Indianola: The Texas Town Erased from Existence

This Texas ghost town still retains memories from when she was an icon of West Texas and the county seat of Calhoun County. But that was long ago, and time has buried her splendor.

Chapter 1: Early Port Settlement

As early as 1844, Indianola, known then as Indian Point, was a port of entry for German immigrants known as Verein colonists. This was a part of a massive push from Germany to colonize parts of Texas soil in the first half of the 19th century.

When the port was informed that they were about to receive over 4,000 German colonists, they decided to establish the land as a settlement, later changing its name to Indianola in 1849.

Chapter 2: A Thriving Texas Town

For decades since 1849, the town's port served the U.S. military in numerous ways, acting as a crucial middle-man for U.S./Mexico relations.

Also, the U.S. Camel Corps, in efforts to replace horses with camels as pack animals in southern portions of the country, received cargoes of these humped beasts through Indianola's ports.

During the civil war, Indianola was used to occupy Union soldiers on more than one occasion in 1862 and 1863.

Six years later, in 1869, the world's first mechanically-refrigerated shipment of beef departed from the docks of Indianola on its journey to New Orleans.

Chapter 3: The Birth of a Ghost Town

The Texas port settlement with limitless potential saw nothing but growth and expansion, until one fateful storm.

September, 1875: Indianola fell prey to a massive tropical storm along the Gulf Coast that nearly decimated the town, killing two lighthouse keepers in the process.

The town rebuilt, but about 10 years later, in 1886, Poseidon stretched his hand over the bustling town once more, this time for good.

The town was soon abandoned when the wreckage was past the point of no return. the county seat of Calhoun County was moved to a different town, and the post office was permanently closed. Indianola was officially declared dead in 1886.

To this day, the site is considered a ghost town, with portions of the area dedicated to a small unincorporated fishing village.