Outlaw Gas Station - Glen Rose
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PHOTO GALLERY - Click on photos to enlarge
Outlaw Station Rd Glen Rose Texas
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On Old Highway 67 in Glen Rose there is a crumbling yet somewhat majestic structure that silently stands bearing testimony to an era of forgotten Texas history.
Highway 67 has been relocated but the road leading here is known to the locals as “the forks”. If you come here from the north, look for the Exxon gas station with the banner advertising their fried pies and take a left at the light. The road will fork (hence the locals nickname) so veer off to the right and you will see this structure on your right when you go around the corner. A man named Ed Young owned this service station back in the 1920s. It is made from fossilized stones and petrified wood and although there is a large crack running down it's middle it is amazing it is still standing at all. The building today is nothing but a shell of the original structure. There is nothing on the inside but a large tree; you can tell where it used to have a fireplace though. According to the locals Ed Young began selling moonshine here during Prohibition and at one point was selling more moonshine than gasoline at his service station. Another rumor has it that Bonnie and Clyde were regular customers, but there is of course no way to substantiate this. Across the dirt path from the gas station was the White Rock Road House where its owner noticed the steady stream of automotive traffic at Ed Young's gas station and decided to get in on the action and soon he began to sideline his little roadhouse as a speakeasy. Soon sleepy little Glen Rose became known as the “moonshine capital of Texas” Travelers could wheel through Ed's gas station, pick up a gallon of hooch, park and stroll over to the road house to drink and if they imbibed too heavily rent a room and sleep it off. It was a “win-win” situation for everyone involved. All “good things” must come to an end and the lifting of Prohibition was no exception. The end of Prohibition took the profit margin out of the illicit affairs of both the gas station and the roadhouse and both of them changed hands numerous times in the following years. Ed's gas station at one point of the 1950s was converted into a grocery store but it and the road house both eventually closed-down and both buildings fell into the disrepair they stand in today. We drove there recently and explored both structures. There is a weird vibe that hangs over both buildings; if only those walls could talk. What stories could they tell? While we were there silence hung heavy over us as we explored the area interrupted only by the sounds of cawing birds and an occasional roar of a passing motorist. The road house is particularly creepy and looks like the set for a horror movie. The structure appears intact from the front but the south side of the building is collapsing. The second floor can only be accessed from some stairs in the rear but we heartily advise you not to enter either the first or second floors because the floors are missing boards and exploring the building is physically dangerous. As I explored the gas station it occurred to me that this place could well be one big rattlesnake nest during the warmer months of the year (the area is surrounded by woods and fields) and scorpions are quite fond of stone structures as well so if you visit it anytime between March and November, watch where you step! You Might Also Enjoy
Glen Rose - Dinosaur Valley (coming very soon) |
