This historic marker is located along US 277, by the road, not in a pullout, about 3 miles south of Sonora, in the middle of nowhere, which used to be somewhere.
during the early days of Sutton County, it was a tossup whether Sonora or Wentworth would be the Sutton County seat. Thanks to free town lots given to new residents, Sonora won, and Wentworth died.
This marker stands at the intersection of the US 277 and Private Road 4405, south of Sonora.
The marker reads as follows:
"About 100 yards west is site of ghost town
WENTWORTH
Situated in 1880's at water well of A. J. Winkler, who platted townsite, gave title bond, and named place for Fort Terrett area rancher P. H. Wentworth. The residents occupied tents and picket homes. Principal building was two-story school, church, and hall of Dee Ora Lodge No. 715, A.F. & A.M. Town had a post office Aug. 1890 - Aug. 1891. Postmaster was Thomas Stevenson, uncle of a future Texas governor. Losing 1891 county seat election to Sonora, Wentworth citizens moved away.
Lodge hall, relocated late 1891 in Sonora, served as school and community building until 1938. (1972)"
From the Handbook of Texas online: (
visit link)
"WENTWORTH, TEXAS (Sutton County). Wentworth was two miles south of the site of present Sonora in Sutton County. In 1884 A. T. Winkler and his family moved to the area after being washed out by the Ben Ficklin flood. About 1885 Winkler drilled a well. A settlement grew up on Winkler's property called Winkler's Well. By 1887 Winkler's Well had twenty families, twelve dwellings, a store, numerous tents, a feed barn, and a building used as a Masonic Lodge, a church, and a school. In 1887 Sutton County was established from Crockett County. In a contest for the county seat against Sonora, Winkler's Well changed its name to Wentworth, a move designed to gain the support of P. A. Wentworth, owner of the county's largest ranch. In 1890 Sonora secured the county seat. Wentworth quickly declined and within a year had lost most of its citizens and the Masonic Lodge to Sonora. Wentworth had a post office from 1890 until 1891. Although some dissatisfied Sonorans tried to revive Wentworth in 1898, this project failed, and by 1900 Wentworth had disappeared.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Devil's River News, Diamond Anniversary, August 19, 1965. Sutton County Historical Society, Sutton County (Sonora, Texas, 1979)."