Albuquerque, Texas facts for kids

Albuquerque was a small settlement that started in 1857 in what people thought was Wilson County, Texas. It was founded by two men, Samuel McCracken and Henry Hastings. After the Civil War, the town grew and had a store, a saloon, a blacksmith shop, a cotton gin, and even an elementary school. Its post office opened in 1870. Today, Albuquerque is a ghost town, meaning it's completely abandoned. It was later discovered that the town was actually located in Gonzales County.

The Story of Albuquerque, Texas

Henry Hastings and Samuel McCracken, who were brothers-in-law, were the first people to settle this area in 1857. They chose a spot near the Clear Fork of Sandies Creek. At first, everyone believed the town was in Wilson County. However, a new survey of county lines in 1914 showed it was actually in Gonzales County.

Albuquerque officially became a recognized town in 1870 when its post office opened. The McCracken family ran a boarding house and a blacksmith shop. The town also had a general store and a saloon. An elementary school taught children throughout the 1870s and 1880s. The town got its name from soldiers who returned home after fighting in the New Mexico Campaign during the Civil War. This campaign was led by General Henry Hopkins Sibley.

Outlaw John Wesley Hardin's Actions

The area around Albuquerque was known for two serious events involving the famous outlaw John Wesley Hardin.

One event happened in October 1871. A black Texas Special Policeman named Private Parramore Green tried to arrest Hardin at the town's store. Another officer, Private John Lackey, was with him. During the fight that followed, Green was killed, and Lackey was badly hurt. Hardin managed to get away and soon left the area. He joined a group of cowboys driving cattle up the Chisholm Trail.

The second event happened on May 17, 1873. Hardin and another man named Jim Taylor attacked Sheriff Jack Helm in the town square. Sheriff Helm had recently moved to the area. He was staying at the McCracken boarding house. He had left his guns in his room while working on an invention at the blacksmith shop.

Sheriff Helm and Hardin had been enemies for a while because of a conflict called the Sutton–Taylor feud. While Hardin talked to Helm, Jim Taylor sneaked up behind the sheriff. Taylor tried to shoot him, but his gun didn't fire. As Helm turned around, Taylor fired again, hitting Helm in the chest. Helm tried to fight Taylor, but Hardin shot Helm's arm with a shotgun. Helm then ran into the blacksmith shop. Hardin held the townspeople at gunpoint while Taylor chased Helm. Taylor then shot Helm several more times. As Hardin and Taylor rode away, witnesses said they heard them brag about what they had done.

Why Albuquerque Became a Ghost Town

Albuquerque began to decline because it didn't have access to a railroad. Also, a nearby town called Union Valley, just two miles south, started to grow. The Albuquerque Post Office closed in 1883, only 13 years after it opened. By 1912, the town was completely abandoned. Today, it is known as a Texas ghost town.