America's Ghost Towns: Frio City

DISCLAIMER: Please do not enter any private property if not legally authorized to do so. If you are unsure about a property's legal status, please consult with the owner(s) before entering.

Deep in the vast, parched emptiness of the Texas desert lies a crumbling jail that housed many famous -and infamous- names, including Jesse and Frank James, Sam Bass, and O. Henry. But this isn’t just a building. These are the remnants of an entire lost Texas ghost town named Frio Town, which was frequented, at times, by several historical characters, including the infamous outlaws themselves; yes, Bonnie and Clyde. Welcome to Xplore RC.

Located 16 miles northwest of Pearsall, Texas, Frio Town, also known as Frio City before 1886, is a ghost town immediately south of the historical Presidio Crossing on the Frio River. This river crossing is said to be where several historical characters, including Mexican General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, crossed the Frio River, and numerous cannonballs, swords, and sabers have been found at the site.

Frio City was originally laid out by A.L. Oden in 1871, and it became the first county seat of Frio County on that very same year. The first Frio County courthouse was built in 1872, and on that same year, this now abandoned stone jail was also built. The jail eventually came to house several famed outlaws, such as Sam Bass, Jesse James, Frank James, and writer William Sydney Porter, also known by his pen name, O. Henry. Bonnie and Clyde are also known to have frequented the town to buy groceries and perform other errands, and it’s said that their hideout was located nearby.

In 1877, the original Frio County courthouse burned down, and it was replaced by this now-crumbling two-story building, constructed from native stone, found in the local area. This courthouse reportedly once had an ornate walnut staircase when originally erected.

In the mid-1870’s, Indian attacks in and around Frio City caused the Texas Rangers to be called in, and many frontier residents in the surrounding areas sought shelter in the town. The last major Indian attack in the area took place in the spring of 1877.

By the 1880’s, Frio Town was still thriving, with its population hovering close to 1,500. However, even during the town’s heyday, the figurative cracks of its demise were already beginning to show. With the establishment of the town of Pearsall along the rail route, people began to leave Frio City, which had, itself, been bypassed by the railroad. By 1883, Pearsall had become the county seat, and in 1886, Frio City changed its name to Frio Town. W. Yancey Kilgore purchased the Frio Town courthouse in 1884, and it later came to house a general store, the post office, and in 1884, the Frio Academy.

By 1890 the population had fallen to 100, and by 1953 the townsite was mostly abandoned, with a Mrs. A.C. Roberts owning most of the structures, including the courthouse and roofless jail. By 1990, all that remained of the once-bustling Frio City was the Frio Town Cemetery and the ruins of the original courthouse and jail on the private Roberts ranch, as well as some foundations and stone chimneys of the homes of the original settlers.

At the cemetery lie the remains of several original pioneer families that settled here in the early days of Frio City, as well as the graves of six men killed in an Indian raid in 1876. The cemetery also contains the burial sites of a number of infants and small children, a reflection of the harsh conditions that once prevailed here on the frontier. The ruins of courthouse building are considered a historic courthouse by the Texas Historical Commission. Truly, you never know what treasures you’ll find in the culturally rich state of Texas, sometimes even in the middle of a vast, lonely desert, like this one.

As always, thank you so much for joining me on this adventure. Please dont forget to like this video, and subscribe to the channel if youre enjoying my content, as well as clicking on the notification bell so you dont miss anything. Again, thank you for watching. I’ll see you on the next one.

Music: Slinger's Song

Artist: Darren Korb

References:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frio_Town

http://www.texasescapes.com/TexasGhostTowns/Frio-Town-Texas.htm

https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/frio-town-tx

https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth685159/

Special thanks to: Unknown Ventures

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRHyBrX-akO-y3sG1xKvqMw

Видео America's Ghost Towns: Frio City канала Beyond Civilization