Travel Guide Shafter

In the late 19th century, Shafter was an important town in the mining economy which, like many other mining towns of the time, became a ghost town, now a shadow of its former self. The old stone storefronts and the post office, still visible today, try to stand the test of time and remind us that many people lived here. It is the silver mine and the whole parallel economy that have long sustained this village. From about a hundred in 1900, Shafter grew to 1,500 inhabitants in less than a century, thanks in particular to the nearby military activities of the air force. But by the end of World War II, the population was reduced to about 20 people, as the mine had closed several years earlier and the military activities had also ceased. The lack of employment forced the inhabitants to live elsewhere, and the town lost its juice. Today, there are only eleven inhabitants in total... There is a catholic church and some houses, scattered among the ruins, vestiges of another time. This kind of site is quite recurrent in Texas, especially in its desert areas. North of Shafter, on Highway 67, is Elephant Rock, a rather impressive rock formation that takes the shape, from a certain angle, of an elephant. This site is not worth the detour but you are sure to pass by it if you pass through the town of Shafter on your trip.