Jericho Gap, A Route 66 story

Everything they say is bigger in Texas. That is true of the stories like the story of the Jericho Gap. The gap is along the original Route 66. It’s not far from McLean, Texas. Jericho Gap is along the Old West Trail.

This was one of the stops that Dannelle Gay, The Traveling Cheesehead and I made on our iconic Route 66 journey.

Jericho Gap

As a farmer’s wife, I am used to hearing uplifting stories of farmers. Stories of them helping one another. But, the Jericho Gap story is one of farmers helping themselves. Farmer ingenuity comes into play, but not in a good light. Located in the Texas Panhandle they share this on the website. “Once a bustling way station for westward-bound traveler’s during the Dust Bowl era, Jericho now stands as a haunting testament to America’s boom-and-frontier spirit-ghostly ruins echoing stories of prosperity turned hardship…”

The story

A wayside marker shares the Jericho Cemetery and town story. “Settlement of this area of Donley County began in the late 19th century, before the town of Jericho was founded as a station on the Chicago, Rock Island and Gulf Rail line about 1902…”

The 18-mile stretch of road between the towns of Alanreed and Groom was known as the “Jericho Gap” a mail route from Amarillo to Oklahoma. Opportunities came with roadside entrepreneurs setting up shop. There were a garage and filling station and Motor Court accommodations. The area boomed enough that they established a school, and in the 1930’s had a population of around 100.

Even with the early paving, the area flooded regularly and roads became impossible to drive on. This is where the story gets dicey. On the website they state, “Locals like the Reeds and Foshees pulled motorists out of the mud and provided essential supplies, provisions and mechanical assistance to stranded travelers.”

Model T’s would sink to their axles. The farmers would use teams of mules to pull out the motorists. While on this website the fact of not fixing the road intentionally is not mentioned, other sources bring out that point. Eventually Route 66 moved north to the alignment of Route 40. The area is now a ghost town, and one of the stories along the Mother Road that continues to fascinate.