Talpa Texas. (original) (raw)
Talpa before it was a ghost town
Early 1900s photo courtesy texasoldphotos.com
History in a Pecan Shell
In the same abbreviated way cotton engine became cotton 'gin, a large catalpa tree became Talpa.
There may be 127 people living near Talpa, but from all appearances it's a ghost town.
Being on the road between Ballinger and Coleman, it developed as a farm market and the railroad used it as a switching point. We'd like to say more. It looks like they might have had an interesting history.
See Talpa Forum › Talpa Stories
Talpa Photo Gallery:
Talpa, TX 76882
"Talpa Yankees and their baseball field was located where the Talpa Post Office is now."
Photo courtesy Jim and Lou Kinsey
Talpa Depot in 1900. Back of picture says: Mr. W.J. Sayre was station master.
Photo courtesy Pamela Ellis
More Texas Depots
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Talpa State Bank Photo courtesy Donna Chevalier, June 2007 |
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H.E. Evans in the Talpa State Bank. Photo courtesy Pamela Ellis |
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Talpa State Bank cornerstone Photo courtesy Pamela Ellis |
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A collection of bank artifacts from Talpa State Bank Photo courtesy Pamela Ellis More Texas Banks |
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Downtown Talpa
Photo courtesy Donna Chevalier, June 2007
Talpa Texas Forum
- Subject: Talpa ISD
I found your web site while searching for info on the Talpa, TX ISD. My grandfather was Wiley G Clarkson, a very well known architect in Fort Worth from 1912 to 1952. He designed schools for many ISD�s during those years. In a job storage index, he lists a set of plans for �Talpa Independent School, Talpa, Texas Box 1 #185�. There are no dates but I believe this school building would have been designed between the years of 1912 and 1925. I am trying to obtain information on the school building he designed to include on a web site about my grandfather�s architectural projects. I am especially interested in obtaining a photo of the Talpa School building and finding out if the remains of the building are still visible. Any help in obtaining this information would be greatly appreciated. My web site on my grandfather is http://www.clarksons.org. - Wiley Clarkson, Wiley@Clarksons.org, March 16, 2013 - Subject: Talpa Yankees
I was raised in Coleman and in the 1960's, Talpa had a little league baseball team that was part of the Coleman County Little League Association. They were called the Talpa Yankees and their baseball field was located where the Talpa Post Office is now. We had some really good, close games with the Talpa Yankees. I always hated to see the baseball field go. It held a lot of memories for quite a few boys in Coleman County that played little league baseball in the 1960's. - Rick White, Boerne, TX, May 11, 2012 - Subject: Talpa, Texas
Dear TE, I was born in a hospital in Ballinger, but my parents lived on a ranch about 5 miles southwest of Talpa. I lived in Talpa in the mid to late 70s and my son attended Talpa-Centennial schools until junior high when we moved. I never had to worry about drugs or theft and everyone knew everyone. I moved back from San Angelo to Talpa in 2003 to care for my ailing parents and am presently ranching and raising my oldest grandson. He will attend Panther Creek schools this fall and frankly I feel he'll get more attention and thus be exposed to a better education than in a larger school system.
Yes, Talpa is small, and it is still shrinking, but there are new families moving in every year. Immanuel Baptist Church is still having services after all these years, and someone is planning to open a feed store soon. I never looked back when I moved in 2003 and am proud to be from this small community. By the way, I am a fourth generation rancher/farmer with one of my places acquired by my great-grandfather around 1879. I am right where I am supposed to be and where I want to be. - Carol Brookshier-Jones, Talpa, Texas, August 23, 2007 - Subject: Talpa, Texas
Dear TE, I spent the first nineteen years of my life in Talpa. My great grandfather, James Miller Brown, came to Coleman Co. around the turn of the 20th Century. My mother was born in Talpa. My dad A. N. Hudgins ran the Sinclair station that is shown in the above picture and when hwy 67 was straightened out he moved to the highway. This place later became the Talpa Post Office.
My wife's dad O. S. Sikes ran the grocery store (also pictured) for many years. He came to Talpa from Fisk, Texas and went to work for Ralph Edens in the Red and White grocery store on the east side of the main street.
In my opinion growing up in Talpa in the 1950's was the best of times. We were not saturated with the Korean War and congress was not having hearings on everything that came along. The president was respected whether he was a Democrat or Republican. I grew up around many colorful people listening to their wonderful stories. I regret that time and space doesn't allow me to tell them. - Roger Hudgins, Forsan, Texas, July 15, 2007 - Subject: Talpa's Heyday
Dear TE, I am presently in the process of transcribing hundreds of letters written by my grandfather who was an officer at the First National Bank of Talpa in 1909. These letters were written to my grandmother who lived in Georgetown before they were married in June of that year. He describes life in this "growing" town and the promise it held for young people. He was 24 years old and 2 years out of Southwestern University. There certainly was life once upon a time in Talpa, and one that many thought would become a booming town in the 20th century. - Tom Walsh, October 19, 2006 - Subject: Talpa, Texas
I was raised in Talpa. My parents moved there in 1955. I attended school there until graduation in 1968. When my family first moved there, there were 3 gasoline stations, a variety store, two grocery stores, a caf�, a drug store, a dry cleaners, the school, and approximately 236 people. Through the years, people either moved away or died and gradually the population went down. I came back in 1975 and taught school for five years. Eventually, the school, even though it was part of a consolidated system, closed. The kids now go to Panther Creek ISD. My mother still lives in Talpa in the same house that my parents purchased in 1960. - Phil Decker, May 19, 2006
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