With an estimated population of just 58, Loving County in west Texas tops the charts as the least populated state in the US.
In a YouTube video, filmmaker John Wise, from Kansas, drives to the isolated town of Mentone, which is Loving County’s only community close to the New Mexico-Texas border.
Upon entering the remote town, he comes across a sign that explains that Mentone was ‘established in 1931 and named for an earlier town (10 miles north) which legend says was named by a French surveyor-prospector after his home on the Riviera.’
At the time the sign was erected, in 1967, the town had ‘a population of 42,’ it had ‘no water system (water is hauled in) nor does it have a bank, doctor, hospital, newspaper, lawyer, civic club, or cemetery.’
With an estimated population of just 58, Loving County in west Texas tops the charts as the least populated state in the US
In a YouTube video, filmmaker John Wise, from Kansas, drives to the isolated town of Mentone, which is Loving County’s only community close to the New Mexico-Texas border
A view inside Mentone’s tiny church, which John said offered some peace from the heavy traffic outside
Sam’s eatery, which is open Monday to Saturday from 7am to 7pm, specializes in a variety of Louisiana-inspired dishes, including bayou rolls, crawfish pies and bayou catfish pasta
While Loving County is sparsely populated, it has one of the highest per-capita incomes thanks to its booming oil industry. In 2021, the median household income of Loving County households was $115,158
There were also just ‘two recorded graves in [the] county,’ along with ‘some Indian skeletons’ and ‘artifacts.’
Since the 1960s there have been a few additions, with one being the installation of a freshwater well and a water tank and the other being a roadside café.
In his short film, John talks to Sam Faciane who opened the Stop Cafe in Mentone in January 2022.
The restauranteur, who is originally from New Orleans, explains that he ended up relocating to the sparsely-populated town to be closer to family.
When he noticed there were no dining establishments in the area, he decided to set up his own café.
His eatery, which is open Monday to Saturday from 7am to 7pm, specializes in a variety of Louisiana-inspired dishes, including bayou rolls, crawfish pies and bayou catfish pasta.
While being interviewed Sam points out a map on his café wall which is peppered with pins showing where visitors have traveled from, with some coming from as far as the east coast of Canada.
Summing up what Mentone is like, he says: ‘For the most part the people are nice.
‘It’s not a bad place if you’re willing to like start over, you wanna do something different. I love to cook and that’s basically what I do everyday.
‘I mean small is always better for me because you’re able to focus on just the main people that are there. I grew up in a big city, New Orleans, so I’m used to being the person left out.’
Before driving on to his next point of call, John tells viewers that Loving County is ‘definitely not a forgotten place’
There are many abandoned buildings in Mentone, with this old gas station being one of them
There is a small courthouse in the town, with a sign above the door indicating that it was built in 1935
When John visited Mentone, he said he saw signs of progress with some new buildings and construction underway on ‘some sort of community building’
Sam says the locals love his exotic dishes and he even catered the town’s Christmas party where he met ‘lots of new faces.’
‘I didn’t know that many people were even out here,’ he muses.
Sam has two young children and he reveals that he ‘sold them the dream’ of moving to Mentone and told them it was ‘going to be a lot of fun.’
Despite the initial upheaval, his son now ‘loves it’ and is ‘doing well… playing football.’
Continuing his tour of Mentone, YouTuber John points out that there are many abandoned buildings giving it a slightly eerie feel, with an old gas station and crumbling café among the mix.
At one point he dips into the tiny timber church for a brief period of reflection.
A sign outside the church entrance reveals that it was built in 1910, making it the oldest building in Loving County.
It was originally located in Porterville, a nearby town that was abandoned after the Pecos River flooded in 1930.
Following the flood, the church was moved to Mentone to be used as a schoolhouse and social center as well as ‘by various church groups and for non-denominational worship.’
John tells viewers that the peace of the church is much welcome, as Mentone is surprisingly ‘noisy’ with ‘trucks everywhere’ on a work day.
He explains: ‘It’s a unique situation being such a small place but it doesn’t mean that there’s nobody here because it’s busy driving from the New Mexico border down here.
The post office is one of the few amenities in the town of Mentone
YouTuber John steps inside the tiny post office to give viewers a peek of the interiors
Upon entering the remote town, he comes across a sign that explains that Mentone was ‘established in 1931 and named for an earlier town (10 miles north) which legend says was named by a French surveyor-prospector after his home on the Riviera’
John says he first heard about Loving County as it is the name of a country song written by the Texas singer Charlie Robison
Censuses conducted over the decades show that Loving County had 285 residents in 1940, with the population dropping by more than two thirds to 91 by 1980
‘There are trucks and obviously the oil industry is everywhere as you’re coming through.
‘You’re seeing that on both sides of the road everywhere as far as you can see and on the few roads that there are in the county, it basically takes you from one country to another or out to places where you can get to the oil fields and places like that.’
John says he first heard about Loving County as it is the name of a country song written by the Texas singer Charlie Robison.
Then, when he heard how few residents it has, he decided to check it out for himself.
Censuses conducted over the decades show that Loving County had 285 residents in 1940, with the population dropping by more than two thirds to 91 by 1980.
According to the World Population Review, there are now 58 people dwelling in the county.
When John visited Mentone, he said he saw signs of progress with some new buildings and construction underway on ‘some sort of community building.’
So with these developments in mind, he says it will be ‘interesting to see if the population continues to dwindle’ or if it picks back up again.
While Loving County is sparsely populated, it has one of the highest per-capita incomes thanks to its booming oil industry.
In 2021, the median household income of Loving County households was $115,158.
Before driving on to his next point of call, John tells viewers that Loving County is ‘definitely not a forgotten place.’
He concludes: ‘It’s probably a very important place in terms of the financial side of this part of Texas and a very interesting place to visit.’
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