Region: Prairies and Lakes
Looking over the handful of buildings left standing in Thurber today, it
might be difficult to believe that it was once a thriving company town at the
turn of the century and the most important mine site in Texas for 30 years. At
one time a community of more than 10,000 residents, Thurber was the largest town
between Fort Worth and El Paso. It was thought to have been the first city with
totally unionized industries. After getting electricity in 1895, it became one
of the first towns in the world with complete electric service.
The discovery of oil signaled Thurber's decline. The last coal mine closed in
1921, and inhabitants began to move away. By 1936, the town had been abandoned,
and many of the buildings were dismantled. It had quickly become a ghost town.
Today, only about six original buildings still stand in Thurber, including the
old mercantile building, original water treatment plant and the 128-foot-tall
smokestack from the second electric power plant built in 1909. Now with a
population of just eight, Thurber stands as a testament to the power of
economics and technology to build and destroy communities.