Ghosts of Texas Past
For as long as I can recall, I've had a fascination with abandoned buildings, houses, churches, and other structures. I suppose I've always wondered about the stories these places could tell if only their walls could speak.
Sadly, my beloved home state of Texas is replete with small and/or vanishing towns or communities that display the ghosts of past years. While I hate to see the skeletal remains sitting forgotten, abandoned, and left to the elements, I confess that I'd love to know the stories they could share if only the walls could talk.
Gilberto Ramirez came to Texas at age 17 to look for work. In 1939, a restaurateur named Luis Diaz sold part of his Mexican café to Gilberto for $600. "Gilbert" bought out Diaz's share of the business in 1943 and built this location in 1952. A decade later, they built a second location. Both locations eventually closed their doors permanently in 2017, after almost 70 years of doing business.
One of the filming locations for the 1996 film, Michael starring John Travolta. The building was used for the scene of the Milk Bottle Motel. Multiple fake buildings/props were built-up around this old store for the film, then torn down afterward.
And maybe a mile or two down the road, this abandoned convenience store in Bastrop County was used in Episode 509 of the TV series Fear the Walking Dead. (Special thanks to a longtime resident of the area who contacted me with the correct information regarding both of these places!)
Some places stick in your memory...for a number of reasons. I still remember seeing this old place sitting directly across the street from the store we had stopped at to refuel, on the morning we started our move from Texas to Wyoming. All I had with me at that time was my iPhone, but I managed to snap a shot of this old place. If you look up "Aspermont, TX" on Google Maps, you can still see this old place sitting there.
