Most People Don't Know The Story Behind The Oklahoma Ghost Town That Never Died
By Ashley|Published November 08, 2017
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Ashley
Author
Ashley has lived in Oklahoma for 30 years and is the Oklahoma staff writer for onlyinyourstate.com. When she isn't writing about Oklahoma, she enjoys visiting the beach and exploring new areas.
Oklahoma is home to some pretty cool ghost towns and Travel + Leisure couldn’t agree more. Texola was featured in their list of “America’s Coolest Ghost Towns” and since most people don’t know the story behind this place, I decided to feature it. Take a look at the Oklahoma ghost town that never died:
The town of Texola began in the early 1900s and and was claimed by Oklahoma and Texas, giving it multiple names like Texokla and Texoma. After statehood in 1907, Beckham County claimed it and the town began to prosper for many years.
The arrival of Route 66 had a positive impact on the local economy and the population peaked in 1930 with 581 residents. By 1980 there were only 100 residents left and in 2000 that number had dwindled down to 36.
This ghost town has many cool abandoned structures left in town like Magnolia Service Station - a historic service station built in the 1930s that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
It's now the oldest building on Route 66 operating as a restaurant. They are open 7 days a week, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The buildings that remain are abandoned memories that once housed bars and local beer joints. It's been rumored that residents in dry counties in Texas would come across the border and get wild and crazy in Texola.
After visiting the Tumbleweed, head to the west end of town and check out the 1910 Territorial Jail. This one-cell jail still contains articles about notorious outlaws like Belle Star, Billy the Kid, Jesse James and Black Bart.
And if you're up for exploring the rest of this small ghost town, you'll encounter more abandoned homes and buildings. Bring your camera along because this place is one of the coolest ghost towns in America.
