Gasoline, Texas, Briscoe County ghost town. (original) (raw)
A Very Brief History
A group of settlers got together and sunk a well in the area about 1903. Today only a few houses dot the landscape where Gasoline once was. Even the cemetery (Rest Haven) is two miles north. The unusual name dates from 1907, the date when they got the first post office. How they decided on this unusual name is lost to history, but the Handbook of Texas suggests that the town's cotton gin ran on gasoline and gasoline was still regarded "as a novelty" in the Panhandle.
A Full Day in Gasoline
No population reports were given, however, school expansions indicate that Gasoline was once thriving. Residents could have their horses shod at the blacksmith while they got a haircut or visited with friends at the caf�. They could then pick up some liver pills at the drugstore and if they had time, they could watch gasoline being poured into the engine at the 'gin'. Even with the town being named gasoline, they were sensible enough to use kerosene for their lighting. They got electricity just in time for the Great Depression (1929) and the Handbook tells us that the town only had one telephone for years.
Perhaps "Fireproof, Texas" should have been considered.
The town's gin burned in 1938 and shortly thereafter, the population dwindled to 20 persons. After WWII, the few remaining schoolchildren started attending classes in Quitaqueand the post office closed in 1948.
Gasoline, Texas School Photos
"My grandfather was school principal and grandmother a teacher at the Gasoline Texas school for a few years. These are pictures of some of their students. I do not have names, but you never know, maybe someone will recognize a family member." - Nick C., June 12, 2014
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Gasoline School Photo Courtesy Nick C. |
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Gasoline School Team Courtesy Nick C. |
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Class of 1932 Photo courtesy Nick C. |
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GASOLINE, TEXAS
by d.knape
When times were hard
and tempers mean,
a few folks lived
in Gasoline
but the gin burned down
and times got lean,
and they run out of gas
in Gasoline
Now there ain't no town
it cain't be seen,
there's nothin' left
of Gasoline
and panhandle people
betwixt, between
have seen the last
of Gasoline!
©
Gasoline, Texas Forum
- Subject: Gasoline, Texas
My Dad, Samuel Willis White Jr., was born in Gasoline, Texas on Nov. 26, 1920. If anyone out there has stories or photos of Gasoline Texas, please send them in. - Regards, Gary L. White, Euless, Texas, September 09, 2006 - Subject: Grandmother
I was just sitting at the kitchen table a few minuets ago when I thought of the name Gasoline, Texas, only reason was I suppose is the fact my Grandmother Molly Coker lived there or that was her address back in 1910 ( along with her youngest boy, Roy Coker, my uncle.) I remember Dad talking about Gasoline, TX. Don't remember much except that he did and do know by census Record's my Grandmother and uncle Roy lived there for a time back in that time in history. Was beginning to think google wasn't going to bring up anything for me about Gasoline, Texas, but glad they finally did.
Was good reading about the little place back then, though I am an old gent 73 years old, it brought a tear to my eyes, Thanks. - William J. Coker, Booneville, Arkansas, May 03, 2006 - Perhaps you can help me...we are having a reunion of our Brummett family in October...all of the children in my father-in-law's family were born in Gasoline...except for one...I would like to get a picture of Gasoline back in the late 1930's and 1940's to frame and put in our family reunion auction...Can you help me in any way with pictures of Gasoline?... Thank you - Jan Brummett, September 06, 2004
Briscoe County 1920s Map showing Gasoline
From Texas state map #10749
Courtesy Texas General Land Office
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