Ghost tramping in Texas!

Yee Haw...Ghost Up!

ely, a native Texan and Dona, an Italian transplant

On a recent drive through Texas we came upon an abandoned town in the middle of nowhere, on the distant outskirts of Odessa, Texas.  We had no idea about this place and decided to stop and take a look.

The name of the town is Toyah...Toyah Texas (said with my southern drawl).  Toyah means "flowing water" in the local Native American language and has numerous artisan springs in the area.

Toyah is Reeves County's oldest townsite and began as a trading post and gathering spot for employees from the surrounding ranches.  The arrival of the railroad in 1881 created a growth spurt for Toyah.  It became a changing point for T & P railroad crews and hosted a busy station for shipping cattle.  Soon a post office went up and the town grew.

Sulfur Well and Natural Gas Construction

By the mid 1880s the town had a hotel, saloons and restaurants.  In 1894 the town opened its first school. By 1910 the town had a population of 771 and was an important railroad stopping place and shipping point for cattle.  By 1914 the population was over 1,000.  However, the winds of change that often blow through this part of Texas, quickly changed and a new shipping point was created named Toyahvale, which was a huge insult to the town of Toyah, as the new town also took their name and used it in their own creation. After the crash in 1929 the population was cut in half.  Believe it or not struggling Toyah had a women's baseball team in 1930.

Photo from texasescapes.com courtesy of Jesse L. Moore Jr. 

The town continued to struggle, but managed to maintain a couple of churches, the school, stores and 2 hotels.  By the 1940s and 50's the town was down to 400 and the school closed.  In 1947 a fatal train wreck outside of town created a stir.  The crew pictured in this photo lost their lives.

Photo from internet



In 2004, a flash flood and tornado swept through the town and destroyed many of its old, majestic buildings such as the bank building pictured below.

Photo from internet by Jesse L. Moore Jr. 1991

Photo from internet by Jason Penny 2004.

Today, people still live in this semi-ghost town.  

That is why we did not stop and walk around, as we did not want to upset the locals.  There are newer houses scattered in with the ruins.  It is a strange and eerie place no doubt.

The school building closed in the 50's

Cool History Alert!

The year, 1928.  The place, Toyah, Texas.  A plane lost and in need of gas has to make an emergency landing on Hobbs Street in Toyah!  Stepping out of the plane was Ms. Amelia Earhart!!!

She was on a cross country trip across the United States and lost her map in the open cockpit of her plane. She flew blindly aiming for Pecos, Texas.  She landed and spent the night in Toyah.  Refueled her plane the next day (with bad gas) and after engine trouble in the sky, forcing an emergency landing in the bush west of Pecos, Earhart made it unscathed.    

Photo from Internet

Toyah, Texas...population 90 something? A small, struggling, rural township, a town of ghosts and survivors, a town still standing against the harsh west Texas winds.  A very cool find on our Texas road trip turned ghost tramp.

We give Toyah, Texas a ghost rating!