“The Birth of a Texas Ghost Town: Thurber 1886–1933 provides readers with a detailed history of the rise and fall of one of the most notable coal-mining and brick-producing communities in Texas. . . . Any historian interested in Texas history, urban studies, and business history would find this book a valuable resource.”—Southwestern Historical Quarterly“Gentry’s work is full of anecdotes that give life to the community, and her story illuminates an important chapter in Texas history . . . Gentry’s work should rekindle interest in Texas coal mining.”—Journal of Southern History