Royalty, Texas, 79779

Some places are out there for a time, serve a purpose, and then fade away. Royalty is still out there, the Handbook of Texas online says. But barely.

“ROYALTY, TEXAS. Royalty is at the intersection of Farm Road 1219 and State Highway 18, two miles north of Grandfalls in southern Ward County. It was named for royalties paid to landowners after the discovery of oil at Grandfalls in 1927. Royalty was established to serve the neighboring oilfield and its workers. Before a post office was opened in 1929, it was known as Allentown, after an early landowner. In 1933 Royalty had an estimated population of twenty, and a hotel, drugstore, cafe, pool hall, barbershop, and laundry. Its population peaked at 750 in 1940, when it reported thirty-five businesses. By 1950 Royalty had an estimated 280 residents and five businesses. With declining oilfield activity, the population had fallen to about 190 by 1968. In 1990 the population was reported as 196. The population dropped to twenty-nine in 2000.”

https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hlr49https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hlr49

(1933 – You have a place to stay, a place to get aspirin, a place to eat, some entertainment at the pool hall, a place to get your hair cut and a place to get your clothes washed. Sounds OK. Surely, though, there was a church. We’re talking about Texas here.)

Satellite view: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Royalty,+TX+79756/@31.3723611,-102.8670981,2636m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x86faf4eef47b5ccd:0xb711787175445006

If you are in Royalty and want to eat out, you’ll have to go to Monahans.

Royalty is in Ward County, as mentioned above. In 1890, the county population was 75. That means everybody knew everybody else. Or should have.

Also in Ward County is what remains of Pyote Air Force Base. As an Army airfield in World War II, Pyote at one time had more than 6,500 Army and civilian personnel. After the war, the base was used for storage. The Enola Gay and the Swoose were there for a time, as was an XB-42 Mixmaster.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyote_Air_Force_Base