So we continued our exploration, looking for a few signs of life in downtown Wichita Falls,Texas. We were really captivated by this town. Here are a few old houses:
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| Boarded up - but there's a pussy cat! I reckon people live here too.. |
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| The Munsters lived here - or did Norman Bates?? Fantastic old home!! |
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| They've got wood |
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| and I guess some folks still go to church?? Texas has been called the buckle of the Bible Belt! | | | | | | | | | |
Plenty of churches here, or there are other forms of entertainment, like this lovely, old Wichita Theatre, which is still happening!
This fabulous building is a Texas Historical Landmark & was built in 1908
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| Wichita Theatre at right, back in busier times , and unless my eyes deceive me, it is 1965 because the Jerry Lewis movie The Family Jewels is on at the cinema! | | | | |
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We came across an open Antique store, the Mansion II Antique Mall, which, hooray, was open, so we couldn't resist a look inside. What a wonderful jam packed place. There were three other humans in here also, the manager, a rather crazy woman who followed me around and talked non-stop at 100 miles per hour and a young man, her son I think, who was desperate to buy a Nazi Knife.
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| Not my photograph |
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| Rather battered Osmonds lunchbox. Maybe an Alice Cooper fan blackened Donny's eyes? WHAT?? |
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| Owner - Kenneth Cunningham ( not my photo ) |
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| How cool is this!!! But the possible damage on the flight home, or even just in my case travelling around, prevented me from buying this, and many other beautiful old knick knacks. |
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| I bought one item from this case..plus a framed copy of the item below. | | |
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For the history of this sign, and other derogatory, negative caricature "Drunken Injun" items click on green link below
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| Number plate covered fence |
We were not quite finished with Wichita Falls yet, in fact we could have spent several days exploring this place. But we had to press on, but not before taking a few photographs of this fabulous diner, the Pioneer, also closed!!!
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| Sneaky "through the window" photographs |
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| I can see a "ghost" in here - the "image" of a man's face, but I do have a vivid imagination. |
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| Maybe this photograph sums up why Downtown Wichita Falls seemed so neglected. The Freeway - cause of the decline of so many small towns. Of course there is the general USA problem with the economy too. But we would venture off freeways in many many other places to find once thriving towns that were now almost like ghost towns. Newer areas were built that had the housing estates, big shopping malls, chain Hotels & motels, and fast food restaurants, and that was where the people mainly were. | | |
It is very sad to see this how happened, and a really good warning to Australian. Hey- you in charge take note!!! The Freeway and the car, all in a big hurry to get somewhere else and leave all these amazing places behind to crumble and die. We were so lucky to catch quite a few glimpses of America's past. I want to go back. We loved Wichita Falls, Texas, and we would love many more towns like this as we continued our wonderful road trip - over the border into Indian Territory , Oklahoma and onto Route 66!
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