I'm thinking it's maybe a pylon base for a wind turbine - any other guesses?
When I was a kid, our first-order Metromess suburban neighbors across the street had a 'ranch' near Jacksboro (that's Jackistan for RPM), northwest of Barton's Chapel (Hwy 4 & FM 2210). It wasn't so much a ranch, as a little under a half-section, where we'd spend many weekends a year riding horses, motorcycles, or deer hunting (I never got a deer on that property, but did run over a rattlesnake with my Suzuki).
Never been there, but I want to vacation in Wizard Wells sometime.
Since 114 and 183 both ran through our town, we'd sometimes go out there via 114/380, and other times by 183 to 199 and 2210. Before I was a licensed driver, it was always a treat when Dad would let me drive from 380 south, or from 199 west, out to Tom's ranch. In the intervening 30-35 years, I've been out in that general area maybe 4-5 times. (To give you an idea how long it'd been - one of the last 'ranch' trips was an aerial visit in Dad's Sundowner, flying from Amon Carter/Greater Southwest Airport, before it closed to general aviation.)
So, last week, I'm out in that area, and looking south from 380, notice a line of wind turbines. Checking the Bing.maps birdseye from home that evening, I found that some of the eastern towers are on our old friend's former property, at the southern edge of a ridge/plateau line that, if my Texas hydrology hypothesis is correct, divides the Brazos and Trinity river basins.
If you look close/enlarge, you can see the turbines on the horizon.
3 comments:
Yep, you are spot on. Part of a wind tube tower. RE: Wizard Wells, not much left there anymore. The last time I was there, you couldn't even go through the bath houses. It was to dangerous. The building were either falling down, or had fallen down. I'm sure you were just joking, but wouldn't that have been fun back in the thirties?
Sometime in the early/mid seventies a cousin of mine and some other guys were always going out there riding around. There was an old man out there that didn't like anyone messing around those parts. He shot at their car, the bullet went through the trunk, through the back seat and into on of the teenagers back killing him.
If you get a chance Donald, ride up that way again and take HWY 4 south out of Jacksboro and follow it all the way to Cleburne. You and that girl will love that scenic ride, especially when you get to the river and follow it for 15 miles. It's rated as the number 2 ride in Texas on a motorcycle, but just as fun in a vehicle.
Great last few posts BTW.
In the '70s, was on the segment between JB and Barton's Chapel dozens of times (but not since then).
In the past five years, have been from Graford to I-20 a bunch of times - I really like the stretch from Palo Pinto to Lone Camp.
Have also driven the segment from Lipan to Acton (Fall Creek Hwy), but not from Acton to Cleburne.
Sounds like great fun on a V-Strom or in a Jeep...
Did you notice that the rock truck is passing on a double line,, plus going uphill on a blind rise...this is why rock haulers cause accidents..challenge all of your other bloggers to post this picture and see how far you can get it spread...
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