Saturday morning we set out to northeast Texas to the town of Ladonia, population *maybe* 600. The agenda was uncomplicated; no place in particular to get to by any particular time. The only stipulation was that we avoided the Interstate and other heavily traveled roads. Along the way we found many surprises and delights.
Please forgive the quality of most photos. I am an amateur photographer at best. My favorite things to capture are old historical buildings and nature, not always successfully!
This monument is the first monument erected in Texas to honor those who fought in the Confederate Army during the Civil War. It resides on the lawn of the Grayson County Courthouse in Sherman, Texas.
Here is the boarded up train depot in the old section of downtown.
A once thriving grain operation now sits idle and decaying. Windows are absent, weeds are overgrown, birds and small critters call it home. What seems ironic is that if the multi-story building to the left was located in Dallas it would be renovated into "lofts" and tenants would be charged a premium price.
Even the churches show their age. One thing that strikes me repeatedly is that even in a town as small as 245 residents there will be no fewer than 5 churches. Nearly all the denominations are represented.
I cannot adequately describe the sensation I experience when I see brick streets. I smile, I sigh with relief, I breathe deeply, I feel calm and rested. They relax me.
The architecture of this building was captivating. It is in the town of Honey Grove, Texas and currently houses the hardware store. Oddly, it is only one of a handful of businesses that remain viable in the town square. It makes me so sad to see these old buildings go unused and unloved.
This was and still is the bank. How charming!
Another side of the square with nearly all the businesses abandoned.
This one tickled me. If the link works, click on the picture and read the sign on the building. Surely this is a remnant of the previous turn of the century. Buggies, Harness, Seed, Feed, Hardware, and COFFINS.
More of this precious town boarded up. We literally felt we were in a ghost town. We only saw 2 vehicles moving and about 4 people total.
Yet another church. The cornerstone indicates it was dedicated May 19 in 1883. Of interesting note is that *many* of these old buildings in these towns are registered as historical sites in either the Texas Registry or, in a few cases, the National Registry of Historical Sites.
If I could show these much larger, you would note that nearly all these old churches have the most exquisite stained glass windows.
An old funeral home. It shows signs of its age as well. No doubt it was once a residence. There is a lovely home across the street which is for sale. If I was retired and wealthy I'd seriously look into it.
These buildings were dated in the late 1880s as etched into the masonry.
Another building that struck me as sad. No signs remain to indicate what it might have been, but the skeleton whispers stories of long-ago grandeur. Hotel? Offices? Retail establishment?
This church was saddest of all. It was once the Presbyterian Church in Ladonia, Texas. The colorful, artistic stained glass windows are shattered in multiple places and the bricks are crumbling from beneath the walls. It has an historical marker at the entrance but no one seems to maintain the site.
Even this home, showing evidence of former grandeur, now screams for some paint and repair.
This home advertises itself as a Bed & Breakfast. However, there is a great deal lacking before I'd consider it a place worth seeking out for a weekend of relaxation and self-pampering. The structure itself is in need of care and judging from the "collection" of oddities along the side porch these folks are in contention for the Fred Sanford Award. There is nothing to do in town.... no restaurants, no movies, no shops, NOTHING!!! The nearest town of any size is about 45 miles away.
This was the home of the Methodist congregation at one time.
And in the midst of all the decay and decline, one finds this home in its resplendent glory. It is a few lots down from the previous Bed & Breakfast and the old Methodist church. It appears to be lived in and fully maintained. It is gorgeous!!
As testament to the size of the town, here is the ONE fire engine, proudly owned by the Ladonia Volunteer Fire Department. Wonder what year this truck was made.
In Wolfe City there is a HUGE abandoned factory. I searched the web to find what could have been manufactured in Wolfe City in such a magnitude. All I can find is the town once had several mills, cotton gins, and was home to the state's largest cotton oil facility. Perhaps this is the site.
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