Hext, Erick & Texola – Gateways to Oklahoma
As travelers journey along the iconic Route 66, tracing its historic path westward from Sayre, Oklahoma, toward the Texas border, they encounter a series of communities, each with its own unique story etched into the landscape. Among these are Hext, Erick, and Texola, three settlements that serve as compelling gateways to understanding Oklahoma’s past and present. This article delves into the history, character, and enduring spirit of these towns, revealing the stories woven into their streets, buildings, and the very fabric of the surrounding land.
Hext: A Whispering Ghost
The first stop on this westward journey is the near-ghost town of Hext, Oklahoma, established in 1901. Even in its prime, Hext was a small, unassuming farm and ranch community. Its claim to fame was a brief stint with a post office, operating for a mere year and a half between June 1901 and November 1902. The town’s name honored William Hext, a local farmer whose presence left enough of an imprint to christen the fledgling settlement.
In its early years, Hext was a modest outpost, barely registering as a blip on the map. Jack Rittenhouse, in his 1946 "Guidebook to Route 66," succinctly described Hext as "Not a community – just a gas station." The town once featured a stone gas station, which was later converted into a private residence after its pumps were removed. However, Hext was home to a fairly substantial brick schoolhouse constructed during the 1930s by the Works Progress Administration (WPA). This school still stands today, a testament to a bygone era. Though rapidly deteriorating, the abandoned school serves as a poignant reminder of the community’s aspirations and the passage of time.
Today, the landscape surrounding Hext is dotted with abandoned and crumbling buildings, alongside remnants of the original Route 66 alignment. The Hext Baptist Church remains the sole active building in the immediate vicinity, a symbol of enduring faith amidst the decay. The stretch of old Route 66 between Hext and Erick holds historical significance as the last segment in Oklahoma to be superseded by the modern Interstate 40.
Erick: The "Gateway to Oklahoma"
A short distance west of Hext lies Erick, Oklahoma, a town proudly known as the "Gateway to Oklahoma." This moniker stems from a historical surveying dispute with Texas, which briefly positioned Erick as the westernmost city in the state. Erick’s origins date back to 1900, when it was initially named Dennis upon the establishment of its post office in February of that year. Primarily an agricultural community, Erick’s early identity was shaped by the cattle drives that frequented the area, stopping at the natural salt springs southwest of town. These freshwater springs offered a vital respite for cattlemen during the late 19th century.
The town’s trajectory shifted when the Choctaw, Oklahoma, and Gulf Railroad planned to extend its line through the area. The Choctaw Townsite & Improvement Company filed an application for an 80-acre townsite, and in November 1901, the post office name was officially changed to Erick, in honor of Beeks Erick, one of the developers. The town incorporated that same year. Until the creation of Beckham County in 1907, when Oklahoma achieved statehood, Erick was located in northern Greer County. By this time, Erick had a population of 686 people.
By 1909, Erick was a bustling commercial center, boasting 13 general stores, two hardware stores, several cotton gins, blacksmith shops, a livery, a harness shop, and a lumber store. Residents had ample choices for groceries with five meat markets, several grocery stores, a bakery, and a confectionery. The town also supported two banks and two weekly newspapers – the Beckham County Democrat and the Erick Altruist, as well as three churches. In 1910, its population had grown to 915, further expanding to 971 by 1920. The 1920s brought an oil boom, which briefly propelled Erick’s population to its peak of 2,231 in 1930. Though hopes for sustained growth were dashed when the oil reserves proved less plentiful than anticipated, the town had already made its mark.
The 1930s brought the harsh realities of the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl, and a tragic incident of racial violence. On July 14, 1930, the Frederick, Maryland Post reported that African Americans had been driven out of Erick and Texola by a mob seeking revenge for the murder of a farmer’s wife in Texas.
Despite these hardships, Erick persevered. The town sustained itself with six cotton gins, an ice factory, and entrepreneurs manufacturing salt from the nearby salt springs. The local schools employed 22 teachers, serving 956 students. The "Gateway to Oklahoma" also saw the emergence of motor courts and other Route 66 businesses, including the DeLuxe Courts, the Erick Court and Trailer Park, the Elms Garage, various restaurants, and gas stations. By 1946, Jack Rittenhouse described Erick as having a "true western look, with its wide, sun-baked street, frequent horsemen, occasional sidewalk awning, and similar touches." The Chamber of Commerce proudly proclaimed Erick as "not a war-spoiled town or just another boom town but, a town with a half-century of service."
