ACME

NAME: Acme COUNTY: Hardeman ROADS: 2WD GRID: 1 CLIMATE: Warm winter, hot summer BEST TIME TO VISIT:Winter, spring, fall

COMMENTS: Near Childress. REMAINS: Unknown.

Not gold, not silver, not lead but gypsum was the reason for Acme's existence. It was a Kansan who discovered the deposits at Acme after having exhausted his source of the mineral at Gypsum City, Kansas. His name was James Sickler. Following his discovery in 1890, Sickler established his milling operation at the site that became known as Acme. He and some partners formed the Lone Star Cement Plaster Company. The residential part of town grew largely as a result of employees of the gypsum plants although it had a hotel, railway depot, general store and a school. Houses in which employees of the gypsum plants lived were constructed and owned by the company and occupants of the company owned houses paid rent. Today, the old Acme gypsum plant is owned and operated by Georgia Pacific Corporation. The town of Acme has virtually disappeared, never having been incorporated as a municipality. There are ruins of the once busy little town in the form of several commercial buildings, residential units, the cement foundation of the former company store among others. Acme is located immediately east of the Georgia Pacific Plant on spur 285 in Hardeman County. SUBMITTED BY: Henry Chenoweth

Gypsum Plant, 1908 Courtesy Georgia Pacific Corporation

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