Small Towns

Being Texan |
January 22, 2020

Small Towns, Big Money

Across the state, small towns are fading away. But in a few places, rich people are spending big to revive them. And that comes with its own set of complications.

By Texas Monthly

Feature |
August 31, 2004

Reversal of Fortune

Eight years ago, 42 people in the West Texas town of Roby—7 percent of the population—pooled their money, bought lottery tickets, and won $46 million. And that's when their luck ran out.

By Pamela Colloff

The Culture |
July 31, 2001

Queen of the Rodeo

For teenage girls in the Hill Country town of Llano, life can be short on glamour and excitement—except at the annual rodeo, when one of them gets a rhinestone tiara and a rare, thrilling moment of glory.

By Pamela Colloff

The Stand Up Desk |
April 30, 1999

Small Talk

ISSUES LIKE YOUR LATEST, “The Best of Small-Town Texas” [March 1999], are why we moved back to Texas. Gary Salyer ArlingtonI CANNOT IMAGINE LIVING ANYWHERE ELSE but Hico. I love this town. Everything you said about small towns is so right. The ambience makes up for the lack of

By Texas Monthly

The Inside Story |
March 1, 1999

Let’s Get Small

For this month’s special issue, twelve writers and five photographers took to the back roads of Texas in search of the things to do and places to go in the little towns of our vast state. All told, they covered more than 41,000 miles in 169 days, taking in everything

By Eileen Schwartz

Art |
May 31, 1992

Picture Perfect

As the sole studio photographer in Granger from 1924 to 1955, John Trlica recorded on film most of the important occasions—public and private—in the Central Texas farming community. Because Trlica kept meticulous records and saved every negative, his shop became the repository for an intensely documented history of a small

By Texas Monthly

Business |
September 30, 1989

The Day Leroy Died

When a small private bank was closed on August 7, depositors lost all of their money, a pillar of the community came tumbling down, and the town’s trusting way of life was shattered.

By Dana Rubin

Being Texan |
May 31, 1984

Last Respects

The death of Uncle Henry saddened my whole far-flung family, but the gathering at his funeral was an occasion for telling stories and recalling the joys of a small-town upbringing.

By Anne Dingus

Texas History |
April 30, 1977

The Other Texas

Rio Grande City Michael Patrick Houston Suzanne Paul Austin Harry Boyd Rosenberg Joe Baraban Ingram Harry Boyd Hillsboro Nicolas Russell Martindale

By Texas Monthly