Shafter Ghost Town in Texas (Jan. 2009)

Between Marfa, TX and Presidio, TX you will find the almost deserted town of Shafter, TX.  Once you turn off the main highway follow the road around the bend, you will see several remains of the once thriving town.

Most of the buildings are made of adobe or stones. Some are boarded up and some are just ruins.

Keep following the road over a small creek and up the hill.

Shafter was once the home of a rancher named John Spencer. In 1851, he found ore that was rich in silver. Because the Apache Indians were killing settlers and destroying their homes, it was impossible for Mr. Spencer to think about mining the silver. He kept his secret until the late 1880's when he met Major Shafter. Major Shafter was the commanding officer of a cavalry troop.  Major Shafter raised money and started the Presidio Mining Company and began mining silver.

When mining was at it's best, the town of Shafter had around 4000 occupants. In the early 1930's, the price of silver dropped and mining ceased.  Now the town is home to half a dozen families.

The cemetery holds some of the towns previous residents. Some of the graves where just covered in piles of stones. 

If you are in the area, it is worth a few minutes to stop in Shafer and imagine what life was like in the late 1800's, and get a glimpse of the homes and buildings that were once part of a productive silver mining town.