STUDY BUTTE, TEXAS

Texas Ghost Town
Brewster County, West Texas

29° 19' 29" N, 103° 31' 44"W (29.324722, -103.528889)

Hwy 170 and 118
5 miles E of Terlingua
78 miles S of Alpine the county seat
SW of Marathon
Population: 233 (2010)
Study Butte-Terlingua CDP. 267 est. (2000) 120 (1990)

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The Great Divide
TE Photo, 9-00

Study (rhymes with duty) Butte (rhymes with fruit) has about the same history as Terlingua (rhymes with nothing). Both were economically tied to the mining of mercury and both experienced the same booms and busts.

One of the differences the towns have is that Study Butte was named after Will Study and Terlingua wasn't.

If you're planning on visiting the area, you're bound to see them both.

Study Butte has a big arroyo running through it and fewer no trespassing signs. Terlingua has the picturesque cemetery.

© John Troesser

The Bridge at Study Butte
TE Photo, 9-00

Owner Financing

Study Butte Views
TE Photos, 9-00

Brewster County 1920s Map showing Alpine , Marathon , Boquillas (Mexico) and Sanderson (in Terrell County)
Courtesy Texas General Land Office

Study Butte, Texas Forum

As is often the case, I found your site while searching Google--this time for information on Study Butte and Terlingua. Your description of Study Butte, comparing and contrasting it with Terlingua, is *FABULOUS* and right on the mark. ... Thanks for the laughs, the information and the great photos. - King Douglas, January 12, 2005

... I was planning to stay one evening in Terlingua or Study Buttes in Brewster County before going into Big Bend National Park for a couple of days. Can you hear me laughing with embarrassment from there. I have a 1996 Rand McNally Travel Atlas and it shows Mentone and Terlingua as in the same population symbol as Gladewater, Texas (the town I grew up in about 6000 people). I also have a 1997 Texas Road Map and it shows all three towns. It uses the 25,000 and under population size marker for all three towns. It never occurred to me to verify how many people were actually in the town. After reading your site I read the population counts on the Texas Road map: Mentone has 50 people Terlingua has 25 people Study Butte has 120 people. .. I enjoyed your Texas Ghost town site. - Alvin Bittner, December 20, 2001

Study Butte, Texas Area Towns:
Terlingua | Alpine | Marathon | Lajitas
See Brewster County

West Texas

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