TERLINGUA, Texas — The "Terlingua Ghost Town": abandoned homes and ruins make it seem as if the residents here just got up and left.
At one point, Terlingua had a population of 2,000 people, back when the mining industry hit a huge boom. But in 2019, less than 60 people currently reside in this town.
"Terlingua was one of the most remote areas in North America. 80 miles of dirt road to get here, no electricity, no amenities whatsoever," said Bill Ivey.
Ivey is the owner of the former mining town. His father first moved to the area to settle in the 1920s.
"It was when my dad first came. At one time, Terlingua was the largest community between Del Rio and El Paso.”
“We discovered not too long ago, it even had a tennis court… boy scouts, girl scouts, there were schools here, barber shop, places to dance and drink, but it was a one-man town."
A one-man town...that one man being Howard Perry who discovered mercury here and even developed the mining industry which in turn created Terlingua. Located here was the largest mercury mine North America and one of the largest the world had ever seen.
Eventually, the price of mercury dropped after the war in the early 1940s, which shut down the mines and ended with them getting auctioned off. This left most of the town looking like it does today.
"So after it closed, Mr. Perry that owned the mine pretty much said we're closed and everyone needs to get out of the mines, you've lost your job, town's closed," Ivey said
Many of the residents who lived in town passed away from the influenza outbreak in 1918. Until this day, if you stop by the cemetery, you'll see some crosses even dating back to 1903.
This spot has now become one of the most photographed cemeteries in the state of Texas.
"Every October, November, the end of October, when it's the Day of the Dead, Dia de los Muertos, they have a huge celebration here, and it's become more and more popular,” said Robert Alvarez, the Director of Big Bend.
“They'll be dressing up, they'll be acting and all that, and it's actually beautiful to come out here and see the respect that is paid by the families who actually have family members buried here."
Although the town shut down for many years, Terlingua kept the true meaning of ghost town. But it didn’t stay a ghost town forever.
In the present, visitors from all over the country and even the world come to visit and participate in many activities.
"It's more than just the national park, but it is the most visited. People want to come because there's not the lines to take a hike, there's not people crowding you everywhere.”
“It really feels like you're the only person in the middle of an 800,000 acre national park that we own right here on Texas. it's absolutely amazing."
"One of the favorite activities people like to do here is horseback riding so here at Big Bend stables you can ride a horse for an hour to half a day so what better way to view the town of Terlingua than on the back of a horse cause that's West Texas for ya."
"It's absolutely fabulous because we are just blessed out here with fabulous sunsets. West Texas all over the place has great sunsets, but here in the national park, when that sunsets, and then the pinks and the purples start glowing on the mountains, it's fabulous."
If you do pass through, you'll notice sitting right above the Chisos mines overlooking the town. It doesn't look like much from far away, but this was once the mansion of the town’s owner, Howard Perry.
Over time, West Texas weather brought the structure to ruins, until Bill Ivey decided something needed to be done with it.
"It finally got to the point where I decided it's either got to get fixed or we'll just watch it fall down."
Now this mansion has become a spot for visitors to rest their head. With two stories, seven rooms, each with a bathroom and yes, air conditioning. You can stay in this once-ruined mansion that belonged to the owner of the famous mine.
"We've kept the outside of the mansion as much in keeping with the ghost town as we possibly could without changing the footprint of it since it's such a landmark. My challenge was to blend mansion and ruin, and it's been a wonderful, fun experience," said Ivey.
Even the locals and folks like Bill, who are still keeping Ghost Town Terlingua true to its name for many years to come, know there's no more mining here. But if there's one thing that stays rich, it's Terlingua’s history.
"Everyone wants to be a part of the last best place, and we've been the last best place for a long time that we've known, but now we're being discovered. But Terlingua has its own spirit, I don't think you can really change that."
And just like the Perry Mansion, Terlingua Ghost Town may seem like there really isn't much to look at from the outside until you look a little closer.
Because on the inside, there's still an energy that lives here. Even in a small town of less than 60 people it is those in awe of Terlingua who can bring this ghost town back to life.
If you’re interested in learning more about the town of Terlingua, you can click here.