Telegraph, Texas

Telegraph is a ghost town on State Highway 377, 13 miles (20 km) southwest of Junction, in Kimble County, Texas, United States.

Telegraph, Texas
Telegraph
Location in Texas and the United States
Telegraph
Telegraph (the United States)
Coordinates: 30°19′39″N 99°54′22″W
CountryUnited States
StateTexas
CountyKimble
Elevation1,854 ft (565 m)
Time zoneUTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
Area code(s)325
FIPS code48-72092[2]
GNIS feature ID1379144[1]

History

Biographer Robert A. Caro notes, "the town had no telegraph; it had been given its name because telegraph poles had been cut from trees near there during the 1850s."[3]

Ruth Holmes was appointed the first postmaster, when Telegraph was assigned a post office on February 17, 1900.[4]

By the 1890, ranches were established in the surrounding area of the Texas Hill Country. During the 1920s, camping on the river near Telegraph was a popular vacation spot for campers, hunters, and fishermen, with the only building of the town serving as the residence/country store/post office (which closed in 2009). In 1925, Telegraph had rental cabins on the river, and a gas station-post office-general store (residence of the postmaster).[5]

The general store and post office, built 1890-1900, was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1996, marker number 5219.[6]

Telegraph was about a mile from the ranch built by Governor Coke Stevenson, known as "Mr. Texas".

At its peak in 1966, the town had a trade population of 56 people, made up of people living in the cedar breaks and on the ranches surrounding Telegraph, using its post office.[7]

Notable persons

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen climate classification system, Telegraph has a humid subtropical climate, Cfa on climate maps.[8]

References
  1. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Telegraph, Texas
  2. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  3. Caro, Robert A. (1990). Means of Ascent. Alfred A. Knopf. pp. 155. ISBN 0-394-49973-5.
  4. "Kimble County Post Offices". Jim Wheat. Retrieved 24 February 2011.
  5. Gaxiola, Anthony B. "TSHA-Telegraph, Texas". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved 24 February 2011.
  6. "Telegraph Store and Post Office". Recorded Texas Historic Landmark. Texas Historical Commission. Retrieved 24 February 2011.
  7. "Escape-Telegraph, Texas". Texas Escapes. Texas Escapes - Blueprints For Travel, LLC. Retrieved 24 February 2011.
  8. Climate Summary for Telegraph, Texas
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