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"About 200
yards west is site of ghost town Wentworth"
Photo courtesy Barclay
Gibson, June 2014 |
History in
a Pecan Shell
Wentworth formed
even before the official formation of Sutton
County. A.T. Winkler and family, survivors of the devastating
Ben
Ficklin flood, moved here in 1884. Winkler drilled a water well
which attracted the attention of settlers and a community soon formed.
Being literal folk, the community took the name Winkler’s Well.
The year 1887 was a big one for Sutton
County. It was officially separated from Crockett
County and a rivalry for county seat arose between Winkler’s Well
and Sonora. To curry favor
with the owner of the county’s largest ranch, Winkler’s Well changed
its name to honor rancher P.A. Wentworth.
That year, the newly renamed Wentworth had twenty families in residence
as well as a store, school, church and Masonic Lodge (the last three
sharing a single building).
Sonora won the county seat
in 1890 and residents moved the two miles into Sonora.
Within a year almost everyone had vacated Wentworth. Included was
the Masonic Lodge.
The post office, which operated as Wentworth in 1890, closed its doors
the following year. After a few years of life in Sonora,
many denizens pined for the good old days. They attempted a renewal
for Wentworth, but it was too late. Wentworth started disappearing
from maps around the turn of the century. |
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Historical
Marker about 3.5 miles SW of Sonora
on US 277.
WENTWORTH
Situated in 1880s
at water well of A. J. Winkler, who platted townsite, gave title bond,
and named place for Fort Terrett
area rancher P. H. Wentworth. The residents occupied tents and picket
homes. Principal building was two-story school, church, and hall of
Dee Ora Lodge No. 715, A.F. & A.M. Town had a post office Aug. 1890
- Aug. 1891. Postmaster was Thomas Stevenson, uncle of a future Texas
governor. Losing 1891 county seat election to Sonora,
Wentworth citizens moved away.
Lodge hall, relocated late 1891 in Sonora,
served as school and community building until 1938.
(1972) |
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