Blewett and Dabney, Texas
The Oblivion Twins

When the rock asphalt is gone, we can see this becoming a great water theme park.
TE Photo, April 2001

Naturally the two alleged communities have a shared history.

We called the Vulcan Mining Company in San Antonio and then their office in Knippa. We spoke with Mr. Mantooth in San Antonio and Mr. Coble in Knippa. Both men gave swift unhesitant answers and their explanations made sense. Here’s what we found:

There is no longer any trace of either town.

There are a few ranches around the company’s property that might account for some human habitation.

At one time Dabney was the only rock asphalt mine in the United States.

The company has joined in partnership with several wildlife organizations in building and placing habitat and harborage for the wildlife in the area. The lakes (pictured) are stocked with fish from Uvalde’s National Fish Hatchery. Both men invited us on a tour of the company’s operations.

Two years ago a rare black bear was seen on the company’s property. Someone managed to photograph it and it appeared on the cover of the Maryland Wildlife Conservatory’s Magazine.

The employees of Vulcan refer to the mines by other names. One of the spokesmen told us: “If one of the “old-timers” happens to refer to the Dabney mine by name – the other workers will not understand where it is he’s talking about.”

The TxDoT cartographer told us that he had found that once a city or town is incorporated – it stays incorporated until it’s officially unincorporated. Which means when a town is abandoned, the last person to leave should file un-incorporation papers with the appropriate governing body before turning out the lights.

We also found that Mr. J. B. Smyth, the founder of Uvalde Rock Asphalt married into a prominent East Texas family and his son, George W., (born in Newton County) oversaw operations in the Houston area throughout the 20s and 30s. Uvalde Rock Asphalt was used to pave Caroline, Bissonett, Reisner, Leeland, and McKinney streets in Houston and even what had once been known as “The Westheimer Road.”

© John Troesser

*This piece was written in 2001. After our interview with the cartographic department of TxDoT, both towns were removed from the state map, but not at our request.

Dabney & Blewett

by David Knape

Two towns disapppeared
guess nobody knew it,
what happend to towns
named Dabney & Blewett

We searched high and low
and finally said screw it,
there aint no damn towns
named Dabney & Blewett.

© d.knape

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