The Grove, Texas

In 1972, a retired National Guard Lt. Colonel, Moody Anderson bought himself a dying town called The Grove, Texas. Situated 85 miles north of Austin and 16 miles southeast of Gatesville in Coryell County, The Grove is a microcosm of Texas history-a scene of pioneers and cotton gins, gristmills and gunfights, and even a bank robbery. Over the next 37 years, this dedicated historian proceeded to create a living museum using The Grove as a backdrop. Moody filled the original intact buildings dating from the end of the nineteenth century with a unique collection of Texas memorabilia, some of which were used by the movie industry-starting with the 1985 classic television mini-series Lonesome Dove-and most recently, a Cohen Brothers remake of True Grit. In April 2010, at Moody's bequest, all of these artifacts, and even the town itself, were auctioned off to the highest bidder.