Mendota, Texas, Hemphill County ghost town. (original) (raw)

History in a Pecan Shell

Founded on the banks of Red Deer Creek in 1887, the town later moved to be on the route of the Panhandle and Santa Fe Railroad. The town was platted by the St. Louis Land Company and the company's chief promoter was from Mendota, Illinois (which is why it may sound familiar).

The plan was to lure farmers from fertile Missouri to the greener pastures of the Texas Panhandle. Some people made the journey and brought their families. One hundred residents were served by all the essentials, including a post office, school, church, and store. A lumberyard provided material for increased growth.

But the proximity of Canadian, the county seat, cast an economic shadow over growth. Mendota did become a center for grain and cattle, but not much more. The sandy soil was frequently washed away by floods, isolating the town and the farmers got discouraged and moved on. The post office held on until 1944 but the writing was on the wall and by the end of the 1940s, only the school was left.

Directions:
Inquire in Canadian the county seat

Hemphill County 1940s map showing Mendota,
Red Deer Creek & Panhandle and Santa Fe Railroad
From Texas state map #4335
Courtesy Texas General Land Office

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