Birth of a Texas Ghost Town: Thurber, 1886–1933

Index

Index air pollution, xvii African Americans: mentioned, 128; as miners, 41–42, 44, 47, 149–50, 155–56; observe 1902 mercantile store fire, 81; organized as union members, 59; residences of, 98; as residents of Thurber, 98, 161–62 alcohol abuse, 49, 51, 109. See also saloons , liquor, whiskey, wine Alzheimer’s Disease, xxxiv–xxxv arbors. See grapes Armstrong, Thos., 27 Astronovitsky, Mr. (resident of Thurber), 129 Austin, Tex.: Mary Jane Gentry as student in, xviii–xxii; Mary Jane Gentry as teacher in, xxviii–xxix; Texas State Historical Association meetings in, xx, xxiv, xxvii; Thurber brick pavement in Congress Avenue at, 30 badger fights: discussion of, 122–27; mentioned, xxxix, 113, 114, 147 bakery, 78, 80 balls. See dances band stand, 97, 118 banks: distrust of, 135–36; Fort Worth National, 140; in Italy, 136 barbecue, 56, 119 barber shop, 85, 97 baseball: mentioned, 143; field at end of Park Row, 99; field on Graveyard Hill, 121 baths in hotels, 105 bed frame used as cemetery fence, 103 beer: brewed during prohibition, 137; consumed after badger fights, 112, 127; consumed in Italian homes, 134; sold in saloons, 52, 53–54; 91–93 Bellville, Ill., 155 Bennett, Randy, xi Bercilli, Anton, 104 Beveridge, Robert, 25–27 Bida Family, xvii, 145 Biesle, Rudolph L., xxii, 168–69n13 Big Lake (Thurber, Tex.), 107, 121–22, 160 Binney, Charles, Dr., 162 Biondi Family, xvii, 145 birdcages, 79 “Black Diamond” (train), 17, 22, 23, 81. See also railroads Blackwell, James, 26 boarding, 132, 133, 134 boating, 121–22 boccie ball (game), 134 Bookman, Ben, 26 Bookman, Harry, 26 Boston, Mass., xv Index 194 boxing, 11 Boyd, Bill, 141 Brachney, S.F., 65 Bradford (dry goods store operator), 50 brandy, 137 Brazil, Ind., 41–42 bread, 147; ovens for baking, 100, 132, 147 Breckenridge, Tex., 32 Brewster, Mr. (night engineer), 25 brick plant: closed during 1903 exodus, 63; closed permanently, 140; employees at, organized for union, 69–70; mentioned, 97, 99; Peter Hanraty employee at, 57 bricks: manufactured at Thurber, xvii, xviii, 14, 29–33; manufacturing procedure , 30–32; paving, 30; superseded as paving material by asphalt, 32 Bridgeport, Tex., 56 Brown, Robert, 157 Bruce, Mr. (saloonkeeper), 49–55 Buchanan, E., 119, 144 Buffo, Antonio, Family, 136, 137–38 Buffo Family, xvii, 145 buggies, 78, 130, 131 “bull pen” (area of Thurber enclosed by a fence), 9–10, 78, 156, 160–62 butter, 161 cakes. See pastries “Calamity Jane” (locomotive), 23 Campbell, C.S., 89–90, 110 canned food, 81 Carroll, H. Bailey, xxiii, xxiv, xxix–xxx, 174n28 Carson and Lewis Mine (Millsap, Tex.), 4 cattle, 142 cedar trees, 1, 2, 5 cellars, 132 cemetery: description of, 102–104; photographs of, 102, 103; as vantage point for viewing town, 97, 98 Cemetery Hill (Thurber, Tex.). See Graveyard Hill chamber pots, 127 check. See scrip check office, 145 cheese, 132, 136 chicken, 136, 161 children: consume grapes, 133; departure of, at abandonment of town, 146; entertained at Mardi Gras, 136; graves of, 103; return of, to Europe, 137–38; shop for parents, 82–83; wine consumption by, 133 Christmas: food gifts from company to employees, 88; trees, 88–89 churches: African-American, 112; Baptist, 112, 116; Catholic 99, 112, 131, 160; Christian, 101, 112; Episcopal, 112; mentioned, 95, 143; Methodist, 99, 112; Presbyterian, 112, 116; in Thurber, 111–12 Church Street (Thurber, Tex.), 98, 140, 141 Chyz Family, xvii, 145 Clay County, Ind., 156 Cleveland, Grover (U.S. President), 156 Clinton, Mr. (miner at Thurber), 38 clothes: worn by miners, 145; worn by R.D. Hunter, 158 club house. See Hunter Fishing and Boating Club Cisco, Tex., 30 Civil War, veterans of, 81 coal: deposits of, in Thurber area, 3–4; discovery of, by William W. Johnson, 5–6; donated to all Thurber churches, Index 195 111–12; mined at Gordon, Tex., 3–6; mined at Thurber, xvii, xviii, 14–29; mine locations, 14–15; Mine New No. 1, 15, 19–20; Mine New No. 2, 15; Mine New No. 3, 15, 160; Mine No. 1, 15, 152–53, 160; Mine No. 2, 153, 160; Mine No. 3, 15, 99; Mine No. 4, 15; Mine No. 5, 15, 24–28; Mine No. 6, 15; Mine No. 7, 15, 118–19; Mine No. 8, 15, 28; Mine No. 9, 15, 16; Mine No. 10, 15, 16, 20, 61–62; Mine No. 11, 15, 16, 17; Mine No. 12, 15; mines close at Thurber, 73; mines as...