05/02/2026
They changed the name because "Hogtown" didn't sound like a place where fortunes were made. 🐷➡️🛢️
In 1918, a quiet farming community in Eastland County, Texas hit oil. Within months, Desdemona, formerly known as Hogtown, went from a handful of farmhouses to a roaring boomtown of 10,000 people. Derricks went up overnight. Saloons, supply houses, and gambling dens followed. The streets turned to red mud under the weight of wagons, automobiles, and men chasing the same dream that was already making Ranger famous just down the road.
But Desdemona burned bright and fast. By the mid-1920s, the wells were slowing. The crowds thinned. The storefronts emptied. Today, fewer than 200 people call it home, and most Texans have never heard of it at all. The name change didn't save it. The oil didn't stay. But for a few wild years, this little Eastland County town was one of the loudest places in Texas. 🤠
Do you have family from Eastland County or any of the old Texas oil boom towns? Drop their names in the comments, we'd love to hear their stories.