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All the United States Texas Glen Rose Ed Young Station

Ed Young Station

This abandoned building made of petrified wood was once a hotspot for buying moonshine.

Glen Rose, Texas

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Penny Sadler
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Ed Young Station   Adventures of a Carryon / Atlas Obscura User
  Scott Terrell / Atlas Obscura User
  Scott Terrell / Atlas Obscura User
  Scott Terrell / Atlas Obscura User
  Scott Terrell / Atlas Obscura User
  Scott Terrell / Atlas Obscura User
Absolutely Beautiful!   Kier95 / Atlas Obscura User
Ed Young Station   Adventures of a Carryon / Atlas Obscura User
Ed Young Station   Adventures of a Carryon / Atlas Obscura User
11-21-20   Darrell Powers / Atlas Obscura User
11-21-20   Darrell Powers / Atlas Obscura User
11-21-20   Darrell Powers / Atlas Obscura User
11-21-20   Darrell Powers / Atlas Obscura User
11-21-20   Darrell Powers / Atlas Obscura User
11-21-20   Darrell Powers / Atlas Obscura User
11-21-20   Darrell Powers / Atlas Obscura User
Ed Young Station (Old Rock Station) and Texas bluebonnets   debwill54 / Atlas Obscura User
  debwill54 / Atlas Obscura User
  debwill54 / Atlas Obscura User
  debwill54 / Atlas Obscura User
  debwill54 / Atlas Obscura User
an old fireplace - probably had a mantel or shelf above   debwill54 / Atlas Obscura User
incredible range of materials used; quartz, petrified wood, brick, stone, rocks   debwill54 / Atlas Obscura User
creative use of the range of materials   debwill54 / Atlas Obscura User
Multi-layer conglomerate of building materials   CTravels / Atlas Obscura User
wish I could have seen it during the heyday – I can only imagine what those lights looked like against that backdrop of red and cream bricks   debwill54 / Atlas Obscura User
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About

Glen Rose is a small town on the northern edge of the Texas Hill Country known to fossil hunters far and wide. But what most miss when visiting the area’s fossilized dinosaur tracks is the surprisingly beautiful and photogenic ruins of a gas station constructed from petrified wood. According to Dennis Moore, a historian and former mayor tempore of the town, the station acted as a speakeasy during Prohibition.

Referred to as the Ed Young station in honor of its original owner, the abandoned structure is composed almost entirely of petrified wood, white quartz, and other stones mixed in for decoration. After Prohibition, the station was briefly a small grocery store, which closed in the 1950s. It’s striking that the structure is still standing, as there is no roof and one side of the building is split through the middle. The structure has not been maintained for at least 50 years. 

Massive deposits of petrified wood were discovered in the North Texas area during the early 1920s. There was so much that farmers and locals would dig up the remains, load them into trucks, and haul the loads as far as Arizona to be sold in gift shops. It also sparked a building and design craze. People would often incorporate the fossilized wood into existing facades or used it to build entire structures.

This location is often referred to as Sycamore Grove. At one time, there was also a motel here, which was convenient if customers drank a bit too much moonshine. 

Related Tags

History & Culture Architectural Oddities Moonshine Architecture

Know Before You Go

From Highway 67 heading west, you’ll turn left in front of an Exxon Tiger Mart onto Highway 333. Follow it until you come to the fork in the road (Sycamore Grove) and veer to the right, which becomes Old Highway 67 (County Rd. 312). Ed Young’s Station will be on your right.

From old downtown Glen Rose, head toward Highway 67. Follow the curve past Oak Grove Park on your left. At the star made of petrified wood in the grass, turn sharply right and stay on Old Highway 67 until you come to the ruins on your left.

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Adventures of a Carryon

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debwill54, Darrell Powers, CTravels, Scott Terrell...

  • debwill54
  • Darrell Powers
  • CTravels
  • Scott Terrell
  • Kier95

Published

September 24, 2020

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  • https://yesterdaysamerica.com/texas-moonshine-and-outlaw-bootleggers/
Ed Young Station
17388 County Rd. 312
Glen Rose, Texas, 76043
United States
32.247389, -97.730173
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Nearby Places

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Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Glen Rose

Glen Rose

Texas

Places 2

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Big Rocks Park

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miles away

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Photo of Glen Rose

Glen Rose

Texas

Places 2

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