Tinaja, Texas, Presidio County ghost town. (original) (raw)

History on a Pinhead

The name is said to be Spanish for a ceramic jar meant to hold water. The town, such as it was, hardly developed beyond the railroad station that was originally built by the Kansas City, Mexico and Orient Railroad when its line was extended from Paisano about 1930.

After the KCM&O became the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe, Tinaja remained as a station.

"This pool was made by a natural spring."
Vintage photo courtesy Lola and Jean Hall

Tinaja of the 1940s

From Life on a West Texas Paint Train in the 1940s
by the Hall Sisters

Tinaja, Texas had a railroad water tank, many shade trees and very special, natural spring-fed swimming pool. The bottom of the pool was a rock bottom. It even had a diving board. Our good Daddy had made it long ago for his daughters. It had quite a few trees in it, so our Daddy cleaned it out some and we got to enjoy it. What a wonderful treat! The Santa Fe Railroad built a water tower there for the train engine to water up to make the trip on down to Presidio.

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