Oklahoma Ghost Towns 12. Earlsboro (Pottawatomie County)
Contrary to the quiet scene on Main Street today with its deserted buildings, Earlsboro once had a serious traffic problem. Formed in 1891 and originally named Boom-De-Ay, Earlsboro was nicknamed "Whiskey Town;" its three saloons and one grocery store catering to customers from liquor-forbidden Indian Territory a few miles away. In 1926 the first oil well blew in, and the Greater Seminole field started flowing at a rate of 200 barrels a day. Frenzied drilling drew a population that some estimated as high as 10,000. A fourstory brick hotel was built, along with many businesses. Residences went up so fast there was no time to pave the streets. With heavy traffic, every street either raised a cloud of dust or became clogged with mud. Traffic moved so slowly that it sometimes took half an hour to drive the crowded three blocks of Main Street. The rain was so bad in the fall of 1926 that cars and trucks were abandoned in favor of horses. With no postal delivery, lines a block long formed just to pick up mail. There were so few rooms in town that people rented out tent space in their backyards for twenty-five dollars a month. As oil developments in nearby fields lured workers away from Earlsboro, activities settled down, and facilities were improved. Streets were paved, utilities brought in, and homes and businesses were solidly built. By the 1940s, however, the boom was over and the town declined. Located east of Tecumseh on US-270.
13. Fallis (Lincoln County)
Located near the Iowa Tribal Lands and first known mission, the town got its start about 1892 and soon became a cotton- growing center. The beautiful natural setting of Fallis also became a literary wellspring from the 1930s to the 1960s. Koko Knoll, the home of Blanche Seal Hunt whose children's stories were well known to the readers of Household Magazine for over twenty years, was located here. Hunt's friend, Beulah Rhodes Overman, who wrote detective stories, and Jenny Harris Oliver, named the Oklahoma poet laureate of 1940, also settled here. The western novel writer Vingie E. Roe made Fallis the setting for her novel Divine Egoist. Aletha Caldwell Connor and Cecil Brown, both notable Oklahoma poets lived and worked in the area as well. Another resident, Delbert Davis, was named poet laureate of Oklahoma in 1963. Most of these authors knew each other and served at various times as critics for one another. Little remains of this once lively literary enclave. Located northwest of Wellston.
14. Francis (Pontotoe County)
When the Frisco tracks were extended from Tulsa to Sherman in 1902, a level area in the center of Francis was used to lay a number of rail sidings. This became the nucleus of a major railyard, with division headquarters, a large roadhouse, and railcar repair shops. Businesses in the town began to cater to the railroad folk, and two hotels, two banks, and two restaurants were opened to serve the traveling public. Since the trains were scheduled to change crews here, one of the famous Harvey Houses was established for the waiting passengers, including a two-story home for the Harvey Girls town, and a jeweler advertised that he kept watches running on railroad time. At its peak around 1915, the town boasted a population of about 2,000. In 1916, however, the Frisco began to move its offices and facilities, and the town declined. Ruts from the Dragoon Expedition of 1834 are still visible in the area. Located northwest of Ada.
15. Gene Autry (Carter County)
Just south of the Arbuckle Mountains lies a little town that knew one day of state and national fame. Known for most of its previous existence as Berwyn, it acquired a post office in 1883, and the surrounding residents used its shops and stores for stocking up on Saturday. Then, in the autumn of 1941, Gene Autry, the famous movie cowboy, purchased a 1,200-acre ranch just west of town. With the approval of postal authorities and the Santa Fe Railroad, plans were made to change the name of the town in a glorious ceremony on November 16 to coincide with the 34th anniversary of Oklahoma statehood. The celebration included a parade and a stage show. Food and drink stands proliferated, some of them serving buffalo meat, and Indians were imported to set up tepees. Dignitaries, including the governor, addressed a crowd of 35,000. Autry himself made a speech in which he promised to spend a quarter of a million dollars on ranch improvements to make it a showplace and headquarters of his traveling rodeo. Movie companies sent newsreel cameramen, and live radio broadcasts went out across the state and nation. Three weeks later, on December 7, 1941, America was plunged into war. Gene Autry was inducted into the armed forces, and his plans for the ranch were abandoned. During World War II, the community enjoyed a bit of prosperity when large aviation facilities were located north of town, and many workers made Gene Autry their homes. After the war, the town declined. Located northeast of Ardmore.
