“Age is a clever thief. It takes a little from you each day, so you’re not aware of your loss until it’s irreversible.” From “Light of the World” by James Lee Burke
If it wasn’t for rain and fog, manning the man camp gate would be booooooring.
We are situated about 10 miles southwest of Yorktown exactly 5.8 miles west of Farm Rd 72.
For the GPS aficionados among us, the coordinates are N28 59.5943 W97 38.3126.
Yorktown is our nearest metro center with a population of 2,092. So what about Yorktown?
The town was founded by a Captain John York, a famous Indian fighter. He defeated General Cos (never heard of the guy) in 1835 at the Siege of Bexar. He died in 1848 in another battle with Indians. The guy just didn’t know when to quit.
Yorktown seems to be just another old frontier town in Texas. I like what it is today. Nice people and most of the amenities.
Main street
A great place to eat.
Vietnam memorial on the north side. Some idiot plowed into this at 80 mph several weeks ago. Fortunately, the damage was minor. Unfortunately, the idiot survived.
A few of the older homes in town.
The famous Yorktown creek that runs through town.
The primary intersection looking south. Farm rd 72 and 119.
Yorktown does have one claim to fame. Harlan Block, one of the marines in the famous photo by Joe Rosenthal of the flag raising on Iwo Jima was born there.
He was killed the day after the picture was taken by a Japanese mortar. His last words were “they killed me”.
Recommended reading – “Flags of our Fathers” by James Bradley
“Secrecy is a vacuum and nothing fills a vacuum like paranoid speculation.” from World War Z by Max Brooks.
I think you’ll enjoy ‘Route 66’ Bob. Its downloaded in 4 segments (45 min ea) online. QUITE the trip!!! And Billy C..he’s great, his general love of life. I originally caught it on pbs.
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Thanks for the tip Bonnie. I’ll look for it.
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Great article! I love small towns and they all have a story…of some kind.
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Me too. Love small towns. The most wonderful people live in small towns. One of my favorites, Lyons, Colorado, just got hammered by the flooding up there. Sad.
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Yorktown looks peaceful, an atmosphere that I’m constantly looking for. That would make a great overnight trip for us. I would love to see Glenrio, as described by Bonnie above, but that’s a bit more than an overnight trip. Oh, dear…do you suppose we’re getting itch hitch at this point in the game? The house is due to be completed by mid-October and the RV will go up for sale.
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Yorktown is peaceful but I wouldn’t recommend a trip just to visit it. You could be getting hitch itch but it seems too soon for that. Maybe you should hold onto the RV for a few months.
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‘Yorktown’ reminds me….viewed Billy Connolly’s amazing ‘Route 66’ tour…he stopped in historic ghost town Glenrio, TX…with its ONE remaining inhabitant at the time. 2488 miles of wonderful American history. I especially liked one line Billy read when viewing a ‘collector’s’ wares…a post card read “the heart of the 60’s still beats”! Loved that…but more than that..its the collective heart of all who have lived in and loved this great Country that still beats! Thank you for sharing Yorktown Bob!
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Glenrio is right on the Texas/New Mexico border on I-40. Can’t be much there. I’m going to look for “Route 66” by Billy Connolly. Sounds interesting. We’ve driven several stretches of the old route 66 and really enjoyed the trips.
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