This Fascinating Texas Town Has Been Mostly Abandoned And Reclaimed By Nature For Decades Now
By Katie Lawrence|Published May 03, 2023
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Katie Lawrence
Author
Katie Lawrence is a Southeast Texas native who graduated 18th in her high school class with a GPA of 4.25. She attended college in the Houston area and began writing for OnlyInYourState in 2015.
Today, Katie writes, edits, and performs several other tasks for OnlyInYourState and has never been more passionate about a job before. Outside of work, you can likely find her curled up on with a hot cup of coffee, practicing yoga, baking, or exploring the beautiful Lone Star State (in particular, the vast and mystical West Texas desert).
There are lots of abandoned places in Texas that nature is reclaiming – but have you ever seen an entire town slowly succumbing to the elements? I know I haven’t. Langtry, Texas is one such place, and driving through it is just about the eeriest thing you’ll ever do. Although not totally abandoned (there is still a Visitor Center), the town is filled with empty streets and dilapidated buildings surrounded by overgrown landscaping. If only those walls could talk…
Located in Val Verde County near the Rio Grande and Mexican border, Langtry was established in 1882 by the Southern Pacific Railroad as a grading camp.
Not long after the railroad was completed, a judge by the name of Roy Bean built a saloon that served as the headquarters for his justice of the peace and notary services. Bean referred to himself as the "Law West of the Pecos."
Langtry was authorized a post office in 1884, and by the following decade, the town boasted a general store, railroad depot, and another saloon. In the early 1900s, however, the population began to dwindle after the highway was moved further north.
The town really began to decline in the 1920s, when the railroad moved its facilities elsewhere. Jobs and revenue were lost, businesses began to shut down, and by the time it was all said and done, only about 50 people called Langtry home.
Visitors to Langtry are shocked by the state of disrepair the town has fallen into. Buildings have been left to decay in the elements, slowly returning to the earth from which their materials were forged.
Grocery stores, homes of notable townspeople, restaurants...you can't drive more than a few feet without encountering a dilapidated structure that's a mere shell of its former self.
The only semblance of life remaining in Langtry can be found at the Judge Roy Bean Visitor Center. This museum - which includes The Jersey Lilly saloon shown in previous photographs - offers fascinating insight into the history of the town and Judge Roy Bean's impact on it.
Judge Roy Bean Museum and Langtry Travel Information Center, 526 State Loop 25, Langtry, TX 78871, USA
For more information about the Judge Roy Bean Visitor Center, such as current hours of operation, visit the official Facebook page.
Have you ever driven through Langtry? Are there any other abandoned places in Texas that are slowly returning to nature? Tell us in the comments! Don’t forget to check out our previous article to learn about a bridge in nearby Comstock that was the tallest bridge in the U.S. before it was dismantled.
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