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More Ghost Towns of Texas |
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History in
a Pecan Shell
The town began
on a ranch belonging to Sam Lazarus. The Wichita Valley Railroad
had extended a spur to the ranch headquarters (just north of the
present-day site). Lazarus built a church and the railroad built
a loading facility. It went by the name Lazarus Switch unil
1908 when the ranch was bought and a store and hotel built.
The new owner, Charles Mangold platted a townsite just south of
the former ranch headquarters which was also home the ranch foreman
(and storekeeper) Tom Mankins. Mangold was evidently a modest type,
for he allowed the town he was building be named for Mr. Mankins.
The 1914 population has been given as 55 residents. Mankins had
an nearby oil discovery in the 1920s, but nothing remotely approaching
the oil booms of other towns. There was no population explosion
and the 85 residents that lived there in the late 20s remained in
place through the Great Depression. The town spent some of its oil
revenue on a large two story brick building that served as high
school, church and community center until it was destroyed in a
1938 tornado.
The 1950 census reported 120 residents and by the early 1960s, the
town had lost its post office. The population had dropped to a mere
50 at the close of the 1960s. The Mangold estate still owned much
of the original plat – preventing growth.
Mankins was once the wintering grounds for The D. S. Dudly Show,
a multi-generational circus / carnival, into the 1970s.
The 1990 population of 45 has declined to an estimated 10 Mankanites
by the year 2000. Mankins is included in More Ghost Towns of
Texas.
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The Unfortunate
Chimp/Auto Collision in Mankins
"My wife is
a teacher in Wichita
Falls and works with the Pastor at the Mankins Baptist Church.
Once while visiting the church I was speaking with an old-timer that
had lived in Mankins his whole life. He told me that Mankins was the
only place in Texas that a Chimpanzee
had been killed by an automobile. This of couse peaked my imagination
and interest so I had to ask how. He said the Dudley show folks lived
there and apparently had some animals. The Chimpanzee got loose, ran
out onto the highway and along came a semi. As you can imagine, the
rest is history.
I'm sure there are many strange stories y'all hear but this Chimp
story goes along with the true (yes I googled it and found an article
on it) about an Elephant
being killed by a train in Wichita
Falls (just about 20 miles east of Mankins). How does an Elephant
get killed by a train? In Wichita Falls, TX? ... You should be able
to find it since the article
is on your website!" - Michael A. Mitchell, Wichita Falls, TX,
April 28, 2011 |
A Drive Around
Mankins, Texas
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Wild West Circus
D.S. Dudley Show Historical Marker
Photo courtesy Barclay
Gibson, April 2009 |
D.S.
Dudley Show Headquarters?
Photo courtesy Barclay
Gibson, April 2009 |
Is this the end
of Kiddie Land?
Photo courtesy Barclay
Gibson, April 2009 |
Experiment in
weathering No. 36942
Photo courtesy Barclay
Gibson, April 2009 |
Another
view of the stone and tile building
Photo
courtesy Dusty
Martin, September 2017 |
Mankins
tin building
Photo courtesy Dusty
Martin, September 2017 |
Archer
County 1940s map showing Mankin
(from Texas state map #4335)
Courtesy Texas General Land Office |
| Texas
Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing
Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history, stories,
landmarks and recent or vintage photos, please contact
us. |
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