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U.S. Highway 287 - Hall County
| U.S. Highway 287 north |
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FM 658 runs south from US 287 through ranches to FM 94. Photo taken 05/24/08. |
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Estelline is the first town encountered in Hall County. It is the gateway to the Caprock Canyons and the old Texas railway. It is also a speed trap. Photo taken 05/24/08. |
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SH 86 runs west to Turkey from Estelline, which was named for the daughter of an early settler. The town once had a population of over 1,000 but today only about 150 people live there. Photo taken 05/24/08. |
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Caprock Canyons state park is just west of town. The canyon forms the eastern end of the caprock and has a maximum relief of about 1,000 feet. Unfortunately, around US 287, the land remains fairly featureless. Photo taken 05/24/08. |
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US 287 crosses the Prairie Dog Town fork of the Red River, or the southern branch. Just a bit further east, the river forms the border of Texas and Oklahoma. Generally at Estelline, it's totally dry. Photos taken 05/24/08. |
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A US 287 reassurance marker in northern Hall County. Photo taken 05/24/08. |
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Past Estelline, some of the caprock becomes visible to the north and west of the highway. Photo taken 05/24/08. |
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The next town encountered is Memphis, the county seat. Legend says that the town got its name when a local reverend saw a letter accidentally addressed to Memphis, Texas instead of Tennessee. He found it to be a pleasant name, and the townsite was built in 1890. Photo taken 05/24/08. |
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Memphis has about 2500 people with a population that is falling every day, the downtown is fairly abandoned. Photo taken 05/24/08. |
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SH 256 is an east/west state highway. The road is about 60 miles long and continues eastward from Memphis to US 83. Photo taken 05/24/08. |
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Memphis is located in the extreme northeastern side of Hall County. The railroad and cattle loaders are on the east side of town and thus the town is almost entirely to the west side (downwind) of US 287. Photo taken 05/24/08. |
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FM 1547 runs eastward from town through the local industrial areas. Photo taken 05/24/08. |
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Spur 2361 sits on the north side of town. It is very rare in Texas for a Spur route to have four digits, the author can think of no others. Technically, this route is the Spur of an FM route, and is only .22 miles long. Photo taken 05/24/08. |
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Spur 2361 connects US 287 with FM 2361 just to the west. Photo taken 05/24/08. |
Page Updated January 15, 2009.
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