Shafter Lake, Texas
Encyclopedia
Shafter Lake is a ghost town
in Andrews County, Texas
, United States
, located four miles west of U.S. Route 385 on the shores of Shafter Lake. It became a ghost town
after the town lost an election for county seat of Andrews County.
Scarcely a month after the town was platted wagon train
s of freight could be observed leaving for Lubbock
. Still others could be seen hauling in lumber from Midland
for new home construction in Shafter Lake. Some wagon trains and their requisite wagoneers would stop and rest in the village before heading further south. Within two months the town had over 50 new homes and a school was preparing to open. The same year as the town's foundation saw the opening of the Shafter Lake post office, its first postmaster was Bert M. Irwin. Rumors abound during 1907 of the Llano Estacado, Mexico and Gulf Railroad coming into and through the town. Surveyors did arrive in Shafter Lake and the rail line was scheduled for completion in 1909 but only one mile was ever graded.
Shafter Lake reached its zenith in 1910 when its population reached 500, it had a bank, three churches, a school, a general store, a blacksmith and two hotels. The year of its peak also saw the beginning of its decline.
for the title of county seat
. In June a controversial election was held. Some of the controversy surrounding the election stemmed from both towns' efforts to acquire eligible voters. The election went off regardless, and Shafter Lake lost to Andrews by a narrow margin. After the loss the town declined rapidly. By 1912 most of Shafter Lake's residents had moved to Andrews. In 1980 only a dilapidated cemetery remained. Its twelve graves and one original building are all that remains of a once bustling West Texas boom town. Today at the site one can find a ranch operation run by the descendants of the town's first postmaster.
Ghost town
A ghost town is an abandoned town or city. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as floods, government actions, uncontrolled lawlessness, war, or nuclear disasters...
in Andrews County, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, located four miles west of U.S. Route 385 on the shores of Shafter Lake. It became a ghost town
Ghost town
A ghost town is an abandoned town or city. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as floods, government actions, uncontrolled lawlessness, war, or nuclear disasters...
after the town lost an election for county seat of Andrews County.
History
Located in north central Andrews County, the town developed as part of the early 20th century boom in the lands of West Texas. A local businessman, J.F. Bustin, convinced the firm Pierce and Powers to found a town on the north shore of the lake. Shafter Lake, a small, shallow alkali lake, lies fifty feet below the elevation of the surrounding land. The town's original name was Salt Lake, later it and the lake were renamed after the army officer who had discovered the lake, William R. Shafter, in 1875. Shafter Lake was platted in August 1907 and by early September had become a busy village.The first few years
The early years of the town were its most successful. Through 1910 the village continued to grow and prosper. One of the most ardent supporters of Shafter Lake was the editor of the local paper, the Shafter Lake Herald. James T. Cumley's editorials were sprinkled with nothing but praise for the upstart community. His edits boasted of the area's rich soil and the recreation potential of Shafter Lake. He also published some of the kind feedback that visitors to Shafter Lake had uttered. Cumley distributed thousands of copies of the Herald across America and especially throughout the Midwest.Scarcely a month after the town was platted wagon train
Wagon train
A wagon train is a group of wagons traveling together. In the American West, individuals traveling across the plains in covered wagons banded together for mutual assistance, as is reflected in numerous films and television programs about the region, such as Audie Murphy's Tumbleweed and Ward Bond...
s of freight could be observed leaving for Lubbock
Lubbock, Texas
Lubbock is a city in and the county seat of Lubbock County, Texas, United States. The city is located in the northwestern part of the state, a region known historically as the Llano Estacado, and the home of Texas Tech University and Lubbock Christian University...
. Still others could be seen hauling in lumber from Midland
Midland, Texas
Midland is a city in and the county seat of Midland County, Texas, United States, on the Southern Plains of the state's western area. A small portion of the city extends into Martin County. As of 2010, the population of Midland was 111,147. It is the principal city of the Midland, Texas...
for new home construction in Shafter Lake. Some wagon trains and their requisite wagoneers would stop and rest in the village before heading further south. Within two months the town had over 50 new homes and a school was preparing to open. The same year as the town's foundation saw the opening of the Shafter Lake post office, its first postmaster was Bert M. Irwin. Rumors abound during 1907 of the Llano Estacado, Mexico and Gulf Railroad coming into and through the town. Surveyors did arrive in Shafter Lake and the rail line was scheduled for completion in 1909 but only one mile was ever graded.
Shafter Lake reached its zenith in 1910 when its population reached 500, it had a bank, three churches, a school, a general store, a blacksmith and two hotels. The year of its peak also saw the beginning of its decline.
Decline
An intertown feud developed between Shafter Lake and nearby AndrewsAndrews, Texas
Andrews is a city in and the county seat of Andrews County in the U.S. state of Texas within the West Texas region. The population was 10,448 in 2009. Along with Midland and Odessa, these cities form the Midland-Odessa Combined Statistical Area with a population of 241,316 in four counties...
for the title of county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
. In June a controversial election was held. Some of the controversy surrounding the election stemmed from both towns' efforts to acquire eligible voters. The election went off regardless, and Shafter Lake lost to Andrews by a narrow margin. After the loss the town declined rapidly. By 1912 most of Shafter Lake's residents had moved to Andrews. In 1980 only a dilapidated cemetery remained. Its twelve graves and one original building are all that remains of a once bustling West Texas boom town. Today at the site one can find a ranch operation run by the descendants of the town's first postmaster.