If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times. Texas is NOT flat. Sure there are many parts of it that are but Texas is a BIG state and there are plenty of places that have hills and even MOUNTAINS. Really, I wouldn’t lie to you.
I drove to Abilene and back yesterday and it’s a pretty scenic drive for the most part. Especially at the top of Ranger Hill. See below for a history lesson about Thurber, TX and Ranger, TX. Very interesting stuff.
From Boom Town to Ghost Town Thurber (located midway between Fort Worth and Abilene on Interstate 20) was a company owned town, founded and controlled from around 1888 through the 1930's by Texas and Pacific Coal Co. (after 1933, Texas Pacific Oil Company). At its height, it was the largest town between Fort Worth and El Paso. Every building and inch of ground was owned 100% by Texas and Pacific Coal Co. Every resident lived in a company house, shopped at company stores, drank at the company saloon, attended a company school, danced at the company opera house, and worshiped in company churches.
5 MAJOR ASPECTS OF THURBER'S HISTORY
1. Coal
Thurber was the most important mine site in Texas for 30 years. 3,000 tons of coal were produced daily. This coal provided fuel mainly for the Texas and Pacific Railroad, but a dozen other RRs also used Thurber coal. By ensuring a plentiful coal supply, Thurber helped railroads open up the great southwest.
2. Brick
Thurber had the best equipped brick plant west of the Mississippi. Manufactured from the area's rich deposits of shale clay, Thurber brick paved hundreds of miles of Texas highways and streets: Congress Avenue in Austin; the Galveston sea wall; the Bankhead Highway; Camp Bowie, Main Street, and the stock yards in Fort Worth, etc.
3. Oil
Thurber was headquarters of the Texas and Pacific Coal Company which, under the leadership and persistence of W. K. Gordon, brought in the McCleskey discovery well at Ranger (16 miles west) for the company. Troops in World War I, which had been at a standstill, were given the "go-ahead" when this news was received abroad, as Russia had cut off oil supply to the Allies. Ranger yielded in one year twice the wealth of the best years in the California and Klondike gold fields. It was the key that opened the door to West Texas oil production and made the University of Texas the richest university in North America. Every Thurber home had running water and electricity. In fact, Thurber was the first totally electrified city in the United States. A power plant was erected in 1895, as well as an ice plant with a 17 ton capacity, the largest ice plant in the southwest. By 1915, each home also had natural gas for heat.
4. Labor Unions
The Thurber coal miners' strike of 1903, which ended when a contract was signed by John L Lewis and Edgar L. Marston (for Texas & Pacific) in the old Worth Hotel in Fort Worth, was the beginning of the labor movement in the southwest. Thurber became the only totally unionized town in the world, and had two UMW Locals; the English Local and the Italian Local.
5. Ethnic Diversity Hundreds of European immigrants, representing eighteen ethnic groups, began working as coal miners and brick makers. The priest at the Catholic Church heard confessions in six languages. Thurber was a "melting pan" for Eastern European immigrants, providing an interesting and colorful cultural and ethnic mix. OTHER FACTS Thurber was the site of the last regularly scheduled stage coach in America. It ran from the Hotel Knox to Thurber Junction (now Mingus, Texas). The Metropolitan Opera troupe stopped in Thurber en- route from the east coast to the west coast. (The Italians loved operas.) Famous voices were heard in the Thurber Opera House, where ceiling fans had been installed (a rarity at that time). The Opera House seated more than 650 people, and VIP's had their own box seats.
The Hills of Thurber
There was Graveyard Hill, Brickyard Hill, New York Hill, Italian Hill, Polander Hill and Stump Hill. And Shale Pit (Steam Shovel) Mountain, Dairy Mountain and Coal Miners Mountain were called mountains, but they were actually hills.
The history of Thurber can be divided into two slightly overlapping eras: the Coal Era (1886-1921) and the Oil Era (1917-1933). New York Hill is associated with the Oil Era. In 1917, after the T & P Coal Co. hit oil at Ranger (15 miles west), the company brought in experienced oil people, mostly from New York State, to run its oil operations. These newcomers were accustomed to more comfortable homes than the usual Thurber houses. So the company spent $250,000. in building 31 fancy homes on the hill east of Little Lake. And this hill became "New York Hill" because of the origin of its residents.
Since the T P Coal and Oil Co. (name change) was headquartered in Thurber, daily travel between Thurber and Ranger was required. The company ran two "locals" (trains) a day to carry pipe, tools, supplies and some commuters to Ranger. Other Thurberites made the 15-mile drive to the Ranger Oil Field by car. In 1920 with muddy, dirt/gravel roads, low-powered cars, flat tires and blow-outs and the formidable Ranger Hill to climb, this trip could be an episode.
Ranger Hill lay several miles west of Thurber and had a rise of about 200 feet in a mile. With a poorly-tuned 20-40 HP car or truck, it was a task to climb this hill. When Ranger Hill was conquered, there was a feeling of accomplishment, and a roadside park at the top of the Hill enabled one to pause (or exult), cool down the car or make repairs. If the vehicle were well-tuned, with three forward speeds and gear shift, there was little difficulty. But most trucks with a load had to strain.
In the days of the Ranger Oil Boom, Model T Fords were the most popular and affordable cars. In 1925 a new Model T sold for $260. From 1909 to 1927, 26,000,000 Fords were manufactured. The T developed 20 horsepower and had two speeds forward: low and high. It had no equal on muddy roads, and with a "high center" and 30 x 3-1/3 tires it was almost impossible to stick. But climbing hills, like Ranger Hill, was another story. It was a common, but amusing sight to see Model T's backing up Ranger Hill! On the earlier Model T's the gravity-fed fuel tank was under the driver's seat, and with a half-empty tank and an incline, the gasoline would not reach the carburetor. Back up the Hill! This problem was corrected in later models by locating the fuel tank under the dashboard. But there was another problem which necessitated backing up Ranger Hill. The Model T had three pedals: one for low speed, one for reverse and one for braking. When the low-speed clutch band became worn, the reverse pedal was used to back up Ranger Hill.
Flat tires and blowouts were common because most roads were not paved and tires were not durable. There were no steel belted or tubeless tires and no tire guarantee. All cars carried an air pump, a jack and tire-changing and flat-repairing tools. The "Monkey Grip" cold patch tube repair kit with glue for sticking the patch on the inner tube was a necessity. A strong man could lift a Model T to set it on blocks to fix a flat.
In 1933 the Oil Co. moved its headquarters to Fort Worth. The choice homes on New York Hill, which cost $8,000. to build, were sold for $250. and moved elsewhere. After 16 years of activity, Thurber's New York Hill was reclaimed by mesquite trees.
Thurber Now
Thurber has eight State historical markers, all within a one mile radius of downtown Thurber. These markers include the Snake Saloon, Hotel Knox & Mining Office, New York Hill, the brick plant, the cemetery, St. Barbara's Catholic Church, Big Lake & Dairy, and Thurber's first coal mine.
Thurber is picturesque, particularly as viewed from surrounding hills: New York Hill, Stump Hill, Polander Hill, Italian Hill, and Graveyard Hill. It is ideally located on heavily traveled 1-20 approximately 70 miles west of Fort Worth. There is wonderful potential to preserve the memory of Thurber by creation of a visitors/history center with artifacts and displays, a re-enactment of town scenes with period costumes, and interpretive signs. Thurber could once again have an Opera House with regular performances and summer stock productions. Thurber could become a park in the flavor of a little "Williamsburg."
