ABANDONED IN SKELLYTOWN, TEXAS

ABANDONED IN SKELLYTOWN, TEXAS
NEARLY A GHOST TOWN.

[beverlyross]

Horners owned the grocery store. Dick Shipley had the gas station with a myna bird that whistled at the girls. Eva Norris ran the drug store next to Horners. Mrs. Gasoway ran the hardware store down by Mr Vahns gas station.There was anither drug store next to her that Fredda Brown ran. Mrs Putman ran the Skelly Cafe. Mrs Coleman was the librarian. I can't remember who ran the store next to Norris's cafe. We bought fabric there and misc. Items. Mrs Cornwell ran the post office for years then Teresa Hines. So many memories. Thanks for sharing.

[dennistollison]

I also grew up here in Skellytown. It is the town that made me, for better or for worse. LOL. I still have relatives here. What a shame the school shut down. That was the final blow. There used to be a large carbon black plant and a Cabot branded plant as well. Lots of jobs that left over the last 50 years. Now the oil jobs are run from computers 100s of miles away. I have fond memories of all the places that are now abandoned. What a great, safe place to grow up. I was orphaned at 8 and the whole town pitched in to raise us. I owe many thanks to Skellytown people and First Baptist Church! Thanks for the high quality video.

[connie]

Really enjoy these visits to small towns in Panhandle. My father was salesman for Swift & Co. in Lubbock....remember him talking about Muleshoe, Pampa, etc. when he would call on customers all around to first grade at Wheelock Elementary in Lubbock...then he transferred to Dallas. I remember him driving (while I was in back seat) in our '50 Chevrolet enjoying the endless wide open spaces and sunsets as we approached Lubbock from the would drive all way down to Port Arthur to visit my grandmothers. thanks for letting me tag along ....

[janesobkoviak]

I loved Skellytown! My mother, Billy Joyce Adams, grew up there and went to school. My grandmother, Tempest Adams, was the postmaster there from about 1945 until about 1970. My granddad, Bill Adams, was a machinist for Skelly Oil. My grandparents and then my mother owned the building that housed the post office and my mother finally donated it to the city in the 80's, if I can remember correctly. Iona Cornwell took over the post office duties after my grandmother retired. She and my grandmother were really close friends. Those were the days. I remember going into Horner's grocery store, eating at the cafe, and knowing a lot of people there.

[dianewilson]

I would have loved to seen these towns in their heyday. It would have been interesting to be able to compare old pictures to what is currently there and it's present condition!

[waynebender]

The most impressive building in the town is the school building. That tells you how important going to school was. When you see most of the are just plain rectangle buildings.
The Cadillac looks like from the 1980's.
The old car for the late 1940's to the mid 1950's .

[TOTALLYRELAXED]

So sad to see once thriving towns like this now dead and only the history remaining. Thanks for sharing. ~Jim~

[bevolson]

So many little towns look identical to this.. 😪😪

[asusroamer]

Thank you for the video. It is sad to see the town as it is today. It was much different during the oil boom. At one time the town had two movie theaters, two drug stores, and THREE gasoline stations. It is interesting to note that the filling station that has the skeleton of Skelly Oil, was originally a Gulf station. The next station to the north was the Skelly station. Between those two stations was a mechanic shop where everything from lawn mowers to airplanes were repaired. From that original Gulf station, the next business to the south was a movie theater, and hardware store. Continuing to the south there was a Southwestern Public Service office, a feed store, and a beauty salon. Crossing the side street to the south was Frank and Ruby's Cafe (Skelly Cafe). Then the first of two drug stores, separated by a dry goods store. A barber shop, then the grocery store (owned by the Horner brothers) followed by the only apartment dwelling on main street. The big building farther south was the FVW lodge/Lions Club, another movie theater, and the third gasoline station. I do not remember the product. Of course the original post office remains on the east side of main street, but has been replaced by a new one farther north. The original city library was in a small building where the house north of the old post office is now. I don't believe it is the same structure. We had daily train service to the depot that was almost across the main street from the (then) Gulf station. Memories are grand.

[cptpwp]

My aunt and uncle Howard and Lee Coday lived there many years, Howard worked at Carbon Black. Bryan Lynn Coday was raised there, went to White Deer high graduate 1960, we’re 81 now, but haven’t corresponded for a few years. I think Howard died 1995 and Aunt Lee 2013, 95 YEARS OLD; RIP.
I remember being there Halloween 1955, closed off the streets. Headed for a lick for gas. Bryan and I worked for Uncle Ken Thompson in Grand Junction, summer of 1959. Fond memories working his 10, 000 acre ranch near Glade Park, near the monument.
Thanks for this drive through.

[cowboygeologist]

Very cool video; thanks for posting. I haven't been there since the 1970's.

[FrankC]

If I were a Billionaire, I'd move any Manufacturing to these small forgotten towns

[Iqbal_sibia]

Is that happened in recent years ?
That swing beside caffe looks lonely and sad ..☹
Thanks for the wonderful trip.. 💕

[KeatShadows]

If my mother was still living, she would be over 100 years old. She use to live in Whitedeer. When she was a teenager, she and a couple of her friends would go to Skellytown and go to the community dances. I remember her telling me about how much fun they had in Skellytown. Thanks for the video, it was fun seeing the town, sorry that so much of the town has closed down.

[FowlerFamilyFarm]

Watch out there was someone behind you. I could see them in the reflection. nice video

[jamesppesch]

This is my hometown. I moved away at 18, (2001) and have only been back a handful of times.

That old post office wasn’t ever operational even when I was under 10. Next to it was the Library and the gas station there was Taylor’s Food Mart. I used to ride my bike up there for a popsicle in the summer.

Mrs. Peggy Chaney and Mrs. Terri Cone worked at the Credit Union. Peggy was Luke and Kim’s mom who I went to school with and Terri was the mother of Sean one of my best friend’s from 3rd-12th grade.

Momma Jo’s Cafe was there during High school. It was 50’s style but aging. My mom was a server there while she finished her degree when I was a kid.

I played a lot of football here, went to school here, played baseball, basketball, and even tennis at all those places.

It was small but still all operational in 2001. The city hall offices and volunteer fire department were just past the first baseball field if you had not turned. I wonder if they’re still there.

It’s strange to see it like that but that’s how the world turns. I’m excited to go explore someday.

[charityrando]

The building beside the post office is the old library my family has lived in skellytown since 1984 I 5 years ago moved back

[joycemartin]

Sad to see a town die.there must have been some good times there.good memories.thanks timbo

[patriciamantooth]

So many small towns in Texas --abandoned-- all that's left is memories-- the spirit of the people that built this town!! Look how many homeless people there are!! We need to bring people - families -- back to rebuild these communities!!

[willarddevoe]

With Ecommerce and high prices everywhere else, it makes no sense to shut down a town like this. Towns will die if city hall runs amuck with taxes, they get drunk on credit, or they hold on to a dying industry too hard. What would happen if you contact a local to buy a store and a house?