Blog Archives
3635 days later
At some point in the 3,635 days between these photographs, Crider’s Motel was torn down. Actually, I know exactly when it was torn down, thanks to a random comment on an earlier blog post. Here’s the timeline:
- I made the original photo on March 9, 2013
- The place was torn down on November 21, 2016
- And on February 19, I went back
And for those of you keeping up with things, you’ll be interested to know that the old motel – which was widely known for housing those on staff with President Lyndon B. Johnson when he was in residence on his nearby ranch – was torn down to make way for: a vacant lot.
Johnson City, Texas
photographed 2.19.2023
The end of this place
Back in March 2013, I posted some photos of an abandoned small-town motel, Crider’s Motel, in Johnson City, Texas. One of the blog posts was titled “Crider’s Motel may be past its prime.”
Time passed. I never went back to Johnson City to see what was going on.
Then, on November 21, I had a comment on one of those posts from Sandra Trevino, who said, “The Crider motel was torn down today. It was a blast from the past.”
And sure enough, it was. Here’s the newspaper article about it. And here, bordered in black because I’m sad the place is gone, are those images from 2013:
Johnson City, Texas
photographed 3.9.2013
The chairs remain the same*
Evidently, this place has been out of business since around 2003, when the long-time owner Byron Crider passed away.
But the chairs are still here, carefully arranged along the porch.
That’s the kind of place Johnson City is, I guess.
Johnson City, Texas
photographed 3.9.2013
*Sorry for the lame Led Zeppelin reference. I couldn’t help it.
Room Seven, Crider’s Motel
In addition to carpet and alarm clocks, each room also comes with outdoor seating. And an electric meter (just above the air conditioner). I wonder if guests got a bill for electricity when they checked out.
Johnson City, Texas
photographed 3.9.2013
One Day | One Image 