I believe Morocco was at a different location than Mohler. Your "Maps of the Big Bend" for 1908 and 1910 show Morocco just eastbound from Mohler. Also, the "Applications For Expenditures" for Mohler and Morocco are very much different. The Morocco AFE shows the "passing track and unused spur track" being removed in 1912, and Morocco disappears from the later maps. The Morocco map shows a warehouse which likely did exist, but I suspect there was never any town to speak of, even if it was platted and shown in the 1912 Lincoln County Atlas. But I hope I'm wrong and there was something of a town. I want to try to find the location where Morocco must have been, probably just a couple of miles from present day Mohler. That is double-tracked now, probably over the top of the original Morocco siding, but worth looking anyway. I'm absolutely loving your blog, finding all sorts of fascinating history.
Interesting. Sounds very plausible. I'd like to find out more about this. I've been meaning to catch up with the Lincoln County museum in Davenport to get more info.
In "History of the Big Bend Country", c.1904 is an interesting story (page 187). Morocco isn't mentioned, but in 1900 the Great Northern Ry. wanted to buy land in Mohler for an additional siding. Yarwood Brothers who owned the townsite wanted $1000 for the land, a price GN considered too high. So even though there was a small town and five grain warehouses at Mohler, GN removed the side track at Mohler and trains quit stopping there. GN planned to put a siding and station 2 miles north (easbound) of Mohler, which must have been Morocco. GN put another siding 4 miles westbound of Mohler which became Downs. The story says some building from Mohler were moved to Downs on flatcars. There are still grain elevators at Downs. Sometime later Mohler must have made up with the GN and sidings and warehouses were installed again. Mohler eventually had a store, school, and post office, but I don't think was ever much of a town after taking on the GN and losing.
I knew about Mohler dying a slow death, but to see the relationship between Downs and Morocco is quite fascinating. No doubt that you, me, and anyone that reads this might be the only ones who know about this.
4 comments:
I believe Morocco was at a different location than Mohler. Your "Maps of the Big Bend" for 1908 and 1910 show Morocco just eastbound from Mohler. Also, the "Applications For Expenditures" for Mohler and Morocco are very much different. The Morocco AFE shows the "passing track and unused spur track" being removed in 1912, and Morocco disappears from the later maps. The Morocco map shows a warehouse which likely did exist, but I suspect there was never any town to speak of, even if it was platted and shown in the 1912 Lincoln County Atlas. But I hope I'm wrong and there was something of a town. I want to try to find the location where Morocco must have been, probably just a couple of miles from present day Mohler. That is double-tracked now, probably over the top of the original Morocco siding, but worth looking anyway. I'm absolutely loving your blog, finding all sorts of fascinating history.
Interesting. Sounds very plausible. I'd like to find out more about this. I've been meaning to catch up with the Lincoln County museum in Davenport to get more info.
Dan
In "History of the Big Bend Country", c.1904 is an interesting story (page 187). Morocco isn't mentioned, but in 1900 the Great Northern Ry. wanted to buy land in Mohler for an additional siding. Yarwood Brothers who owned the townsite wanted $1000 for the land, a price GN considered too high. So even though there was a small town and five grain warehouses at Mohler, GN removed the side track at Mohler and trains quit stopping there. GN planned to put a siding and station 2 miles north (easbound) of Mohler, which must have been Morocco. GN put another siding 4 miles westbound of Mohler which became Downs. The story says some building from Mohler were moved to Downs on flatcars. There are still grain elevators at Downs. Sometime later Mohler must have made up with the GN and sidings and warehouses were installed again. Mohler eventually had a store, school, and post office, but I don't think was ever much of a town after taking on the GN and losing.
I knew about Mohler dying a slow death, but to see the relationship between Downs and Morocco is quite fascinating. No doubt that you, me, and anyone that reads this might be the only ones who know about this.
Good find. Thanks for digging this up.
Dan
Post a Comment