Stiles, Texas
Encyclopedia
Stiles is a ghost town
in Reagan County
, Texas
, United States
, about 18 mi (29 km) north of Big Lake
. As the only town in the area when Reagan County was established in 1903, Stiles was made the county seat. Bypassed by the railroad
and eclipsed when oil was discovered near Big Lake, Stiles was replaced with Big Lake as the county seat in 1925.
, between Big Lake and Texas State Highway 158. The courthouse was constructed with local stone by William Martin in 1911.
in eastern Upton County
(31°19′N 101°52′W) and runs east for 43 mi (69 km) across Upton
, Reagan
, and Irion counties to the Middle Concho River
. Today, Centralia Draw remains dry most of the year except during occasional brief periods of heavy rainfall and runoff. Evidence suggests that in the past a more active spring-fed stream once flowed through Centralia Draw cutting the broad valley we see today.
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 Reagan County
Reagan County, Texas
Reagan County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2000, its population was 3,326. The seat of the county is Big Lake. It is named in honor of John Henninger Reagan , who served as postmaster general of the Confederate States of America and also as a U.S....
, 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...
, about 18 mi (29 km) north of Big Lake
Big Lake, Texas
Big Lake is a small rural city in Reagan County, Texas, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 2,885. It is the county seat of Reagan County....
. As the only town in the area when Reagan County was established in 1903, Stiles was made the county seat. Bypassed by the railroad
Kansas City, Mexico and Orient Railway
The Kansas City, Mexico and Orient Railway, started in 1900 by American railroad entrepreneur Arthur Edward Stilwell, was the predecessor to the Chihuahua al Pacífico railroad in Mexico. It was intended to reach the Pacific Ocean at Topolobampo, Sinaloa...
and eclipsed when oil was discovered near Big Lake, Stiles was replaced with Big Lake as the county seat in 1925.
Stiles Courthouse
The ruins of the old Reagan County Courthouse are still visible just off Texas State Highway 137Texas State Highway 137
State Highway 137 or SH 137 is a Texas state highway that runs from Brownfield to near Ozona in west Texas. This route was designated by 1939 on a route from Brownfield south through Midland and Rankin, ending west of Sheffield. By 1942, everything south of Lamesa was either cancelled,...
, between Big Lake and Texas State Highway 158. The courthouse was constructed with local stone by William Martin in 1911.
Centralia Draw
Stiles lies within an ancient stream channel called Centralia Draw that rises 13 mi (21 km) northeast of RankinRankin, Texas
Rankin is a city in Upton County, Texas, United States. The population was 800 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of the thinly populated county – in 2000, only 3,404 people lived in the entire county, and McCamey was the only larger town. It is named after F.E. Rankin, a local...
in eastern Upton County
Upton County, Texas
Upton County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2000, its population was 3,404. Its county seat is Rankin. The county is named for two brothers: John C. and William F. Upton, both Colonels in the Confederate army....
(31°19′N 101°52′W) and runs east for 43 mi (69 km) across Upton
Upton County, Texas
Upton County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2000, its population was 3,404. Its county seat is Rankin. The county is named for two brothers: John C. and William F. Upton, both Colonels in the Confederate army....
, Reagan
Reagan County, Texas
Reagan County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2000, its population was 3,326. The seat of the county is Big Lake. It is named in honor of John Henninger Reagan , who served as postmaster general of the Confederate States of America and also as a U.S....
, and Irion counties to the Middle Concho River
Concho River
The Concho River is a river in the U.S. state of Texas. It has three primary feeds: the North, Middle, and South Concho rivers. The North Concho River is the longest fork, starting in Howard County and traveling southeast for until merging with the South and Middle forks near Goodfellow Air...
. Today, Centralia Draw remains dry most of the year except during occasional brief periods of heavy rainfall and runoff. Evidence suggests that in the past a more active spring-fed stream once flowed through Centralia Draw cutting the broad valley we see today.
See also
- Llano EstacadoLlano EstacadoLlano Estacado , commonly known as the Staked Plains, is a region in the Southwestern United States that encompasses parts of eastern New Mexico and northwestern Texas, including the South Plains and parts of the Texas Panhandle...
- Caprock EscarpmentCaprock EscarpmentThe Caprock Escarpment is a term used in Texas and Eastern New Mexico to describe the geographical transition point between the level elevated plains of the Llano Estacado and the surrounding rolling terrain. In Texas, the escarpment stretches around 320 km south-southwest from the northeast...
- Concho RiverConcho RiverThe Concho River is a river in the U.S. state of Texas. It has three primary feeds: the North, Middle, and South Concho rivers. The North Concho River is the longest fork, starting in Howard County and traveling southeast for until merging with the South and Middle forks near Goodfellow Air...
- Kansas City, Mexico and Orient RailwayKansas City, Mexico and Orient RailwayThe Kansas City, Mexico and Orient Railway, started in 1900 by American railroad entrepreneur Arthur Edward Stilwell, was the predecessor to the Chihuahua al Pacífico railroad in Mexico. It was intended to reach the Pacific Ocean at Topolobampo, Sinaloa...
- West TexasWest TexasWest Texas is a vernacular term applied to a region in the southwestern quadrant of the United States that primarily encompasses the arid and semi-arid lands in the western portion of the state of Texas....