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History
in a Pecan Shell
The town dates to 1895 when W. B. Silliman and two partners surveyed former
railroad land and named the future town Eldorado after the mythical city. To get
residents, Silliman offered free town lots to residents of nearby Verland. Enough
people took advantage of the offer that the post office moved there (still in
1895) and the next year the town had a population of 100. Eldorado was made county
seat when Schleicher County was organized in 1901.
Schleicher County
held land rushes between 1901 and 1905, and Eldorado benefited from the new county
residents. A proposed railroad link to San
Angelo never materialized but Eldorado thrived nonetheless. By 1914 the population
was 500 with all essential businesses and even a newspaper.
A vote to
incorporate in 1925 was revoked in 1927 when increased taxes and a city ordnance
to keep livestock penned was met with scorn. A second petition resulted in re-incorporation
in March of 1929. A railroad link between Sonora
and to San
Angelo became a reality in 1930 (The Kansas City, Mexico and Orient) passing
through (and stopping at) Eldorado.
During WWII
West Texas Woolen Mills was established - making untold thousands of blankets
for the military. The building and looms still stand. The population reached a
high of 2,790 in the mid-1960s, but declined to only 1,400 ten years later. The
railroad pulled up tracks in 1976. |
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Old Eldorado Woolen Mill
Registered
Historic Landmark
Photo courtesy Barclay
Gibson, February 2010 |
West Texas Woolen Mills Historical
Marker
Photo courtesy Barclay
Gibson, February 2010 |
First Baptist Church of
Eldorado
Photo
courtesy Barclay
Gibson, February 2010 |
West Texas Feed and Mercantile
Photo
courtesy Barclay
Gibson, February 2010 |
Welcome to Eldorado
Top
of The Divide Elev. 2439
Photo
courtesy Barclay
Gibson, February 2010 |
| Texas
Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing
Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history, stories,
and vintage/historic photos, please contact
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