Texon is a small unincorporated desert

hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...

in Reagan County, Texas, United States, in the western part of the state about half a mile south of the nearest highway. The town was originally an oil

boomtown A boomtown is a community that undergoes sudden and rapid population and economic growth, or that is started from scratch. The growth is normally attributed to the nearby discovery of a precious resource such as gold, silver, or oil, although t ...

but is now near abandonment. There may be only one or two homes left in Texon, and no businesses or services.

Population and location

The population in 1996 was estimated at less than 10. At its peak in 1933, the town had approximately 1,200 inhabitants. The town is located in Reagan County. It is 3/10 mile (0.5 km) south of

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 ...

on RM 1675. It is 85 miles west of San Angelo, Texas. Texon was served by 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 ...

History

The town originates from May 28, 1923, when oil was discovered. The town was named for the Texon Oil and Land Company, which drilled the first successful oil well in the Permian Basin, the Santa Rita. On December 4, 1928, under the supervision of Carl G. Cromwell, Texon Oil discovered the Santa Rita University 1-B, at that time the world's deepest well at 8,525 feet. Texon Oil and Land Company developed the Santa Rita oil field. Texon's leases were subsequently purchased by M. L. "Mike" Benedum and

Joe Trees Joseph Clifton Trees (1870 - May 20, 1943) was a college football player at the University of Pittsburgh, the first athlete to receive an athletic subsidization at the school, and, possibly, an early professional football player. He later made mi ...

of Pittsburgh, who formed the Big Lake Oil Company.Today in Texas History: Carl G. Cromwell drills world's deepest oil well Ownership passed on to successive oil companies, including Plymouth Oil Company (in 1956) and Ohio Oil (now Marathon Oil) in 1962, which chose not to maintain the town that had at that time 100 residents. In 1986, the post office was closed. In the 1920s, wastewater from oil extraction was released onto the ground, which caused extreme damage to vegetation and soil, to the point that the resulting scar can still be seen on satellite images. Cleanup is still ongoing.

Limited redevelopment

Historical markers have been installed in the town, as have new reflective type street signs and new mailboxes. Also, some activity is occurring in some of the oil wells.

References

{{Coord, 31, 13, 30, N, 101, 41, 22, W, type:city_region:US-TX_source:GNIS-enwiki, display=title Unincorporated communities in Reagan County, Texas Unincorporated communities in Texas Ghost towns in West Texas Company towns in Texas