Girvin is an
unincorporated community
An unincorporated area is a parcel of land that is not governed by a local general-purpose municipal corporation. (At p. 178.) They may be governed or serviced by an encompassing unit (such as a county) or another branch of the state (such as th ...
and
ghost town
A ghost town, deserted city, extinct town, or abandoned city is an abandoned settlement, usually one that contains substantial visible remaining buildings and infrastructure such as roads. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economi ...
in
Pecos County
Pecos County ( ) is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 15,193. The county seat is Fort Stockton. The county was created in 1871 and organized in 1875.. By Glenn Justice and John Leffler. Re ...
,
Texas
Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
, United States. According to ''
The Handbook of Texas
The Texas State Historical Association (TSHA) is an American nonprofit educational and research organization dedicated to documenting the history of Texas. It was founded in Austin, Texas, United States, on March 2, 1897. In November 2008, the ...
'', the community had an estimated population of 30 in 1963 and again in 2000.
Description
The town is named for John H. Girvin, an area rancher. Girvin grew around a train stop on the
Kansas City, Mexico and Orient Railway
The Kansas City, Mexico and Orient Railway, started in 1900 by American railroad entrepreneur Arthur Edward Stilwell, was the predecessor of the Chihuahua al Pacífico railroad in Mexico. It was intended to reach the Pacific Ocean at Topolob ...
that served as a cattle shipping point. Other industries in the area such as oil, mining, and farming helped the town prosper.
In 1933,
U.S. Route 67
U.S. Route 67 is a major north–south U.S. highway which extends for 1,560 miles (2,511 km) in the Central United States. The southern terminus of the route is at the United States-Mexico border in Presidio, Texas, where it continues ...
bypassed Girvin, and eventually freight and passenger rail service to the town ended. The old railroad depot building was moved to the highway and became the since abandoned "Girvin Social Club" bar. The new town, also named Girvin, had a second life but is now too largely abandoned. There is an annual reunion of families from the area at the 1930s-era schoolhouse, which also serves as a meeting hall and voter precinct.
Public education in Girvin is provided by the
Iraan-Sheffield Independent School District.
See also
References
External links
*
Unincorporated communities in Pecos County, Texas
Unincorporated communities in Texas
Ghost towns in West Texas
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