Megargel

History

Megargel was established as a result of the Gulf, Texas and Western Railroad extending services to Jacksboro and Seymour. The town was established in 1910. The community developed multiple businesses within three months because the purchasers of land who established businesses 60 days after acquiring their lots received discounts as an incentive to do so. The town had 350 residents in 1914. By 1923, the population had increased to 475. Around that time, H. Sheets drilled a new oil well in the Swastika oilfield, causing a population increase. Oil was discovered east of Megargel in 1925, and the town expanded even more. One year later, the town had 1,000 residents, and in 1927, it increased by 200 more people. In 2014, 130 water meters out of the 200 in Megargel were active, and many houses were unoccupied. That year, Bill Hanna of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram stated that downtown Megargel was "virtually empty, littered with crumbling and abandoned buildings and outdated gas stations." Hanna stated that some Megargel residents believed that the demise of the Megargel Independent School District was a factor in recent population declines.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area around , all land. The town is northwest of Fort Worth.

Race & ethnicity