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Talpa before
it was a ghost town
Early 1900s photo courtesy texasoldphotos.com |
History
in a Pecan Shell
In the same abbreviated way cotton engine became cotton 'gin, a large
catalpa tree became Talpa.
There may be 127 people living near Talpa, but from all appearances
it's a ghost town.
Being on the road between Ballinger
and Coleman, it developed as
a farm market and the railroad used it as a switching point. We'd
like to say more. It looks like they might have had an interesting
history.
See Talpa Forum › Talpa Stories |
Talpa, TX 76882
"Talpa
Yankees and their baseball field was located where the Talpa Post
Office is now."
Photo
courtesy Jim
and Lou Kinsey |
Talpa Depot in
1900. Back of picture says: Mr. W.J. Sayre was station master.
Photo courtesy Pamela Ellis
More Texas
Depots |
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Talpa
State Bank
Photo courtesy Donna Chevalier, June 2007 |
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H.E.
Evans in the Talpa State Bank.
Photo courtesy Pamela Ellis |
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Talpa
State Bank cornerstone
Photo courtesy Pamela Ellis |
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A
collection of bank artifacts from Talpa State Bank
Photo courtesy Pamela Ellis
More Texas Banks |
Downtown Talpa
Photo courtesy Donna Chevalier, June 2007 |
Talpa Texas
Forum
Subject:
Talpa ISD
I found your web site while searching for info on the Talpa, TX
ISD. My grandfather was Wiley G Clarkson, a very well known architect
in Fort Worth
from 1912 to 1952. He designed schools for many ISD’s during those
years. In a job storage index, he lists a set of plans for “Talpa
Independent School, Talpa, Texas Box 1 #185”. There are no dates
but I believe this school building would have been designed between
the years of 1912 and 1925. I am trying to obtain information on
the school building he designed to include on a web site about my
grandfather’s architectural projects. I am especially interested
in obtaining a photo of the Talpa School building and finding out
if the remains of the building are still visible. Any help in obtaining
this information would be greatly appreciated. My web site on my
grandfather is http://www.clarksons.org. - Wiley Clarkson, Wiley@Clarksons.org,
March 16, 2013
Subject:
Talpa Yankees
I was raised in Coleman and
in the 1960's, Talpa had a little league baseball team that was
part of the Coleman County Little League Association. They were
called the Talpa Yankees and their baseball field was located where
the Talpa Post Office is now. We had some really good, close games
with the Talpa Yankees. I always hated to see the baseball field
go. It held a lot of memories for quite a few boys in Coleman
County that played little league baseball in the 1960's. - Rick
White, Boerne, TX, May
11, 2012
Subject:
Talpa, Texas
Dear TE, I was born in a hospital in Ballinger,
but my parents lived on a ranch about 5 miles southwest of Talpa.
I lived in Talpa in the mid to late 70s and my son attended Talpa-Centennial
schools until junior high when we moved. I never had to worry about
drugs or theft and everyone knew everyone. I moved back from San
Angelo to Talpa in 2003 to care for my ailing parents and am
presently ranching and raising my oldest grandson. He will attend
Panther Creek schools this fall and frankly I feel he'll get more
attention and thus be exposed to a better education than in a larger
school system.
Yes, Talpa is small, and it is still shrinking, but there are new
families moving in every year. Immanuel Baptist Church is still
having services after all these years, and someone is planning to
open a feed store soon. I never looked back when I moved in 2003
and am proud to be from this small community. By the way, I am a
fourth generation rancher/farmer with one of my places acquired
by my great-grandfather around 1879. I am right where I am supposed
to be and where I want to be. - Carol Brookshier-Jones, Talpa, Texas,
August 23, 2007
Subject:
Talpa, Texas
Dear TE, I spent the first nineteen years of my life in Talpa. My
great grandfather, James Miller Brown, came to Coleman Co. around
the turn of the 20th Century. My mother was born in Talpa. My dad
A. N. Hudgins ran the Sinclair station that is shown in the above
picture and when hwy 67 was straightened out he moved to the highway.
This place later became the Talpa Post Office.
My wife's dad O. S. Sikes ran the grocery store (also pictured)
for many years. He came to Talpa from Fisk,
Texas and went to work for Ralph Edens in the Red and White
grocery store on the east side of the main street.
In my opinion growing up in Talpa in the 1950's was the best of
times. We were not saturated with the Korean War and congress was
not having hearings on everything that came along. The president
was respected whether he was a Democrat or Republican. I grew up
around many colorful people listening to their wonderful stories.
I regret that time and space doesn't allow me to tell them. - Roger
Hudgins, Forsan, Texas,
July 15, 2007
Subject:
Talpa's Heyday
Dear TE, I am presently in the process of transcribing hundreds
of letters written by my grandfather who was an officer at the First
National Bank of Talpa in 1909. These letters were written to my
grandmother who lived in Georgetown before they were married in
June of that year. He describes life in this "growing" town and
the promise it held for young people. He was 24 years old and 2
years out of Southwestern University. There certainly was life once
upon a time in Talpa, and one that many thought would become a booming
town in the 20th century. - Tom Walsh, October 19, 2006
Subject:
Talpa, Texas
I was raised in Talpa. My parents moved there in 1955. I attended
school there until graduation in 1968. When my family first moved
there, there were 3 gasoline stations, a variety store, two grocery
stores, a café, a drug store, a dry cleaners, the school, and approximately
236 people. Through the years, people either moved away or died
and gradually the population went down. I came back in 1975 and
taught school for five years. Eventually, the school, even though
it was part of a consolidated system, closed. The kids now go to
Panther Creek ISD. My mother still lives in Talpa in the same house
that my parents purchased in 1960. - Phil Decker, May 19, 2006
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