Conlen, Texas. (original) (raw)

History in a Pecan Shell

The town was founded in 1903 with the arrival of the Chicago, Rock Island and Gulf Railroad. The namesake is the railroad supervisor (Captain J.H. Conlen) who oversaw construction of the Rock Island Line from Kansas to New Mexico across three Texas counties (Sherman, Dallam, and Hartley).

The community managed to weather the dust storms of the Great Depression and the local economy made something of a comeback when irrigation was introduced.

The 1940 prewar population of 150 declined to less than half of that figure by 1948. By 1990 there were 61 people left which increased to the (2000) figure of 69 residents. The town is shown on the official state map with an estimated population of 18 people.

Dallam County 1907 postal map showing Conlen
From Texas state map #2090
Courtesy Texas General Land Office

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