Eldorado, Texas, Schleicher County seat. (original) (raw)

Welcome to Eldorado
Top of The Divide Elev. 2439
Photo courtesy Barclay Gibson, February 2010

History in a Pecan Shell

The town dates to 1895 when W. B. Silliman and two partners surveyed former railroad land and named the future town Eldorado after the mythical city. To get residents, Silliman offered free town lots to residents of nearby Verand. Enough people took advantage of the offer that the post office moved there (still in 1895) and the next year the town had a population of 100. Eldorado was made county seat when Schleicher County was organized in 1901.

Schleicher County held land rushes between 1901 and 1905, and Eldorado benefited from the new county residents. A proposed railroad link to San Angelo never materialized but Eldorado thrived nonetheless. By 1914 the population was 500 with all essential businesses and even a newspaper.

A vote to incorporate in 1925 was revoked in 1927 when increased taxes and a city ordnance to keep livestock penned was met with scorn. A second petition resulted in re-incorporation in March of 1929. A railroad link between Sonora and to San Angelo became a reality in 1930 (The Kansas City, Mexico and Orient) passing through (and stopping at) Eldorado.

During WWII West Texas Woolen Mills was established - making untold thousands of blankets for the military. The building and looms still stand.

The population reached a high of 2,790 in the mid-1960s, but declined to only 1,400 ten years later. The railroad pulled up tracks in 1976.

Old Eldorado Woolen Mill
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark
Photo courtesy Barclay Gibson, February 2010

West Texas Woolen Mills Historical Marker
Photo courtesy Barclay Gibson, February 2010

First Baptist Church of Eldorado
Photo courtesy Barclay Gibson, February 2010

West Texas Feed and Mercantile
Photo courtesy Barclay Gibson, February 2010

Texas Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history, stories, landmarks and recent or vintage photos, please contact us.