Mr. McMurtry's hometown

Mourning black faded letters spelling "café" decorate a red brick building that once housed Chevy's. Antique shops and other establishments are not afraid to admit they need God's help with the drought. Archer City, TX, in Wichita County is where the mouth of the Trinity River lies. It's been dried up for some time now leaving the residents without much water or hope for fertile soil. Cowboys and oil field workers sit a top a wooden bench with metallic borders in front of Maud's Café shooting the bull about Leon Groves' golf game and the piss poor water they receive from Wichita. Cars, diesel 18-wheelers and pick-up trucks transporting cattle ride along the sun burnt pavements known as Texas Highway 79 or 25 (depending on one's destination). To paraphrase a Simon and Garfunkel song, "Where have you gone Archer City?" These are the tragedies ghost towns are built on... 

The hometown to famous author Larry McMurtry is slowly dying. Three quarters of his large book collection have been sold and is now down to a Booked Up Two, which have rare editions of Faulkner and other literary giants as well as his Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay ("Brokeback Mountain), a plethora of collectables and books he signed. Across the street in book store #4 only a few shelves are decorated with dust covered books that can be had for five dollars each. The University of North Texas' Archer City writers class, whose genesis predicated off of Mr. McMurtry's aura, is in its 10th year. George Getschow who has been in charge of the program for the last decade proclaimed at a Tuesday night confession in mid-July atop pick-up trucks and two meteor showers, that this will be it (at least until his book project is complete?). Unless someone who has a deep love for narrative writing takes the baton, this too, will be a piece of local history.

 

Somebody by the grace of God do something!

Streets are filled with characters from another era, including a red brick filling station that once served Panhandle and Fina customers. Right now, it sits bare as pigeons and scattered fragments of hopes and dreams decorate its empty interior.

 

Just next to it is the Archer County News, which is working into year 114.

The Courthouse across the asphalt continues to shine, but the heart is slowly fading into history. The Old Jail Museum, whose rustic odor brings the soul back to another era when Allis Chalmers tractors were in vogue, honors the community, but as each day passes, another chapter fades into the dust filled history books.

 

 

On a steamy July West Texas afternoon, Sam Welsh, Archer City's Economic Development Coordinator, opens up the door to the visitor's center, which have two red porcelain Mobile pumps protecting the structure. Until the early 1990's, the station housed many automobiles including a 1954 Nash. In its hey day a pyramid of tires and a crew of three brothers whose "Spit and Whittle" and Knowledge Club, a place where people smoked cigars or dipped and created ideas, reined supreme. The door opens and Jimmy Powell's powerful tribute to the station offers guests a snippet of what full service was all about. Two of the Walsh's boys Fred and Frank, who chomps his cigar, change a tire with care and precision. While their brother Ted holds down an air hose like a cowboy attempts to contain a calf while he brands them. The Walsh station was also on display in The Last Picture Show, a movie based off a McMurtry novel with the same title.

Today, it is home to brainstorming ideas on how to help the community.

Meanwhile, just down the street at Maud's, a grey haired gentleman with coffee brown sunglasses speaks to a roughneck with a five o-clock shadow, also known as "One eye bastard."

"Yea, it is a another hot one," the former cowboy from Oklahoma says to his younger friend.

"Damn drought." The One eyed bastard sighs, wipes his face and blinks his slightly tilted left brown eye. "If I could get a job where there was any kind of water, I would move."

Across the street just past the former Texaco station, whose owner is keeping the building hostage is the Royal Theatre, which was also introduced to the world thanks to the movie. Today, it hosts The Texasville Opry and numerous live stage productions. It has a powder blue façade and only three letters, "Roy," lit up in neon. Nonetheless, it remains a hot spot for locals and travelers alike.

Along TX 79 southbound is a local supermarket, Oodles and a under-the-radar sandwich shop whose friendly greeting and tasty sandwiches satisfy hungry souls, Lucky's Café. A few blocks down Highway 79 is a Dairy Queen where McMurtry spent months looking back at his life. Inside are scattered tributes to the local author, including a framed cover of Lonesome Dove. Time to order that Oreo blizzard.

While the winds of time have hurt the community, the spirit remains. Who knows what will happen when Mr. McMurtry passes on, but the town will not give up without a fight. As now an alum of the Archer City Writing Class, what in my power can I do? The answer may come or may not, but I hope to do my part in preserving this literally and Texas mecca.