Eolian, Texas, Stephens County ghost town. (original) (raw)

Abandoned stone building ruins
Photo courtesy Dustin Martin, March 2017

History on a Pecan Shell

First settled by area cattlemen in the 1860s and 1870s, the town was granted a post office in 1880. According to the Handbook of Texas Online, the post office was "named by the post office department." This was not an unusual occurrence - seeing that postal officials often disregarded or rejected applications when they conflicted with similarly spelled towns. What is unusual is the simple statement that it was named by Washington.

The town seemed to reach it's high-water mark with 50 residents in 1910. By 1920 a decline was already taking place and there were only 18 Eolians left. The post office (whoever named it) was closed by the end of the Great Depression, but Eolians had a store to buy groceries, a school to teach their children and a church. Eolian made a comeback in the 1960s when they matched their 1910 population, but by 1980 it was down to nine - the figure still in use for 2000.

Eolian Community Church with bell
Photo courtesy Dustin Martin, March 2017

A Visit to Eolian,Texas

Photographer's Note
Remote towns, just dots on the map, such as Gunsight and Eolian often yield the most interesting subjects. - Barclay Gibson

Deserted house with cistern
Photo courtesy Barclay Gibson, February 2007

Abandoned Eolian stone building ten years later
Photo courtesy Dustin Martin, March 2017

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