Hulldale did not suvive as a community, and in fact, is listed as a "vanished community" on Texas's list of historic sites. While the community did not survive, the ranching region in the vicinity of the "vanished community" is still generally referred to as "Hulldale". In the 1940's oil was struck in Hulldale, and the Hulldale Oilfield became one of the most productive strikes in the state. The oilfields of Hulldale provided high paying "roughneck" jobs for decades. During the years of the oil boom, ranching and farming flourished in the region as well.  In the 1980's oil production in the region began to drop off, with no new drilling, and only minor maintenance work being done on the oilfield. Hulldale was chosen, however, by the United States Air Force as the location of their new Pave Paws phased array radar. PAVE is an Air Force program name, while PAWS stands for Phased Array Warning System. The radar is used primarily to detect and track sea-launched (SLMB) and intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs). The facility was referred to as the "Eldorado Air Force Station". It can be seen from Highway 277 about 12 miles North of Eldorado. In the 1990's the Air Force determined that the facility was no longer needed and shut it down.
The 1990's represented hard times for the Hulldale region. Oil production was diminishing, the Pave Paws Air Force Facility was closed, and the traditional ranching enterprise suffered from drought and low cattle prices. The turn of the century has brought new hope to the "vanished community" of Hulldale. It turns out that one of its most valuable resources is the wildlife. Hulldale has become one of the most popular areas in the state of Texas for deer hunting. Ranchers have found they can make more money leasing their land for hunting than they could ranching. Some ranchers in the area have even imported exotic game, offering the ultimate hunting experience. Hulldale as a town hardly ever existed. It was never very big and died very quickly. The area of Schleicher Countly now known as Hulldale is a vibrant region, rich in history. The painting offered on this page is a portrayal of two cowboys in a barn in Hulldale. It is a fascinating piece of western art that will add immensely to any western themed home or office. You can spend hours studying the incredible detail in this painting. Notice the sitting cowboy has a pouch of Bull Durham tobacco in his pocket. You can see the two barnyard cats in the foreground. This painting hung in my study for ten years, and then one day I noticed that there is actually a third shy cat in the picture. If you look closely, you can find the third cat. It seams as if every time I look at the painting I find something new. | 
