SPOOKY, Empty Towns In Rural, Forgotten Texas

I visited these rural Texas towns: Smiley, Yorktown, Nordheim & Runge.

Travel Vlog 296

#Yorktown Community Hospital

[Kite-tekm]

Watching from Africa.
I like your videos. No silly background music, no swift camera movements and narration is calm and clear. Tks. 😊

[TheChristen]

I swear I have become fully addicted to these videos. The narration, the filming, the research...it's just so perfect.

[MrMrliamo]

Watching from the west of Ireland, I'll tell you one thing, if a gang of us Irish landed over to that town for a weekend, we would soon bring it back to life

[bukimoore]

Harlon Block was born in Yorktown, Texas. He is one of the soldiers depicted raising the American flag at Iwo Jima!
Oscar Eckhardt was born in Yorktown, Texas. He was a two way Star for The MLB Boston, Braves & Brooklyn Dodgers, and The NFL New York Giants! He was a star athlete for the Texas Longhorns!
Santiago J Erevia a recipient of the Medal of Honor for his service in The Vietnam War, was born in Nordhiem Texas.
Claude Davenport. MLB Player
And Mike Gisler, NFL Player were both born in Runge Texas!

[tomaz]

I'm always impressed with how we don't see anyone walking in these towns

[JohnEBoldt]

The two story house you looked at (19:15 mark) with the big porch in Yorktown was where I grew up between 1960 and 1980. Back then, it was surrounded by no less than 13 pecan trees that formed a beautiful canopy around the yard. There were also two beautiful magnolias in the front yard. There's a legend that the actress/stripper/burlesque show dancer Candy Barr (real name Juanita Slusher) stayed there at one time. I can neither confirm nor deny that, but I do know that her uncle and aunt owned it at one time. Thanks for the video!

[JostenDooley]

Dollar generals slogan should be “when there’s no other store around you can always find us”

[nancyrauch]

Those cattle were really happy to see you, Joe ! They probably don't get to see many people in rural places like these. They actually were really pretty & soft-faced animals. A lot of times when they approach you like that, it means "feeding time" by the farmer. I love your videos ! You make excellent videos that some people have never seen that way of life & living before. Blessings to you & Nic 😊

[Josereyes]

4:50 The people doing work and remodeling this house are incredible! This is the right attitude and mindset. I like their optimistic and positive decision to improve their own house and make it look nice and pretty regardless of the appearance of their impoverished and isolated small town. This is the way of how communities, towns and cities change positively it all starts with how we keep our house in good shape and looking good then it goes on.. 🏡

[rongreen]

No residential sidewalks except for little spots in Runge. These towns were supported by automobiles starting in the 20’s, and then over time hollowed out by them. When the Dollar Store shows up in your town, watch out: it means you don’t have enough community strength to meet your retail needs.

[dwag]

Thank you, Joe! My father was born and raised in Yorktown, my mother in Nordheim. I was last inside of the Yorktown Memorial Hospital visiting my grandfather in 1968. Still have a few cousins living in both towns. My mother's father was from Runge. I haven't been to the area since 2018, though one side of the family still have our annual family reunion in Yorktown.

An interesting note about Nordheim - it was the small-town backdrop in Wim Wender's film "Paris, Texas". My uncle's pickup truck was one of the "props". Too bad that you missed the "shooting club hall" further down from the Lutheran church...it is quite a nice structure, a large 1920s wooden dance hall which was still in nice condition and in use 5 years ago.

[sharoncruzen]

The poor cows! All they wanted was a few😮 pats on the head & a little conversation! After all, how often do they get to see any strangers?!!😢

[GSR]

In 1982 I moved to Westhoff, TX, rented a house from a old lady there and went to work in Yorktown, Texas. Met and married my wife who was from Cuero, Texas in 1985. Since then, we have moved to about every corner of Texas. Now my wife and I live west of Victoria.
That bar & Grill in Norheim is supposed to have some of the best food from miles around. Also, if you had driven to the north end of Norheim, you would have run into the Shooting Club, a big dance hall in its time.
Keep up the magnificent work, I enjoy all the ones of Texas and the mid-west. Thanks for sharing, Ken

[jacintabyline]

Watching this from rural New Zealand. What a FANTASTIC video! Your narration, historical facts, and current information is second to none. I have subscribed and I just know I'm going to become addicted to your channel. Thank you for a very enjoyable 50+ minutes sir.

[ELAINEAnderson-yh]

Watching from Australia 🇦🇺. I find these small towns fascinating. It's like stepping back in time.

[snezanamil]

Smiley's such a sad place. I hope those three poor dogs playing in the street are fine..

[johngibson]

Greetings Joe and Nic ! Always happy to see a new video about small towns to large cities and learn things I'd never learn otherwise. Keep up the great work Joe 😊🇺🇸💜

[kholwaninkuna]

I'm watch from Johannesburg South Africa, amazed at how we hardly see anyone walking about, dead quiet!

[disco]

Lived in Houston for awhile. Never left the city limits because there was sadness in every direction. Seem like the only things to do was eat bbq (gets old quick), walk the dog and escape the heat. No parks, no malls, no decent restaurants, no movie theaters except in unwelcoming places. I went stock raving mad. Ran home to mama, lol!

[dinaochoa]

Runge is so clean compared to the other towns. The yards are so well kept.