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A Visit to Texola, Oklahoma: A (Near) Ghost Town on Old Route 66

A Visit to Texola, Oklahoma: A (Near) Ghost Town on Old Route 66

Join fine art photographer Keith Dotson as he photographs abandoned buildings along old Route 66 in Texola, Oklahoma — with behind-the-scenes video

There are two sides to the legendary old Route 66. There is the celebrated and nostalgic side, with restored gas stations and classic motels where tourists can shop, dine, and take photographs. This is the Disney Pixar Cars aspect of Route 66.

The other version of Route 66 is lonelier and less profitable. It’s the many abandoned stretches of Route 66, where once-prosperous main streets have all but vanished, leaving only collapsing and abandoned shells. These are the ghost towns of old Route 66. These are the quiet, isolated, somewhat spooky places I like to photograph.


Be sure to read about my other abandoned Route 66 destination, which sits on the Texas / New Mexico state line




Texola, Oklahoma, population 35

I recently completed a major road trip to New Mexico, where I made photographs of landscapes, historic sites, and abandoned buildings. Along the way, I also took advantage of fascinating stops along the way. One of those stops was the almost ghost town at Texola, Oklahoma.

There’s a little, one-room jail in town that’s worth visiting — their one tourist attraction in town. And, there’s one structure listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It’s the Magnolia Service Station, situated on the intersection of Grand Avenue and Broadway, where Route 66 splits into two directions. Unfortunately, the Magnolia is in very poor condition, and probably won’t stand much longer without intervention.

I arrived in Texola at midday after a full morning of driving, and as you’ll see in the video, the light was brutally direct and unfiltered.

Video: Exploring the (Almost) Ghost Town at Texola, Oklahoma

Join Keith Dotson as he explores abandoned buildings on Route 66 in Texola, Oklahoma, population 35

History of Texola, Oklahoma

Texola grew up along the Choctaw, Oklahoma, and Gulf Railroad line, which was constructed through the area in 1902 and subsequent years.

Screenshot of a newspaper article in the Topeka State Journal, in 1909 shows a typical news item referencing Texola from the era. Mostly they were updates on the progress of the rail lines and related construction of depots, etc.
Screenshot of a newspaper article in the Topeka State Journal, in 1909 shows a typical news item referencing Texola from the era. Mostly they were updates on the progress of the rail lines and related construction of depots, etc.

Before being named Texola, the town was called Texokla and Texoma. A man named Reuben H. Grimes served as the first postmaster when a post office was established on December 12, 1901. Keep in mind that Oklahoma didn’t get statehood until Nov 16, 1907.

Texola grew as a farming community and eventually supported two cotton gins and a gristmill.

As we can see on the historic maps, which predate Route 66, Texola had banks, several general stores, a hardware store, a meat market, a blacksmith shop, farm supply and implement dealers, barber shops, a theater, restaurants, a lumber yard, and more.

One source claimed the town had a ten-acre park and an auditorium with adequate seating to accommodate 300 people.

The Texola Herald newspaper was published weekly from 1902 at least until the early 1920s.

There were numerous churches including Baptist, Methodist, and Presbyterian denominations.

Travelers on Route 66 had their choice of several gas stations, three hotels, and a few restaurants, including the Friendly Cafe, which still stands today in ruins, but can be seen in its heyday in this historic postcard.  There’s still a sticker on the front door of the Friendly Cafe building for BankAmericard. Do you remember those? They were in use from 1958 until 1976, when they became Visa. That clue tells the building was still in operation in the late 1950s at least, but whether it was still a cafe is any.

The population peaked at 581 people in 1930, and began declining in the 1930s, probably as a result of the Great Depression and the dustbowl, when a lot of Okies immigrated west to California.

1905 fire map of Texola shows some of the many businesses that lined Grand Avenue. Most of those structures are now long vanished. Map courtesy of the Oklahoma Historical Society.
1905 fire map of Texola shows some of the many businesses that lined Grand Avenue. Most of those structures are now long vanished. Map courtesy of the Oklahoma Historical Society.

Texola bank cashier staged a fake bank robbery in 1908

This historic 1914 newspaper article tells the story of C.W. Jones, who faked a bank robbery at the Texola bank where he worked as a cashier, by tying himself up and pretending the bank had been robbed by someone else.
This historic 1914 newspaper article tells the story of C.W. Jones, who faked a bank robbery at the Texola bank where he worked as a cashier, by tying himself up and pretending the bank had been robbed by someone else.

“Staged Fake Robbery,” reads the headline. It goes on to say, “A bank cashier confesses after 6 years.”

It goes on to explain how a man named C.W. Jones had confessed to a 1908 scheme, where he stole $5,000 from the bank in Texola where he worked as a cashier, and then bound and gagged himself to make it appear as though he was a victim in a bank robbery. How do you convincingly gag and tie yourself? No word on accomplices in this short story. The article says goes on to say the robbery resulted in the liquidation of the bank.

Black and white photographs shot along old Route 66 in Texola

Black and white photograph of a leaning wooden shack on old Route 66 in Texola Oklahoma, shot by Keith Dotson.
Black and white photograph of a leaning wooden shack on old Route 66 in Texola Oklahoma, shot by Keith Dotson. Buy a fine art print here.
Detail view of the leaning shack in Texola, Oklahoma. Black and white photograph by Keith Dotson.
Detail view of the leaning shack in Texola, Oklahoma. Black and white photograph by Keith Dotson. Buy a fine art print.
Black and white photograph of an abandoned building along Route 66 on the corner of Grand and Broadway in Texola, Oklahoma. This was a grocer and general merchandise store. It can be seen on the vintage 1905 map in the video.
Black and white photograph of an abandoned building along Route 66 on the corner of Grand and Broadway in Texola, Oklahoma. This was a grocer and general merchandise store. It can be seen on the vintage 1905 map in the video. Buy a print.
The old Friendly Cafe building on Route 66 in Texola, Oklahoma.
The old Friendly Cafe building on Route 66 in Texola, Oklahoma. Buy a fine art print.
Black and white photograph of an abandoned building on the corner of Grand Avenue and Broadway in Texola. I think this would have been a corner gas station. The general merchandise store can be seen in the background.
Black and white photograph of an abandoned building on the corner of Grand Avenue and Broadway in Texola. I think this would have been a corner gas station. The general merchandise store can be seen in the background.
Remains of an abandoned house situated among tall grass in Texola, Oklahoma.
Remains of an abandoned house situated among tall grass in Texola, Oklahoma. Buy a print.

Sources and Links

66postcards.com. Oklahoma Postcards and Photos. (Link)

Library of Congress. The Topeka State Journal (Topeka, Kan.), May 17, 1909, (LAST EDITION). (Link)

The Gateway to Oklahoma History. Oklahoma Historical Society. Texola, 1905 (map) (Link)

The Gateway to Oklahoma History. Oklahoma Historical Society. The Texola Herald (Texola, Okla.), Vol. 5, No. 51, Ed. 1 Friday, March 15, 1907. (Link)

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