Abandoned Towns

Ghost town record · Upshur County, Texas

Kelsey

Ghost town in Texas, United States.

Record

About Kelsey

Kelsey is an unincorporated area in Upshur County, Texas, United States that was the longest-lasting settlement founded by members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the state. Now a ghost town, it has been called the "mother colony" of Latter-day Saint colonies in Texas.

This is a site record: what public sources say about Kelsey, gathered in one place. We haven't written a full guide yet, so history, current access and photos are still to come. Treat the status as unknown until a guide confirms it.

Map

Where Kelsey is

USGS topographic map around Kelsey
USGS topographic map, The National Map (public domain). The pin marks the coordinates in the record; old townsites are often a little off.

Historic maps

5 historic USGS maps cover Kelsey

Topographic sheets from the USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection (public domain), oldest first. Older sheets often show the camp, mines and roads while the place was alive. The downloads are large map scans; USGS topoView shows them in the browser.

Directions

Getting there

Google Maps directionsApple MapsOpenStreetMap

Before you go

  • Many ghost town sites are on private land, active mining claims or tribal land. Check land status and ask permission.
  • Roads to old townsites are often unmaintained dirt. Map apps may route over closed or impassable tracks.
  • Removing artifacts from public land is illegal under federal and most state laws.

Nearby

Other sites near Kelsey

Straight-line distance to other mapped sites in our Texas index.

Sources

Sources

  1. ghosttowns.com, "Kelsey": county, roads, climate, best time to visit, remains.
  2. Wikipedia, "Kelsey, Texas": coordinates and summary.
  3. Wikidata Q6386465.
  4. USGS GNIS 1378521.
  5. USGS 3D Elevation Program, elevation at the coordinates.
  6. USGS The National Map and Historical Topographic Map Collection (public domain).