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The
old well tower
TE photo, September, 2000 |
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Longfellow no
longer exists as a town, however it does as a ranch.
History in
a Pecan Shell
No one seems
to know why it was named Longfellow. It's primary reason for existing
was the same as (relatively) nearby Pumpville,
which was to provide water for the steam locomotives of the day.
Prior to the railroad's arrival, the land was grazed by cattle
owned by Mexican ranchers. A post office was granted in the 1890s
for the people who lived around the railroad station and ranch headquarters.
The telegraph office was closed in 1944 and things haven't been
the same since.
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Gate
to ranch headquarters
TE photo, September, 2000 |
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The cluster
of buildings on the north side of highway 90 appear to be
inhabited on occasion and a visit in August, 2000, revealed a small
flock of domestic chickens. A small boat is hung under a pole barn.
Maybe it's the Hesperus, or someone is taking the Boy Scout motto
seriously. We would advise visitors, as always, to stay on the public
side of the fence.
The south
side of the highway has the railroad tracks and cattle chutes.
One sturdy building holds feed for the ranch and this side
is also the site of the old iron framework of the pump tower.
Our visit was monitored by a curious deer at 3 p.m.
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Feed
storage building in Longfellow
TE photo, September, 2000 |
Longfellow
Texas Forum
Anyone
wishing to share history or photos of Longfellow, Texas, please
contact
us.
© John Troesser
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