Odds, Texas, Limestone County ghost town. (original) (raw)

	"Buffallo Mop" 2002 photo courtesy of Bonnie Keeley

History in a Pecan Shell

Odds had originally been called Buffalo Mott but was later renamed to avoid confusion with other Texas towns with the word Buffalo in the name. Odds, Kentucky is said to have been the source of the new name. We called Kentucky to see what we could find out there, but there's no listing for Odds. Perhaps the namesake has also become a ghost. (See Forum below.)

The area had been settled by a man named David Baron in 1854 and growth was rather slow. A store and post office were in operation in 1890 and by 1906 the post office was discontinued. Mail was later routed from Thornton, Texas.

By 1946 Odds had sixty citizens, one business, a school, and two churches. At one time Baptist and Methodist congregations shared a union church - the preachers saving souls on alternate Sundays.

Odds school had been in the Little Brazos School District before it was consolidated into the Groesbeck ISD in 1965. School consolidations nearly always drained the lifeblood of communities and the population in 1967 was reduced to only 20. With no school or businesses, Odds was a ghost by 1990.

	"What is left of the cotton gin my dad used many times in Odds." 2003 photo courtesy of George Lester

	The steps and some foundation piers where a store once stood 2003 photo courtesy of George Lester

	Ruins in Odds 2002 photo courtesy of Bonnie Keeley

Odds, Texas Forum

• Subject: Odds, Texas and Odds, Kentucky.
  My name is Danny K. Blevins. I am an educator and author in Johnson County, Kentucky. I have looked at your site many times and I found it very interesting to find a Texas Ghost Town by the name of Odds, Texas. According to your site, it was named for Odds, Kentucky. You stated that you were unable to find anything about Odds, Kentucky and that maybe it too had become a ghost town.
  Well, Odds, Kentucky is located in southeastern Johnson County, Kentucky. The U.S. Post Office of Odds was closed in the 1920's. Today, it is served by the Van Lear, Kentucky Post Office. Most of the Odds, Kentucky area was settled by the Richard Wells Family. My mother happens to be a member of this family and I have always been told that members of our family left Odds and relocated in Texas. It maybe that one of my family members may have brought the name from Kentucky? I would be interested in knowing if there were ever any families with the surname Wells that lived in Odds, Texas. - Danny K. Blevins, President Emeritus, Van Lear Historical Society, Inc., February 25, 2011
• Subject: Odds Store
  My father Earl Hancock operated the Odds store from 1934-1943 and during that time there were two other stores. As a child I can remember wagon loads of cotton waiting to be ginned. There was a lot of activity around the gin in those days. The Great Depression brought hard times to the area. Also, I remember that a young man with his wife and young child came to our store one day after walking from Thornton, TX. He had been hurt while taking his family off a train in that town. They were very hungry and needed help. The young man asked my Dad if there was any work he could do to pay for a meal for his family. My Dad said "Go pick up that broom over there by the wall." The young man did as he was told. My dad then said, "Now put the broom down." The family was well fed and were bedded down in the cotton seed warehouse across the road from our store. While leaving the next morning the young man got my Dad's mailing address. Ten years later my Dad received a check from California with a note thanking him for the help. Thanks, Earl Hancock Jr., Woodway, Texas, March 13, 2008
• "[While attending a] family reunion in Marlin Sunday, [we] drove through Odds coming to and leaving Marlin. The first time I missed the location because I couldn't find the familiar landmark of the old cotton gin. When we came by the second time I slowed down and saw what had happened. The old gin building had evidently collapsed from old age and was lying flat on the ground. The sight almost brought tears to our eyes. Now there will be nothing to mark the spot where the town once was." - George Lester, Elkhart, Texas, July 17, 2005
• Well I just came back home to Montana from visiting my family in Austin. We took a trip up to see where Odds was at. This is what we found.
  From Kosse on Hwy7 & FM 339 go North West to FM 147, turn toward Marlin to FM 339, this road goes NorthWest again. At the corner of FM 339 and FM 147 is Odds.
  Ruins consist of a brick fireplace chimney, tin barn, concrete square and a large foundation with steps of concrete. There is a large red barn at the junction of 147 and 339 that says BUFFALO MOP.
  I really enjoyed the trip and seeing the places. Also visiting the cemeteries around where my family was buried. I am working on my family genealogy and came home with lots of info. I love TEXAS and really miss it. - Bonnie Keeley, Montana, June 30, 2002
  Odds, Texas was suggested by Bonnie Keeley of Montana, whose mother Thelma Beatrice (Tabor) Carlisle once lived in Odds.

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