Silver, Texas
Ghost town in Coke County · Not an incorporated municipality
About Silver
Silver is an unincorporated community in northwestern Coke County, Texas, United States. According to the Handbook of Texas, the community had a population of 60 in 2000.
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How Silver is governed
Silver 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 Coke County and its elected officials. The chart below is a generic template; readers can correct it if Silver 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 Silver
Registered voters elect the officials below.
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Mayor
Executive
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The city's chief elected official. Presides over the executive branch, proposes the budget and represents the city.
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City Manager / Administrator
Executive
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The professional administrator who runs day-to-day operations (in some cities appointed by the council instead of the mayor).
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Police Chief
Administration & departments
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Leads the police department.
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Fire Chief
Administration & departments
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Leads the fire and emergency services department.
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Public Works Director
Administration & departments
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Streets, water, sewer, and city buildings.
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Finance Director
Administration & departments
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The budget, taxes, and city accounts.
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Planning & Zoning Director
Administration & departments
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Land use, zoning, building permits.
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Parks & Recreation Director
Administration & departments
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Parks, programs, and public facilities.
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City Council
Legislative
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The elected body that passes ordinances, sets the tax rate and approves the budget.
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City Clerk
Administration & departments
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Keeps the official records, runs meeting agendas and, often, local elections.
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City Attorney
Administration & departments
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The city's lawyer; advises officials and prosecutes ordinance violations.
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Boards & Commissions
Legislative
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Citizen advisory bodies, such as planning, zoning appeals and library boards.
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Municipal Court
Judicial
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Hears traffic, ordinance and other minor cases.
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Municipal Judge
Judicial
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Presides over the municipal court.
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History
In the 1870s, Silver was a ranching community. In 1890, Thomas J. Wiley opened the first post office. Due to a drought, the post office closed in 1907 but reopened that next year. Between 1910 and 1940, only ten people lived there. Allen Jameson's land was found to contain oil in 1946, and by July 1949 the Sun Oil Company had installed 59 producing wells in the Jameson oilfield. State Highway 208 was paved from Robert Lee to Silver, and a rail spur was constructed from Maryneal. With around a thousand people living in camps the oil company built, Silver grew to be one of the biggest cities in the county. In addition, the town featured two cafes, three churches, a business recreation facility, and several retailers. The field's oil output began to diminish in the middle of the 1960s, and the Sun Oil Company ended most of its activities there. In 1980, the population was sixty, but in 1986, Silver had a trucking company, a blacksmith and welding shop, and a field office for Sun Oil Company. Even so, the post office remained operating. In 2000, there were six companies in the hamlet and the population remained at sixty. The population was reduced to 30 in 2010.
S.M. Conner, W.G. Jameson, and W.R. Walker were among the first landowners in the area. Dr. J.E. Reed served as the community's physician for 50 years. R.B. Allen was another prominent settler. The post office and school were named for a nearby peak.
Although Silver is unincorporated, it has a post office, with the ZIP code of 76949.
On May 5, 2015, an EF0 tornado struck Silver, which was a brief, intermittent tornado. On May 3, 2024, an EF2 tornado struck the community. The roof of a ranch house was ripped off, and a metal barn was completely destroyed, with building material tossed well downstream.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.