The story of Melvin, Texas is a typical one. The following is taken from the Handbook of Texas Online
https://tshaonline...ine/articles/hlm56 MELVIN, TEXAS. Melvin, in the late 1980s the second largest town in McCulloch County, is on Farm Road 2087 just south of U.S. Highway 87, fifteen miles west of Brady. It was named for W. H. Melvin, who built a ranch house in the area in 1874. The townsite was laid out in 1904, and a post office was established in 1906. The Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway built through Melvin in 1912. By 1914 the town had two cotton gins, two general stores, and seventy-five residents. The Melvin Rustler began publication in 1915, and the Melvin Enterprise was established in 1923 and was still publishing in the 1980s. By 1931 thirty-eight businesses served a population of 650. Melvin reached its peak population of 925 in 1949; the number of residents declined steadily thereafter. When Melvin was incorporated in the early 1950s, its population was 696. The railroad was abandoned in 1972. In 1988 Melvin reported six businesses and 213 residents, and in 1990, 184 residents. In 2000 the population was 155.
In speaking with several residents, the decline began in the 1950's when Melvin had 2 movie theaters, 2 car dealerships, and a town square that was surrounded by businesses. When the highway was built between Brady and San Angelo, the powers that be decided to bypass Melvin by about a mile. This spelled the beginning of the end for this little town and the nail in the coffin was the railroad closing.
Today the town of Melvin is not even a shell of what it once was. Decaying buildings, an aging population and a median income of $14,107 will spell the doom of this once prosperous town. I suspect that within 2 generations, this place will be on the long list of Texas Ghost Towns. I hope you enjoy the tour of Melvin!
1. The Town Square as it stands today. Most of the buildings in town have been demolished.
2. Downtown Melvin, TX today.
3. This was a general store with the Masonic Lodge upstairs. It was later turned into a bar.
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10. Left was the bank, middle was the barber, on the right a restaurant. 
11. The Barber Shop
12. The Restaurant. 
13. Door to bank/residence. The bank was converted into a residence for the current owners parents. When they passed away...well not much changed inside except mother nature.
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16. Vault Door
17. Vault.
18. This was the feed and hardware store. Nothing left now but a collapsed roof and the shell of what it once was.
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21. Empty house in Melvin, TX 
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27. This building sits at the intersection of the highway and the road to Melvin about a mile away. It used to be (and I'm not making this up) a bank AND a steakhouse. Both places went tits up in the 1980's.
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30. Kitchen
31. Food prep area.
Thank you for looking - I hope you enjoyed the tour! 
