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Shafter

Shafter, Texas: The Historic Silver Mining Town That Once Held 4,000 People

Shafter’s origins trace back to 1880–81, when rancher John W. Spencer discovered silver ore in the hills along Cibolo Creek. Unsure of its value, Spencer took a sample to Colonel William R. Shafter at Fort Davis, who had it assayed and confirmed the richness of the find. This discovery quickly drew investors and prospectors to the region. By 1883, the Read more…
Senterfitt

Senterfitt, Texas: A Stagecoach Stop Turned Ghost Town in Lampasas County

Senterfitt was established in the 1860s by Reuben S. Senterfitt, a cattleman who settled in Lampasas County during the post–Civil War ranching boom. He became one of the region’s most prominent citizens and donated land for a townsite, a school, and a cemetery. The community took its name from him. In 1873, residents organized a school through public subscription, and Read more…
Savage, Fannin County

Savage, Texas: Exploring the Fannin County Community That Time Bypassed

The community of Savage was founded in 1869 when William Hamilton “Uncle Billy” Savage and his wife Elizabeth settled in the area. Savage, a Tennessee native, had moved to Texas after the Civil War. Recognizing the poor road access and the challenges faced by neighboring farming families, the couple opened a small store to provide basic goods and supplies. This Read more…
Savage (Crosby County)

Savage, Texas: The Ghost Town Where a Cotton Gin Still Stands

Savage is a former rural community in Crosby County, Texas. It lies along Farm Road 40 about twenty-five miles east of Lubbock. Though little remains today beyond an abandoned cotton gin and scattered residences, the site is still identified on U.S. Geological Survey maps as a “populated place.” Early History and Settlement The area that became Savage was settled during Read more…
Sarahville de Viesca

Sarahville de Viesca: The Lost Texas Colony at the Falls of the Brazos

Sarahville de Viesca was founded in 1834 by Sterling C. Robertson, empresario of Robertson’s Colony. The settlement was established on the west bank of the Brazos River at the falls, about four miles southwest of present-day Marlin, Falls County, Texas. Robertson named the town for his mother, Sarah (Maclin) Robertson, and for Agustín Viesca, then governor of Coahuila y Tejas. Read more…
Santo Tomás

Santo Tomás, Texas: The Forgotten Coal Town Near Laredo

The land that became Santo Tomás was first established as a Spanish colonial land grant in 1801, given to Antonio Gonzales for ranching. The settlement was named in honor of Saint Thomas. For many years, it functioned only as a small ranching community, typical of the region along the Rio Grande. Families raised livestock, and the area remained quiet until Read more…
Santa Rita

Santa Rita, Texas: The Lost First County Seat of Cameron County

Santa Rita was one of the earliest Anglo-American settlements in the Lower Rio Grande Valley. It began in the late 18th century as a small ranching community established on the south side of the Rio Grande. When the river shifted course around 1830, Santa Rita ended up on the north bank, within what would later become Texas. Its location made Read more…
Sandy Hills

Sandy Hills, Texas: The Ghost Town Where Only a Schoolhouse Remains

Sandy Hills is a ghost town in western Wilson County, Texas. It lies about five miles west of La Vernia at the junction of County Roads 321 and 361. Today, the site is marked by a single surviving structure: a small brick schoolhouse that recalls the settlement’s earlier life as a rural crossroads community. Early Settlement and Community Life Sandy Read more…
Sanco

Sanco, Texas: The Ghost Town Named After a Comanche Chief

Sanco is a small, nearly abandoned community in northern Coke County, Texas. It traces its beginnings to the early 1880s, when ranching families established homesteads along Yellow Wolf Creek in what was then Tom Green County. The settlement was named in honor of Comanche Chief Sanaco, who, together with Chief Yellow Wolf, was known to camp in the area. A Read more…
San Vicente

San Vicente: Tracing the Ruins of a Spanish Presidio in Big Bend

Official Website
San Vicente was a Spanish frontier settlement on the Rio Grande, within what is now Big Bend National Park in Brewster County, Texas. It originated as a presidio and later developed into a small village before eventually becoming a ghost town. Today, only traces remain, including cemeteries and scattered ruins. Establishment as a Presidio The Presidio de San Vicente was Read more…