Glenrio, Texas, Route 66 ghost town. (original) (raw)
Glenrio Gas Station
Photo courtesy Noel Kerns, January 2008
Glenrio
Deaf Smith County, Texas
Quay County, New Mexico
Glenrio Historic District - National Register of Historic Places (2007)
History in a Pecan Shell
Glenrio started as a farming community around 1905 and prospered into the 1920s with multiple stores, cafes, and lodging establishments. There was even enough support for a newspaper until it closed in 1934.
The town had a Texas welcome station at one point and some scenes for the movie Grapes of Wrath were filmed at Glenrio.
Being on a state line can have its advantages - or not. The town once had a post office on the New Mexico side of the line, with mail arriving at the depot on the Texas side. The town was further divided by liquor laws, since New Mexico was "wet" while Deaf Smith County was "dry."
In 1945 the town had a population of only 30 people and businesses were tourist-based.
The town didn't survive being bypassed by Interstate 40, when it replaced Route 66 and the main businesses either moved well into New Mexico or into Oldham County.
The final blow came with the closing of the Rock Island depot in 1955.
Today the former community is visited by tourists following historic Route 66.
Glenrio Gas Station interior at Night
Photo courtesy Noel Kerns, January 2008
Glenrio Diner today
Photo courtesy Seth McCandless, 2011
Route 66 State Line Cafe, Gas Station, Texas Longhorn Motel
Photo courtesy Jimmy Dobson, August 2017
Photographer's Note On Glenrio
"Route 66 [here in Glenrio] was divided by a concrete curb about three feet wide with 2 each east and west lanes. The road is fairly smooth with a good base and small rock cover, but I don't think anyone would call it paved. However, it does change to just a dusty gravel road at the west end. There are maybe two houses where people live on 66 and one large house and building in good repair a couple of hundred yards south of 66. There is a blue US Postal box and a government delivery box containing 16 mail boxes. Scratched on one cinderblock building is "Glenrio, NM". As we left and approached the bridge crossing I-40, we could see the welcome to Texas sign, indicating that maybe all of current Glenrio is now actually in New Mexico." - Ken Rudine July 31, 2005
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A former diner Photo by Ken Rudine, July 2005 |
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The diner's faded sign Photo by Ken Rudine, July 2005 |
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Former gas station Photo by Ken Rudine, July 2005 |
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An old filling station Photo by Ken Rudine, July 2005 |
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Old Route 66 heading towards New Mexico Photo by Ken Rudine, July 2005 |
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Local signage Photo by Ken Rudine, July 2005 |
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Where the blacktop meets the gravel. Photo by Ken Rudine, July 2005 |
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Glenrio Texas Forum
Subject: Glenrio Texas
I recently made a road trip to Glenrio to photograph some of the remains of this old border town. Some of these remains such as the old diner now have "Private Property" signs on them, so pictures must be taken from a short distance. The only remains of the Rock Island Railroad is the piles of cross ties laying around on the south side of the town. the original post office still stands, for now. There are two old hotels still standing. One is a great photo opportunity, the other is what appears to be a local's home now. The population would still be quite accurate at 5. I showed to be 37 miles west of Vega Texas along I-40. Take exit 0, Glenrio sits on the south side of the Interstate. Great photo opportunity for anyone passing through or someone with a little time on their hands. - Randy Johnson, April 21, 2005
Glenrio Texas Longhorn Cafe - Then and Now ›
Deaf Smith County 1920s map showing Glenrio
on Texas/New Mexico State line (near Oldham County)
(From Texas state map #10749)
Courtesy Texas General Land Office
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