|
|
Welcome to Telferner
Photo courtesy Ken
Rudine, May 2010 |
History in
a Pecan Shell
Italian Count Joseph
Telferner is the community’s namesake. The Count was the president
of the New York, Texas and Mexican Railroad which arrived here (completing
the stretch between Victoria
to Rosenberg) in 1882.
In 1892 a Well Fargo office opened and three years later the town
was granted a post office. The town was known as Jasmine sometime
before 1908 when it permanently became Telferner.
By 1914 the population had reached 102 residents that were served
by five stores. Other early businesses included a cotton gin and a
lumberyard.
The town’s proximity to Victoria
clearly affected its long-term growth and it remained under-populated
for years. In the 1970s things started to pick up and from the mid
1980s through 1990, the town had increased to 304 residents. It reached
700 for the 2000 census.
A Visit to
Telferner:
|
 |
Telferner Entity
by Traveling
Team Rudine
We often choose a destination and then select a route that includes
an unreported town. Heading south on Highway 59 just before entering
Victoria we turned into
Telferner, our town reporting choice of the day.
Surveying the town the cemetery direction signs beckoned us. Upon
arriving at the cemetery we found it was established in 1891.
The cemetery was well kept but after all those years appeared almost
empty. The only exceptions were 3 or 4 scattered graves and a dozen
graves in a row adjacent to the back border. It was certainly strange.
A marker that drew my attention was the all-alone obelisk. It was
discolored with fungi and difficult to read. Meaningful to me was
the inscription of Born 1838, Died 1902. Trying to make a legible
photo I took several exposures while a gust of wind tried to remove
my hat. |
Telferner Cemetery
Photo courtesy Ken
Rudine, May 2010 |
The obelisk photos
made were as good as possible. Meanwhile in the car my wife sensed
the need to photograph the windmill on the other side of the road.
She signaled that to me and obediently I reset my camera, composed
and shot. The wind was strong so I returned to the car to review the
windmill photo and confirm to her the shot was taken.
I saw the “smudged area” close to the windmill center but I decided
not to repeat the shot because I didn’t know why she wanted it taken
anyway. I got out of the car and made a gate shot instead. |
 |
Studying
the windmill shot later I found the scene normal except the wispy
image in the central area. I had set my camera like I do to shoot
clear photos from our car while traveling at highway speeds. On this
windswept day the camera froze the action of the rotating windmill
blades but not the unnatural misty spot. If it were an ordinary object
it would be frozen also.
This is what happened on our visit. Following overwhelming impulses
the result is the camera captured an unexplained image. We do not
know if Telferner is known for having a roaming entity. After this
photo from there we believe it should be known for the paranormal.
- Ken
Rudine, May 2010 |
Road Runner in
traffic
Photo courtesy Ken
Rudine, May 2010 |
| Texas
Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing
Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history, stories,
landmarks and recent or vintage photos, please contact
us. |
|
|
HOME
Texas
Gulf Coast
East
Texas
Central
Texas North
Central
Texas South
Texas
Panhandle
South
Texas
Texas
Hill Country
West
Texas
Texas
Ghost Towns
Texas
Counties
