Once a bright spot on the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway and important agricultural town in western Oklahoma, Texola is only famous today for its status as a ghost town. Neatly set up against the border of Texas, lookie-loos will find Texola right off Exit 1 on I-40.
   Included as a city of Beckham County after Oklahoma statehood in 1907, Texola residents were often confused as to which state they lived. Numerous surveys moved the border eight different times, giving plenty of credence to city's names of Texola, Texokla and Texoma.
   Although Texola enjoyed plenty of new Route 66 traffic, most travelers were headed out of the state, driven out by the devastating Dust Bowl. By the time Oklahoma's section of Route 66 was complete the town had already begun its spiral downward. Achieving its peak population of 581 in 1930, today's Texola has dwindled to 36 residents according to the 2010 census.
   If you enjoy the history of Route 66 and old ghost towns, Texola offers a remarkable collection of buildings in various stages of decay. One interesting building, the Texola jail, remains in good condition because of its stout stone construction. Once a thriving community with several general stores, a bank, post office, hardware, three motels and several gas stations, it’s fairly quiet in Texola today. One of the few signs of life, among the many home sites that beg for your attention, is the Cowboy Wash on 5th Street. While the bar is closed down and other homes lie in shambles, there are a few classy remnants that hint at a once prosperous town.

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