Chalk Mountain, Texas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Chalk Mountain, Texas
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 Chalk Mountain, Texas
Location in Texas
Chalk Mountain, Texas
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Erath |
| Elevation | 1,204 ft (367 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-6 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
76649
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| Area code(s) | 254 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1332619 |
Chalk Mountain is a small community in Erath County, Texas, United States. It is called an unincorporated community. This means it is not officially part of a city or town. It is located along U.S. Route 67. This is near the border of Somervell County. It is about 12 miles southwest of Glen Rose. In 2009, Chalk Mountain was known for a meteorite hoax.
Climate in Chalk Mountain
The weather in Chalk Mountain has hot, humid summers. The winters are usually mild to cool. This type of weather is called a humid subtropical climate. On climate maps, it is shown as "Cfa".
The Meteorite Hoax
In May 2009, something strange happened in Chalk Mountain. People thought a giant meteorite had crashed there. A professor named Manfred Cuntz from the University of Texas at Arlington was called to investigate. He was an expert in astronomy.
Other experts and a TV crew from Fox News also came to the site. They found a huge gray-white rock. It was about the size of a refrigerator. It was at the end of a long trench. Some trees nearby were broken. But there were no signs of fire or burning. This was unusual for a meteorite crash.
Arthur Ehlmann, a geology professor, examined the rock. He was an expert in meteoric research. He found that the rock was made of limestone. Limestone is a common rock found in the area. Real meteorites are usually not made of limestone.
Local newspapers and TV stations made the story very exciting. They tried to explain how it could be a meteorite. Even though it was made of limestone and showed no burn marks. A meteorite of that size would have caused a lot of damage. But nothing like that happened.
Later, Professor Cuntz found out something interesting. The property owner also owned a company that moved earth and rocks. Their website said they could move rocks of any size. Cuntz told the TV station that he thought the meteorite impact was a trick. After that, the TV station removed the news story from their website.
Notable People
- Jerry Naylor: He was a recording artist, a disc jockey, and a TV and radio personality.
