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Infiltration Forums > US: South > Stiles, Texas and the Famous Courthouse(Viewed 2626 times)
Peptic Ulcer location:
Katy, TX
 
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Stiles, Texas and the Famous Courthouse
< on 11/10/2015 2:25 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER ForumQuote
I have seen photos of this courthouse for years but never knew where it was. Recently, I ran across a note saying that it was in Stiles, TX which prompted the question, "Where the Hell is Stiles, Texas?". It was hell and gone from my normal route to Midland, however Big Lake was nearby and its been booming for years from oil & gas so I decided to take a 12 minute side trip to check the place out.

The actual town of Stiles is completely gone. The only thing standing is this building and a few campers being used as housing for the 4 residents. The county courthouse was built in 1911 and stood pretty much intact until Christmass Eve, 1998 when it was burned by a serial arsonist named Ralph Denton.

Courthouse History:
Source: The Reagan County Story - published in 1974

Stiles located on Centralia Draw and approximately in the center of the county, was the only town when Reagan County was organized, in May 1903. G. W. (Rome) Shields deeded the land to the county for the courthouse for $379.44. This property was known as the Public Square. The first courthouse was a small frame building costing less than $500. About a year later a bond election was held to vote $5,000 to build a more substantial courthouse, jail and stone vault. In November 1910 a bond election was held and voted $20,000 in 40 year bonds to erect a two-story stone building on the Public Square. The contract for this building first went to August Balfanz, San Angleo. However, according to records of the Commissioners Court dated Feb. 2, 1911, more than 30 days had elapsed and August Balfanz had failed to and refused to take the bonds and begin work. . . so the Court rescinded the order. Then on the next day, Feb. 3, 1911, the Court again met and awarded the contract to William Martin of Commanche, Texas "according to plans submitted and specifications filed." Mr. Martin was to begin work immediately and to complete the building in eight months. On Oct. 25, 1911 the new courthouse was finished and inspected by the Commissioners Court. On Nov. 13, 1911 the old frame courthouse was sold at public auction to T. D. Lucas, who was the highest bidder for $107.50

The new courthouse was built of native stone that was quarried from the hillside just about one half mile away. A. H. Garner, a newcomer to the county, helped haul the heavy stones in a wagon pulled by mules. Other men who hauled the stones were Tom Lucas, who used mules hitched to his wagon, and a Mr. Shepard who used donkeys. Mr. Garner was a stone mason by trade by trade but was unable to work on the courthouse because he belonged to the Stonemasons Union and this job was not a union one.

The building went up quickly and was a source of pride for all the area. Nowhere else in West Texas was there a courthouse to match this one in attractiveness and in value. But almost at once there was a dark harbinger of ill times. In 1910 the Kansas City, Mexico and Orient Railroad planned to build a railroad up Centralia Draw from San Angelo through Fort Stockton. But a prominent land owner in Reagan County refused to sell the right-of-way. So the line swung twenty miles to the south, bypassing Stiles. Big Lake was born in 1911 and just about caught up in size with Stiles in 1919. In 1923 the famed Santa Rita oil well was brought in near the railroad west of Big Lake. Big lake boomed and in 1925 a vote for moving the county seat to Big Lake was passed by 292 to 94. After that Stiles slowly died.

Utilized as a community center, the still attractive and roomy building was used for many community parties, barbecues and dances, and as a school for one year. The Stiles Dance Club used the building for years for their monthly dances.

The Ralph Denton Story:
The following was taken from the Big Lake Wildcat, April 15, 1999

