Scenic USA - Texas

Each day Scenic USA presents a new and interesting photo feature from somewhere in the United States. Chosen from a wide variety
of historic sites, city scenes, backcountry byways, points of interest and America's best parklands, this site offers the viewer hundreds
of unique vacation destinations and photographic subjects. Each feature is coupled with a brief explanation. For further detailed
information, links to other sites are provided, but are never to be considered an endorsement.

Skellytown

Skelly Filling Station - Skellytown, Texas

Photos by Ben Prepelka

Skellytown Road Sign      Written off by some as a ghost town, Skellytown is alive and well. Located just a hop, skip and a jump from Amarillo, this small town's population hovers around 500. While the average unemployment in America is still quite high, Skellytown enjoys a five percent unemployment rate and lists within the top 350 best places to live in America. A few abandon buildings bring in the ghost town fans and this refurbished Skelly filling station segues right into the history of Skellytown and the Skelly Oil Company. Named for oilman, William G. Skelly, this Panhandle town was heavily influenced by the rich Roxana oil pool. Employment was centered on the oil business and the nearby towns geared up for support of pumping oil and its transport.      In 1926, three small towns around the Roxana oil camp existed, although without any utilities. Families burned wood for heating and cooking, and were forced to buy water. Skellytown - Old Truck With plenty of oil in this section of the Panhandle, the Sante Fe Railroad laid in tracks nearby Skellytown. Businessmen from Roxana literally pick-up their businesses from the foundation and moved to Skellytown. Main Street and Roosevelt Street were quickly lined with machine shops, warehouses, hardware stores, filling stations, a hospital, a pool hall and picture show.
     Today, Noelette and Roxana have all but disappeared, the oil fields have been tapped out, but Skellytown lives on and residents enjoy their small town atmosphere and friendly neighbors.

   Skellytown Map