Grit

Tucked into Mason County, Texas, Grit is a small unincorporated community built on farming and ranching that traces its roots to around 1889. Its name came about in an unexpected way: early settlers had wanted to honor Frederick Funston, a Congressional Medal of Honor recipient, but another Texas town in Jones County already carried that name, raising fears of postal mix-ups. A different name was chosen, and Grit stuck.

The community remained inhabited into at least the year 2000, placing it in an unusual middle ground between a true ghost town and an active settlement. Visitors should expect a quiet rural landscape rather than dramatic ruins — this is Texas ranch country, and the atmosphere of the place is its main draw.