In its heyday, Thurber had a population of over ten thousand residents, which made it the largest town between Fort Worth and El Paso. Texas is known for its cattle ranches and its agricultural farms. Thurber is remembered for its coal mines. Coal was the basis for the Thurber economy as the town sat on top of the only bituminous coal reserve in Texas. The mineral was discovered by a William Whipple Johnson in the mid 1880s. Johnson bought several thousand acres encompassing most of the underground mineral and in 1886 started large-scale mining operations. He closed the mines in 1888 rather than accede to certain demands of the miners. Later that same year, Johnson sold the property to Eastern investors who formed the Texas and Pacific Coal Company to settle the strike and continue operations. In 1917, oil was discovered on company land and indirectly caused the demise of Thurber. Since the railroads were converting to oil as fuel for steam locomotives, this change removed the principal economic base of the town. In 1920, the miners struck for higher wages, which the company was unable to meet and the mines were closed. Thurber struggled to survive but its fate was sealed. The site is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Thurber is bisected by Interstate Highway 20/U.S. Highway 80 in northwestern Erath County. SUBMITTED BY: Henry Chenoweth

A company town owned by a coal mining co that produced coal for the railroad.Bricks were alos produced here.At one time home to 10,000 people and 16 nationalites.Oil was found just a few miles away.The town still exist today with 8 people.several buildings are there and a cafe to eat at.See the web site at:www.thurbertexas.com Submitted by: Randall Reese