Candelaria

Texas ghost towns run the full arc: cattle railheads, cotton towns the boll weevil broke, and oil booms that went bust.

Leonard Candelaria (born 1947) is an American trumpeter and educator residing in Birmingham, Alabama. Until Fall 2009, he served as Professor of Trumpet and Artist in Residence at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). Prior to his appointment at UAB, Leonard was, for 28 years (beginning fall 1974), professor of trumpet at the University of North Texas College of Music, where he was eventually named Regents Professor of Music in the College of Music. He is recognized internationally as a teacher and performer, and has been a featured soloist in numerous concerts all over the world.

Candelaria never fully emptied out — it's a living historic town where a small community still tends the old buildings. Be a considerate guest: patronize local businesses, keep noise down, and remember people live here.

Public access makes Candelaria one of the easier ghost towns to actually stand in — though "public" in ghost-town country can still mean miles of dirt road, so check recent trip reports first.

Candelaria is publicly accessible — but give the word "accessible" some respect. Out here it can still mean miles of unmaintained dirt road. Check recent trip reports, carry extra water and a spare tire, download offline maps, and let someone know your route. The mapped point for Candelaria is roughly 30.1400, -104.6800 — use it as a starting point and cross-reference a current topographic map before leaving pavement.

Ghost-town etiquette is simple: take only photographs. Removing artifacts is illegal on public lands and disrespectful everywhere else — and on federal land it can be a serious offense.

The ground itself demands respect: open mine shafts, collapsing floors, and old wells hide in tall grass, cell service is often nonexistent, and help can be hours away. Tell someone your plans, pack more water than you think you'll need — and save the early morning or late afternoon light for your camera.

Want the full story? The Wikipedia article on "Leonard Candelaria" covers Candelaria in more depth — find the link in Sources below. County archives, historic newspaper collections, and the state historical society are the next stops after that: plat maps, census rolls, and old photographs fill in what a short visit can't. If you make the trip, consider sharing your photos and notes — firsthand reports are how the record of Candelaria gets better.