Dryden, Texas
Ghost town in Terrell County · Not an incorporated municipality
About Dryden
Dryden is an unincorporated community in south central Terrell County, Texas, United States. While one source indicates a population of 33, another suggests it has dwindled to 13, which can be considered a ghost town. ZIP code 78851, which includes Dryden, is estimated to have a population of 94.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How Dryden is governed
Dryden appears to be an unincorporated community or a census-designated place, so it may have no city government of its own — services usually come from Terrell County and its elected officials. The chart below is a generic template; readers can correct it if Dryden does have local officials.
Form of government not yet listed.
0 of 14 positions listed. Gray dashed boxes are placeholders waiting for a name.
Residents of Dryden
Registered voters elect the officials below.
-
Mayor
Executive
Not yet listed. Log in to add who holds this
The city's chief elected official. Presides over the executive branch, proposes the budget and represents the city.
-
City Manager / Administrator
Executive
Not yet listed. Log in to add who holds this
The professional administrator who runs day-to-day operations (in some cities appointed by the council instead of the mayor).
-
Police Chief
Administration & departments
Not yet listed. Log in to add who holds this
Leads the police department.
-
Fire Chief
Administration & departments
Not yet listed. Log in to add who holds this
Leads the fire and emergency services department.
-
Public Works Director
Administration & departments
Not yet listed. Log in to add who holds this
Streets, water, sewer, and city buildings.
-
Finance Director
Administration & departments
Not yet listed. Log in to add who holds this
The budget, taxes, and city accounts.
-
Planning & Zoning Director
Administration & departments
Not yet listed. Log in to add who holds this
Land use, zoning, building permits.
-
Parks & Recreation Director
Administration & departments
Not yet listed. Log in to add who holds this
Parks, programs, and public facilities.
-
-
-
City Council
Legislative
Not yet listed. Log in to add who holds this
The elected body that passes ordinances, sets the tax rate and approves the budget.
-
City Clerk
Administration & departments
Not yet listed. Log in to add who holds this
Keeps the official records, runs meeting agendas and, often, local elections.
-
City Attorney
Administration & departments
Not yet listed. Log in to add who holds this
The city's lawyer; advises officials and prosecutes ordinance violations.
-
Boards & Commissions
Legislative
Not yet listed. Log in to add who holds this
Citizen advisory bodies, such as planning, zoning appeals and library boards.
-
-
Municipal Court
Judicial
Not yet listed. Log in to add who holds this
Hears traffic, ordinance and other minor cases.
-
Municipal Judge
Judicial
Not yet listed. Log in to add who holds this
Presides over the municipal court.
-
Looking for your county, state and federal representatives too? See who represents 78851 or everyone in Texas.
History
The community was founded in 1882 and named for Eugene E. Dryden. He was the chief engineer of the Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railway, which established a section house at Dryden when building its tracks through Terrell County. Over the next several decades Dryden became a small center for ranching-based businesses. The headquarters for the Pecos Land and Cattle Company were established in Dryden in 1884. The company drilled a well that supplied the area with water.
By 1912, the Dryden Hotel had been established, along with a combined schoolhouse, community center, and church. Dryden had a population of nearly 100 by 1929. Two units of U.S. Army troops were stationed in Dryden during the 1913–17 Mexican border unrest. During the Great Depression of the 1930s, the railway closed the Dryden depot and relocated its crews, and the area’s ranches were eventually broken up. The population had dwindled to approximately fifty by 1970. The population continued to decline to 13 by 1988 although a general store was still operating in 1995.
The post office dated from 1888; however, the United States Postal Service no longer maintains a post office in Dryden. Amtrak's Sunset Limited passes through the town on Union Pacific tracks, but makes no stop. A stop is located 20 miles (32 km) to the west in the nearby town of Sanderson.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.