You must be lost, this is a ghost town!

Appointed by the State of Texas as District Attorney, Temple Houston, (pictured ABOVE or LEFT) a fledgling lawyer and Sam Houston's youngest son, was one of thousands of game young adventurers who came through the "Hidetown" at Ft. Elliot in its heyday. *************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** >The Flats, Texas: Howdy and welcome to the worst place in Texas. A town so rough and so remote that it never really had a name, and the U. S. Army left it cold, and nobody loved it enough to stay; A town so awful that it had to be killed and forgotten. And welcome to some other hide towns just as bad... but unfortunately survived to create the death and debauchery we just call "the Old West." ************************************* You've heard of places like Tombstone and Deadwood because there were survivors, pioneers who built the towns and told their stories. The survivors of Ft. Griffin, also known as "The Flats," or just "Hidetown," left it to the coyotes. There was no gold, no silver, not much grass, and not even much wildlife. And nobody cared about telling it's story- of the people who passed through and then left with the dust devils. Everybody was too ashamed or disgusted. ************************************************************************* So I'm telling it now!***************************************************************************************************************** Besides Dodge City and Deadwood, the "Hidetowns" of Texas were the most lawless and downright horrible frontier settlements on the map. Whereas Deadwood had gold, and Dodge the cattle trade, Texas hide towns had little going for them except the industry built around the slaughter of the American bison, which only lasted about a decade. Few other places in western history can boast of so many real-life dramas acted by the most famous frontiersmen in America- Bat Masterson, Wyatt Earp, Billy the Kid, Temple Houston, Lottie Deno, Doc Holliday, Pat Garrett, Billy Dixon, John Selman, Jeff Milton, George Scarborough, Charlie Siringo, Ben Thompson, Britt Johnson and on and on. ************************************************** This blog is the culmination of years of research and writing and photographing and collecting and... it's too late to try to sell this mountain, so I'm inviting you to stand at the top of it and take in the view. All it costs you is your time. ************************************************************* This is the only blog where you will read original material, and see rare, never before published images, many of which are unique, antique photographs of these famous westerners. Compare and let me know what you think... and have fun, exploring the dusty conscience of a forgotten place that sowed to the wind, and reaped the whirlwind- Hidetown, Texas.