The Sinful Ghost Of An Ultimate Texas Panhandle Ghost Town

There are plenty of ghost towns scattered across the high plains in the Texas panhandle. Many of them have left behind some trace that they were there.

This one didn't, which makes it the ultimate Texas panhandle ghost town.

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Oil Booms, Bootleggers, And The Texas Panhandle

Many ghost towns in the Texas panhandle are the result of one type of boom or another. Whether it was the railroad coming through the area or the oil boom, there were always little towns popping up that weren't meant to last.

One such town is the product of the oil boom in the 1920s, and has close ties to Borger.

In fact, it owed its existence to Borger being cleaned up.

Belle Plain, The Ultimate Ghost Town

Belle Plain was a wild place. As law enforcement cracked down on Borger, the less law-abiding citizens moved to a little town named Belle Plain. Soon it would be full of bootleggers and ladies of the night.

The town peaked in the late 1920s. Even though it had the amenities you would expect a boom-town to have, it supposedly lacked in permanent residents.

That would prove problematic later.

The End Of Prohibition And Law Enforcement Crackdowns

The sheriff at the time was hellbent on cleaning up Belle Plain. He cracked down on those engaging in illicit activities and ran most of them out of town. That, coupled with the end of prohibition, led to the demise of Belle Plain.

The residents the town actually had all moved out. Even the buildings moved. Most wound up in Sunray. Others were just abandoned.

Not A Trace Is Left

According to the little bits of information you can find, Belle Plain would have been near Lake Meredith. Today, not a trace of this once wild boom-town exists.

It truly lives up to the ghost in ghost town.