Mentone, Texas facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mentone, Texas
Census-designated place
Loving County Courthouse, the only two-story building in Mentone, is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Mentone, Texas Location in Texas Show map of Texas Mentone, Texas Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	Texas
County	Loving
Founded	1931
Area
• Total	0.17 sq mi (0.44 km2)
• Land	0.17 sq mi (0.44 km2)
• Water	0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation	2,684 ft (818 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	22
• Density	100/sq mi (50/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	79754
Area code(s)	432
FIPS code	48-47676
GNIS feature ID	1362622

Mentone is a very small town in Loving County, Texas, United States. It is the main town and the county seat (where the county government is located). In 2020, only 22 people lived there. This was a small increase from 19 people in 2010. Mentone is home to almost a quarter of Loving County's total population, which was 82 people in 2010.

For many years, Mentone was the county seat with the fewest people in the United States. However, in 2010, Gann Valley, South Dakota became even smaller with only 14 residents. In 1967, Mentone was recognized as a "Recorded Texas Historic Landmark" because it was the "Smallest County Seat in Texas."

History of Mentone

Mentone was named after a town in France called Menton. The current town of Mentone is actually the second one in Loving County. An earlier town with the same name was started in 1893. It was located south of the current town but was later abandoned in 1905.

A second town was built on that old site. It was first called Juanita and then Porterville. But this town was also left empty when Mentone was rebuilt in 1931. Most people moved to the new location. The town at the current site was first named Ramsey before it became Mentone.

Mentone's Busy Past

In its busiest days, Mentone was a lively place. It had five cafes where people could eat. There were also five gas stations, two hotels, and two drugstores. The town had two recreation halls and two barbershops. People could go to a dance hall for fun. There was even a machine shop and a dry cleaner. Mentone also had its own newspaper, the Mentone Monitor, which was printed from 1932 to 1935.

In the 1930s, about 600 people lived in Mentone. But since then, the population has gotten much smaller. By 2000, only about 15 people lived there.

Mentone Today

Today, Mentone is very quiet. It has a courthouse, which is the only two-story building. There are two stop signs in the whole town. You can find a gas station, a post office, and an old school building. The schools in Mentone closed in the 1970s. This happened because only two students were left. They then joined with schools in nearby Wink.

A group of volunteers helps with fire emergencies. However, there are no hospitals or doctors in Mentone. There are also no cemeteries or lawyers. For a long time, Mentone did not have good drinking water. The water from local wells had many minerals. This would clog pipes and even harm plants. Drinking water had to be brought in by truck from Pecos, which is about 23 miles away. But now, the water in Mentone is safe to drink.

Mentone has a very small church. It is the oldest building in Loving County. A minister from a nearby town visits every Saturday. They hold services there for people of different faiths.

First Female Sheriff

Mentone was once home to Edna Reed Clayton DeWees. She was the first woman to be elected as a sheriff in Texas. She was first appointed to the job in January 1945. Then, she won an election to stay in office until 1947. Edna DeWees never carried a gun. She only reported two arrests during her entire time as sheriff. This was not unusual for Loving County. Since the county started, there have been very few criminal cases. Later, Edna DeWees worked as the county and district clerk. She held that job from 1965 to 1986. In Loving County, one person handles several important clerk jobs at once.

The Free Town Project

In 2006, Mentone was in the news because of something called the "Free Town Project." Some people, including Lawrence Pendarvis, Bobby Emory, and Don Duncan, reportedly tried to buy land in Loving County. Their plan was to move many of their supporters into the area. They hoped to have enough people to vote and take control of the local government.

However, the county sheriff, Billy Burt Hopper, found that the land they claimed to buy was actually sold to someone else. The sheriff said the men had left the state. Pendarvis said he had proof of his purchase, but no official document was ever shown. The original landowners also said they had not sold land to these men.

Geography of Mentone

Mentone is located about 2,684 feet above sea level. It is on State Highway 302. The town is about 75 miles west of Odessa.

Population Information

Mentone's population has changed over the years:

Since 2010, Mentone has been part of a larger area called a census-designated place (CDP). This means that the population numbers from the census now include a wider area around the town, not just the town itself.

Education in Mentone

Mentone is part of the Wink-Loving Independent School District. Loving County's own school system closed in 1972. It joined with Wink's school district because only two students were left in Mentone's schools. All of Loving County is also part of the area served by Odessa College.

Images for kids

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  Loving County Courthouse, the only two-story building in Mentone, is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

See also

In Spanish: Mentone para niños