ARREST MADE IN STILES ARSON CASE--Big Lake Wildcat April 15, 1999 "A Midland man has been arrested and charged with 18 counts of arson following a lenghty investigation by local officers and Texas Rangers as well as local and area fire departments. Ralph Durwood Denton, 62, of Midland is charged with arson in 7 counties, including Reagan County. In Reagan County, Denton is charged with fires at the Johnson farm, a building near Reagan County gin, the old store at Stiles, and three attempts at the Stiles Courthouse itself. The case against Denton originally broke February 16 when a citizen of Reagan County noticed a vehical at the site of the original fire at Reagan County gin. The citizen followed the vehicle and was also in communication with Reagan County Sheriff's officers. Sheriff's officers located the suspect vehicle at Stiles near the historical marker. After observing Denton, officers detained him for questioning at Reagan County Courthouse. At the Sheriff's Office, Denton was interviewed on videotape by Chief Deputy Daryl Reber and Big Lake Fire Chief Doc Robertson. Some alleged evidence was observed and recovered from Denton's vehicle at that time, including items known to have been used in arson cases. Denton is charged with arson in Reagan County, Tom Green County, Concho, McCulloch, Upton, Pecos, and Midland counties. Denton is retired from the U.S. Navy. He is currently in Midland County jail where he was arrested by Texas Rangers and arraigned. Bond was set at $250,000. Two charges will be filed in Reagan County. One charge will be arson. The other charge will be arson enhanced with an injury to a firefigther. Both charges pertain to the Stiles Courthouse. Locally, bond is expected to be set in the amount of $25,000 for the arson case, and $50,000 for the injury to a firefighter charge. In addition to Reagan County officers, BLVFD investigators, Texas Rangers Jess Malone of Midland and Jerry Byrnes of Ozona and most recently assisted in the investigation. Arson cases in Reagan County: 1. The old Pettit Home at Stiles was completely destroyed by a fire December 6, 1998. 2. December 24, the first attempt to burn the Stiles Courthouse was made. 3. On Christmas Day 1998, a second attempt to burn the Stiles Courthouse was made. 4. On Christmas Day 1998, a vacant farm house in North Reagan County was burned to the ground. Firefighters were responding to that call when they saw smoke coming from the Stiles Courthouse. 5. A structure fire at Stiles was reported at 3:00 p.m. Monday, December 28. That house was formerly the Jo Nell Carnes residence and it was a total loss. Also on Monday, firefighters in Upton County responded to a case of arson at the old Mule Train tavern, just west of Rankin. 6. On January 3, 1999 the Stiles Courthouse was completly consumed on the inside by a fire set by an arsonist. 7. January 7, 1999 a vacant farmhouse at Sprayberry was burned to the ground. Reagan County Sheriff Efrain Gonzales said, 'A lot of credit needs to be given to members of the fire department and a lot of others. We had North Reagan County under survellience for a long time and firemen went above and beyond the call of duty to assist in every way they could.' "


Below is taken from the Texas State Historical Association:

STILES, TEXAS. Stiles is near the intersection of State Highway 137 and Centralia Draw, eighteen miles north of Big Lake in north central Reagan County. Areas of massive limestone are found in and near Stiles. The area was on the Butterfield Overland Mail route in 1859–61 and was settled by sheep and goat ranchers in the 1890s. The town was named for Gordon Stiles, who donated land for the townsite. William G. Stiles applied for a post office, which was established in 1894, and a store was operated nearby. Because it was the only town in the county Stiles was chosen county seat of Reagan County when the county was organized in 1903. In 1907 John Marvin Hunter began publication of the Stiles Journal, the first newspaper in Reagan County. By 1910 Stiles had a population of 191 and a frame courthouse. The following year William Martin, of Comanche, built a new courthouse with stone quarried from a hillside near the town. In 1911 the Kansas City, Mexico and Orient Railroad bypassed Stiles in favor of a route through Big Lake. The original survey for the railroad included Stiles, but the right-of-way was changed to the southern part of the county when a rancher refused to grant permission for the road to cross his land. After the discovery of oil at the Santa Rita oil well near Big Lake in 1923, Stiles began to decline. Following an election on May 28, 1925, Big Lake became the county seat. By 1925 the population of Stiles had fallen to seventy-five, and by 1939 the post office had been discontinued. From 1966 to 1990 the population was estimated at sixteen. In 2000 the population was four.

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Explorer Zero   |  |  | 
Re: Stiles, Texas and the Famous Courthouse
<Reply # 1 on 11/10/2015 3:07 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER ForumQuote
NICE RUINZ!



Kirito location:
On a permanent photo shoot called life
 
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Re: Stiles, Texas and the Famous Courthouse
<Reply # 2 on 11/10/2015 11:03 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER ForumQuote
Excellent set, in some respects it reminds me of the pictures I've seen of Mayan ruins.



Link Start!
Peptic Ulcer location:
Katy, TX
 
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Re: Stiles, Texas and the Famous Courthouse
<Reply # 3 on 11/10/2015 11:28 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER ForumQuote
Thanks a lot! There are quite a number of places similar to this in West-Central Texas. Google Pontotoc, TX on images or look in the DB and you'll see even more like this. There's a ton of limestone all over Texas and since it was relatively easy to quarry, long lasting and easy to work with in a lot of cases the only things left standing in ghost towns are the buildings built with it.

I've now seen quite a few places like this and they always make me think of what I imagine old Roman ruins in the Middle East look like. I have almost two dozen sites plotted on my Google Earth with similar buildings and I'm now going through every town name ever recorded in Texas, looking it up on Google Earth and seeing if there is anything worth visiting. It's a ton of work but since I've started I've seen some pretty neat stuff. Hopefully in the coming months/years I'll have more to share with you guys.



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Infiltration Forums > US: South > Stiles, Texas and the Famous Courthouse(Viewed 2626 times)
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