Chispa, West Texas, Jeff Davis ghost town. (original) (raw)

History in a Pecan Shell

Spanish for "spark," Chispa was born with the arrival of the railroad in 1882. The town had a post office from 1896 to 1900.

A railroad spur from the main line at Chispa connected to a coal mine near the Rio Grande.

According to The Handbook of Texas, a railroad section house, two houses, and an abandoned railroad tunnel remained at the site in 1949. By the 1970s Chispa was a stop on the railroad and nothing more.

Jeff Davis County 1920s Map showing Chispa & Chispa Mountain
Courtesy Texas General Land Office

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