Oriana, AKA Orianna, Texas, Stonewall County ghost town. (original) (raw)

History in a Pecan Shell

The name was cobbled together from Ora Reese and Anna ("Annie") Patterson, daughters of Will Reese and J. D. Patterson, local landowners who donated land for the railroad right-of-way. The community was granted a post office in the Spring of 1901. Other businesses in the fledgling community were a gin and a store.

Another nearby community named Antioch saw the advantage of having a railroad connection, so they merged with Oriana, however both populations eventually moved to Peacock. (See map below.) The post office moved to Peacock in early 1918 and the town's school merged sometime around 1930. By the mid-1930s, only four people were left, however, the 1945 population of Oriana was listed as 20 - with one business hanging on.

The railroad (originally the Stamford and Northwestern and after 1952 as the Fort Worth and Denver Railway) pulled up tracks in the late 1960s. It was said the railroad had a bridge running alongside the one shown above.

The Oriana Cemetery is shown on TxDoT maps of Stonewall County - one mile west of the Salt Fork of the Brazos River.

Stonewall County 1907 postal map showing Oriana
From Texas state map #2090
Courtesy Texas General Land Office

Oriana, Texas Forum

Our thanks to Delores Miles for suggesting Oriana's inclusion.

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