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EOLA, TEXAS
Concho County,
Panhandle / Central Texas N
FM 381 and FM 765
13 miles SW of Paint
Rock
21 miles E of San
Angelo
Population
218 (2000)
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Entering
Eola
Photo courtesy Stephen & Elizabeth Taylor |
History
in a Pecan Shell
The
town, formally known as Jordan changed its name in 1902 when the first
store was built and the town only had four families. Eola was created
during a land boom when county school lands were put up for sale at
fifty cents an acre in the 1890s. The sale attracted many Europeans
– primarily Czechs. |
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A
closed filling station
Photo by Barclay Gibson, January 2006 |
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A
vacant church
Photo by Barclay Gibson, January 2006 |
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The
closed Eola school
Photo by Barclay Gibson, January 2006 |
A two-story schoolhouse
was built in 1906. By 1914 Eola had a population of twenty-five which
grew to 240 by 1931. In 1940 Eola had a population of 250 and was
thriving. It reached its zenith in ’47 when 350 Eolans called the
town home. Nine teachers taught elementary and high school classes.
© John Troesser |
A
visit to Eola
by Stephen Taylor |
This
is the former school at Eola. Of course, we have the WPA gym, which
actually has a new roof. The white building is the oldest, with the
brick building being added in the 30's with the gym.
It is sometimes hard for me to imagine just how many people lived
in the county before WW 2. It seems as though every hamlet had a brick
school and every crossroads had a smaller one or two room school.
Eola today is almost dead; the only remaining business being the cotton
gin and the Post Office. Eola is in northeastern Concho County. |
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The
former Eola School and Gym
Photo courtesy Stephen & Elizabeth Taylor |
| Anyhow, there
is good news going on at Eola. This fellow from Washington bought
the school and is restoring bit by bit. He is running a restaurant
in the white building (examine the door closely; at night a neon sign
above the door advertise "steak".) Apparently, he is using the proceeds
from the restaurant to work on the school. I would guess that the
new roof in the gym is courtesy of his work; he gave us a tour and
showed us how he is restoring the hardwood floor in the gym. |
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The
gym
Photo courtesy Stephen & Elizabeth Taylor |
Apparently, it
is extremely tedious work and goes slowly. He is a gifted carpenter,
however; and seems to be making progress. He has put cots in one of
the classrooms and is using it for bunks for hunters. I don't know
how that is working out for him. His restaurant is the finest in all
Eola. His restaurant is the only restaurant in all Eola.
All pictures were taken Christmas Day 2005 - Stephen Taylor |
Eola Texas
Forum
Subject:
Eola Class Ring
I recently came across your website and was [surprised] to find
any information about Eola High School. A few year ago I went metal
detecting in the area and found a class ring from 1975. I have been
trying to find the person without any luck. Her initials are B_
_. I was wondering if you could please post this email in the hopes
of finding out who this person might be. I would love to return
the ring to it's owner. Thanks. - Shelley Gayler, Huntington,
Indiana, June 12, 2006 lennon1124@hotmail.com.
Subject:
Old Eola School
The old Eola school house is also currently being used as a haunted
house to benefit neighboring Angelo State University groups.
This past October, a small fee was charged, and throngs of people
from all around came to see the "haunted Eola school." Haunted or
not, it was quite a burst of life for the quiet community! - Whitney
Straw (avid Texas Escapes reader/visitor) Angelo State University
Elementary Education Major Senior, May 21, 2006
Subject:
Eola
I visit your website frequently and when I saw the link to Eola,
I actually shouted out, "Wow, Eola!" About twenty years ago I went
on a weekend drive pulling over to peek at what people forgot and
time took over... one of those was the town of Eola. The doors to
the school were unlocked and I couldn't resist. Part of me thought
it was still used as desks were still in classrooms; but the leaves
and birds throughout the halls told me otherwise. The auditorium
seemed filled with the souls of talent shows and graduation ceremonies
gone by as sunshine from the punctured roof shined on the stage.
The gentleman has taken on quite a task; I envy him and will be
more than happy to buy the biggest steak he has and throw in the
heftiest tip I have on me for the effort! - Darcy Clarke, February
18, 2006
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