Chillicothe, a Shawnee term meaning “principal town,” was established in 1883. It also received the nickname “Iris Village” from its abundance of the flower. Despite the number of closed buildings giving a ghost town feeling, nearly 700 residents still call it home. This is much lower than its peak of 1,600 in the 1930’s; however, the decline was slow and steady since that time.
Chillicothe is still a welcoming community with pride in their Eagles high school football team and supports local business like the Turquoise Coffee Stop which claims to have the best coffee in Texas and has 407 5-star reviews.
So why is so much left behind? Most businesses on the main road are decaying. The local hospital recently closed as well. Several blocks north of train tracks seem to have been totally forgotten with abandoned homes and no street signs on unpaved roads. The most recent activity seems to be from people dumping tires and furniture. What will Chillicothe look like in the future? A continued presence of so many abandoned structures? Repurposed buildings or demolition for parks?