Though the "Gateway to Oklahoma" prospered during the post-war travel boom along Route 66, the town began to decline in the 1940s. Its population fell from 1,591 in 1940 to 1,285 in 1970. The completion of I-40 in 1975, which bypassed the four-lane section of Route 66 from Sayre to Erick, dealt another blow to the town’s economy.
In 1980, renewed oil and gas drilling brought a slight resurgence, boosting the population to 1,375. Today, Erick is home to approximately 1,052 people. Though not a ghost town, many of its downtown brick buildings and businesses along Route 66 stand empty, testaments to a more vibrant past.
Erick was home to two of Country music’s popular performers: Sheb Wooley, the actor, songwriter, and singer who recorded the saga of the “one-eyed one-horned flying purple people eater," and Roger Miller, the late country music legend, Mr. “King of the Road.” The stretch of 4-lane that enters the "Gateway to Oklahoma" from Sayre has been renamed Roger Miller Memorial Highway, and that part of Route 66 through town is called Roger Miller Boulevard. The 3000 square foot Roger Miller Museum, which opened at the corner of US 66 (Roger Miller Boulevard) and Sheb Wooley Avenue in 2004 in a former 1929 café and drugstore building, further memorializes Mr. Miller.
Visitors to Erick should be sure to visit the 100th Meridian Museum in the former First National Bank Building, which is filled with artifacts from prehistoric times to the present. Just one block south of Route 66 is the old City Meat Market, Erick’s oldest building, which now houses the Sandhill Curiosity Shop. Nothing is for sale, but Harley Russell will entertain and let you look at thousands of memorabilia.
The West Winds Motel, with its neon sign flashing the motel’s name beneath a painting of a bucking bronco, is located five blocks west of the town’s main intersection. The National Park Service listed the motel in the National Register of Historic Places in 2004. Just down the block was yet another popular tourist court, complete with garages – the old Elm Motel, which closed when I-40 bypassed the "Gateway to Oklahoma."
Texola: A Borderline Ghost Town
Beyond Erick, as the prairie stretches out, travelers encounter the near-ghost town of Texola. Texola was established in 1901 near the 100th Meridian, the boundary line between Oklahoma and Texas. The town has been surveyed eight times over the years, leading to situations where residents have lived in both Oklahoma and Texas without physically relocating. The town’s name was a matter of debate in its early days, with variations like Texokla and Texoma before Texola was finally chosen in a town election when the post office was established in December 1901. Texola was originally located in northern Greer County before Beckham County was created in 1907.
Texola’s development was tied to the Choctaw, Oklahoma, and Gulf Railroad, which built its line through the town in 1902. The same year, the Texola Herald newspaper was established, serving the community until around 1921. By 1909, the local agricultural area supported Texola’s two cotton gins and corn and grist mill. The economy sustained a bank, several general stores, a hardware store, a meat market, a blacksmith shop, a livery, three hotels, and two restaurants. Residents had also organized three churches. In 1910, the town supported some 361 people; however, ten years later, in 1920, the population had dropped to 298.
Texola’s population peaked in 1930 at 581, with increased cotton production and the construction of two more cotton gins. The town also built a large auditorium with a seating capacity of 300. However, the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl began to drive people away, causing a decline in population. By 1940, Texola was home to just 337 people. In 1990, the population dwindled to 45, and today, it is estimated to be in the single digits.
Texola is clearly a ghost town today, as evidenced by its lack of business and abandoned buildings. However, there are numerous photo opportunities in this old town, such as the restored Magnolia Service Station, which was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1995, the old territorial jail built in 1910, several abandoned businesses, and an interesting old bar on the western edge of town that boldly makes the statement on the side of its building, "There’s no other place like this place anywhere near this place so this must be the place."
In conclusion, the towns of Hext, Erick, and Texola offer a captivating glimpse into Oklahoma’s past. From the nearly deserted landscape of Hext to the "Gateway to Oklahoma" and the ghostly remnants of Texola, these communities embody the resilience, struggles, and enduring spirit of the American West. Their stories are etched into the buildings, roads, and the very fabric of the land, waiting to be discovered by those who venture off the beaten path.