The Birth of a Texas Ghost Town: Thurber, 1886–1933 (Volume 22)

Tarleton State University Southwestern Studies in the Humanities

by Mary Jane Gentry, T Lindsay Baker (Editor), Larry Gatlin (Foreword)

“ The Birth of a Texas Ghost Thurber 1886–1933 provides readers with a detailed history of the rise and fall of one of the most notable coal-mining and brick-producing communities in Texas. . . . Any historian interested in Texas history, urban studies, and business history would find this book a valuable resource.”— Southwestern Historical Quarterly “Gentry’s work is full of anecdotes that give life to the community, and her story illuminates an important chapter in Texas history . . . Gentry’s work should rekindle interest in Texas coal mining.”— Journal of Southern History

248 pages, Paperback

First published February 21, 2008

Reviews

[Melissa]

Read in preparation for a field trip to Thurber--we'll be working with the museum there for an upcoming exhibit.
Written in the 1940s but just recently published, this book tells the story of Thurber--a company town west of Fort Worth that was a center for coal mining and brick mining in Texas. Gentry gives a biography of the community, from labor disputes to housing to social lifes. And of course, how a town goes from a thriving community to nothing. Interesting stuff, but definitely a 1940s history.
My favorite parts--the biography of Gentry at the beginning. She grew up in Thurber and became a history teacher who traveled abroad every chance she got. I think she would have been a fabulous person to chat with.