenville and Glen Rose, not far down the road, I had wondered if there was a history museum on the campus of Tarleton State University. Another of my quirky habits? Search for Reservations. The following, adapted from the Chicago Manual of Style, 15th edition, is the preferred citation for this entry. Select another style in the above table. The city lasted almost exactly 50 years. Would you like to submit an article, provide feedback, or just get in touch? By 1910, 500 Italian and more than 100 Polish coal miners -- some from the old . Check out the Think, Texas archive at statesman.com/news/austin-history. Weatherford, Copyright 2013 Maphill. Michael Q. Hooks, "Thurber: A Unique Texas Community," Panhandle-Plains Historical Review 56 (1983). Whatever you do, see the 1991 video in the "opera house." These items were household needs and were treated as such. The pool, hot tub, and steam room were completed in November 2015. It will not be shown publicly. ad_bude_kolik = ad_divy.length; 9:16 PM. wg_pamet = 'http://www.maphill.com/'; You can embed, print or download the map just like any other image. /* kvuli IE */ He worked diligently and learned the business well enough to branch out on his own in New York City. The wooden structure almost floated away in a 1908 flood but the structure and the small coffins were secured by ranch hands. He was looking to build a castle as the centerpiece for the ultimate outdoor sporting facility. Dallas Love Field (DAL / KDAL) has domestic flights from Dallas . You can copy, print or embed the map very easily. If you're planning a road trip or exploring the local area, make sure you check out some of these places to get a feel for the surrounding community. In 1897 a second industry came to the town, a large brick plant; Hunter was also a partner in this operation, which, although it was separate from the mining company's holdings, used clay found on company property. Not one, not two, but a record-breaking eight historical markers were dedicated recently in historic Thurber, a coal mining ghost town located 75 miles west of Fort Worth. Oil proved to be the best source of revenue for the company, but these activities were moved to Fort Worth. Mingus, TX 76463, 1511 Colorado St. | Austin, TX 78701 | (512) 463-6100 | thc@thc.texas.gov, We only use cookies that are necessary for this site to function to provide you with the best experience. Find out the correct way to pronounce Mexiaalong with hundreds of other places all across Texasby downloading our helpful Pronunciation Guide Wind Gusts 6 mph. By 1900, there were more than 800 men producing between 1,500 and 2,000 tons of coal a day. The best is that Maphill lets you look at each place from many different angles. Is this your business? The rough polyglot nature of the place might remind some readers of the superb Western, "McCabe and Mrs. Miller," which defied the flattening "Gunsmoke" effecton movie memories of the Old West. GordonJr., who was the son of the famed superintendent of Thurber. Following inability to meet a payroll and a resulting strike by miners, the Johnsons sold out in the fall of 1888 to founders of the Texas and Pacific Coal Company, including Robert Dickey Hunter, who became president of the new company, and H. K. Thurber of New York, for whom the town was named. Take the back roads to Thurber through Mingus and Gordon if you like small town history. Satellite map shows the land surface as it really looks like. By 1910, 500 Italian and more than 100 Polish coal miners -- some from the old countries, others from the Pennsylvania, Indiana, Illinois and Ohio coal fields -- worked there at the height of the coal boom. Zoom in to see updated info. A 100-foot-tall red brick smokestack still beckons travelers, and the Thurber Historical Association is working to restore other significant sites. Depots Its economy was initially based on coal. Harvey died in early 1888 after reportedly conveying his interest in the venture to his brother William. Eventually the strike ended, and the miners and their families moved into the new town. The coal mine company built houses for the miners and their families. Thurber paving brick is known to have been used in paving Congress Avenue in Austin, Camp Bowie and the Stockyards in Fort Worth as well as portions of the Old Bankhead Highway in North Central Texas. The area became the only totally unionized town in the world after the coal miners strike in 1903. } else { At one point, it might have been the most unionized city in America, too, since almost everyone who worked there either labored for what becametheTexas Pacific Coal and Oil Company, or other unionized trades such as carpentering, butchering, clerking or bartending. The Johnsons proposed to exploit their discovery themselves: They bought several thousand acres and contracted with the Texas & Pacific Railway Company to supply coal for its locomotives. Heavy rain throughout the Spring of 2015 filled up the redesigned lake and bass were stocked. Hotels | Mineral The Italians were said to be the best musicians in Thurber, and touring opera companies appreciated the enthusiastic Italian audiences. Workers at Thurber in the early 1900s. Across I-20 from the smokestack is a new museum dedicated to the town, the W. K. Gordon Center for Industrial History of Texas. Join our growing community of academics, professionals, and history enthusiasts of all levels and ages. While workers were on strike, the new owners set out to build a company town with residences, stores, churches, utilities, shops and stores along with two saloons. Marker is in this post office area: Mingus TX 76463, United States of America. In addition to Wingshooting, Exotics Hunting and Whitetail Deer Hunting were added to the list of hunting activities. }); mh_priprav_atlas(); There is no fence, barbed wire, or alligator pit around it. He married his wife Nancy McClaughry in 1854. }); Get your free copy of the 20202021 Texas Almanac eBook. New roads throughout the hunt field were put in. Texas' Premier Ghost Town. Isolated, rugged, and scenic, the ridge extends some 15 miles, from near the intersection of Texas State Highway 16 and Farm to Market Road 207 in the southwest, to Crawford Mountain just south of the Fortune Bend on the Brazos River in the northeast.Distance: 11.4 mi. According to voices heard in a superb 1991 documentaryshown at the imposing W.K. Look at Thurber, Erath County, Texas, United States from different perspectives. Yet the United Mine Workers persevered, and by 1903, the national union and locals representing many other trades forced talks that finally brought about labor peace. known for its independence, Thurberwas a wholly company-owned town, right down to the last nail in }); The number of maps is, however, not the only reason to visit Maphill. Few of them, however, were ever as large as this former company town a small city really once home to 10,000 people along with booming coal, brick and oil industries. Gordon Center for Industrial History of Texas, University of Texas at Arlington Libraries Special Collections, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Thurber,_Texas&oldid=1167682753, This page was last edited on 29 July 2023, at 06:56. Thurber, after whom the town was named, and company president,Col. Robert DickieHunter, were no less oppressive than the Johnsons. William Whipple Johnson had married Anna Frances Fatzinger (1847-1922) in 1881. Dining in Thurber. Johnson's mines closed in 1888 when the company could not meet its payroll obligations. Scale not given. Texas History: What makes Stephenville a 'Cowboy Capital of the World'. Coal was first discovered in Thurber, Texas, by William Whipple Johnson in the mid-1800's.
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