Ghosts of Glenrio
by Ben Prepelka
Title
Ghosts of Glenrio
Artist
Ben Prepelka
Medium
Photograph
Description
Born as a railroad town at the beginning of the 20th century, the Glenrio stop-over marked the midpoint between Amarillo and Tucumcari. Sitting on the border between Texas and New Mexico, farmers and ranchers welcomed the bustling depot of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad.
Glenrio residents, as many as 85 at its peak, enjoyed advantages of both bordering states. Connected to the outside world by Route 66, Main Street was lined with cafes, restaurants, motels, a land office, hardware, grocery store, filling stations and a newspaper office. Deaf Smith County, Texas, was a dry county. For those looking for a drink simply headed across the border into Quay County where a few bars and taverns served the local population. For travelers and locals hoping to fill their gas tanks, New Mexico’s higher taxes insured all the gas stations were right across the border in Texas.
Once the Rock Island and Pacific Depot closed and the arrival of Interstate 40, Glenrio was doomed. For ghost town hunters and Route 66 fans, this is first or last Texas exit (Exit 0) on I-40 depending on your direction.
Uploaded
May 26th, 2023
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Comments (13)
Tibby Steedly
What a great capture! I love places like this and I love reading about the history of it. L/F
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