The Story Behind the Leaning Water Tower Off I-40 in Texas

When you're traveling west on I-40 through the Texas Panhandle, there's one spot in particular that is great at getting your attention. Groom, Texas, is known for its eye-catching additions to the panhandle scenery.

Everyone knows and can see the giant cross at Groom. There's another attraction, though, that has deep ties to panhandle history and Route 66. It's lovingly referred to as the "Leaning Tower of Texas."

The Texas Tower That Had Everyone Fooled

I'll never forget the first time I was traveling through the Texas Panhandle, and in the distance, I could see a water tower that looked like it was about to fall over. I thought I had stumbled upon an impending disaster.

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Discovering that the water tower wasn't about to fall over and was instead built that way made me feel like the most gullible person on the planet. I'm not alone in feeling that way. Over several decades, many travelers have had a similar experience.

How One Man Turned a Tower into a Business Magnet

The water tower was purchased by Ralph Britten in Lafors, where it was slated for demolition. Britten had other plans for it. His plan would give birth to the Leaning (Water) Tower of Texas.

He brought it back to his truck stop, where he would use it to get travelers to stop. The plan worked incredibly well. There are numerous stories online of people stopping to tell Ralph that his water tower was about to fall on his business.

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Supposedly, Ralph would tell people it had been that way for years and then would invite them to sit down and buy a bite to eat. Everything was going great until tragedy struck at Ralph's truck stop.

A Roadside Icon That Still Draws Crowds

In the mid-80s, an electrical fire would bring everything to a tragic stop. The building was a complete loss, and the business was closed. The water tower remains, though. It stands as a testament to Ralph's ingenuity and simpler times.

People to this day stop and take photos of the "Leaning Tower of Texas" as they make their way through the panhandle.