LESLEY, TEXAS

Texas Ghost Town
Hall County, Texas Panhandle

Not on the state map
Highway 256
7 miles W of Lakeview
16 miles W of Memphis the county seat
SE of Clarendon
Population: 45 (2000, 1990)

Lesley, Texas Area Hotels › Memphis Hotels

General Store/Gas Station
Photo courtesy Dusty Martin, May 2018
More Texas Gas Stations

History in a Pecan Shell

In 1902 local resident James P. Montgomery opened a post office at his home and named it after his son. It remained in Montgomery until 1907, when it was moved to the town's general store. It closed in 1915 and mail was rerouted through Lakeview.

By 1920 the town had the school (shown), a cotton gin and three stores. A gas station and restaurant had been added by the late 20s. In 1937 the school was consolidated with Lakeview's ISD. The population was a mere 10 from the 30s through the 40s. By the early 1970s it had increased to 70 and it retained its gin and grocery into the 80s. Lesley had about 40 people in 1984 and it was forty-five by 1990.

Closed School now on fenced off on private property.
Photo courtesy Dusty Martin, May 2018

Lesley schoolhouse
Photo by Erik Whetstone May 2005

Photographer's Note
"Due to all the mesquite trees, I wasn’t able to get complete image of the front. The school was pretty interesting. It still has a majority of it’s old doors. It looks like someone was using it to store cattle at one point, there were numerous pins constructed throughout the building." - Erik Whetstone, July 26, 2005

Lesley, Texas, view of old schoolhouse from FM256

A view of the Lesley old schoolhouse from Hwy 256
Photo by Erik Whetstone, May 2005

L - Lesley School rear entrance.
R - Front entrance
Photos courtesy David Higgins, September 2005
More Texas Schoolhouses

Photo courtesy Dusty Martin, May 2018

Lesley Coop Gin
Photo courtesy Dusty Martin, May 2018
More Texas Cotton Gins

Liberty Cemetery
Photo courtesy Dusty Martin, May 2018

Liberty Cemetery near Lesley
Photo courtesy Dusty Martin, May 2018
More Texas Cemeteries

Old gas pump in Lesley
Photo courtesy David Higgins

Photo courtesy Dusty Martin, May 2018

Lesley TX Hall County 1908 Postmark info

Postcard canceled with Lesley, TX 1908 postmark
Courtesy The John J. Germann Collection

1940s Hall County map showing Lesley
W of Memphis
SE of Clarendon
Courtesy Texas General Land Office

Take a road trip

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