The World’s Smallest Skyscraper Is the Result of a Massive Scam

Back in the oil-boom frenzy of 1910s Texas, slick Philly oilman J.D.D. McMahon promised investors a towering skyscraper to house all their new riches—raised $200,000 (millions today), showed blueprints in inches instead of feet, and built what is basically a glorified four-story phone booth dubbed the “World’s Littlest Skyscraper.” Investors sued, the judge laughed them out of court (“It says 480 inches right here, dummies”), the elevator company bailed, and folks climbed an external ladder to their tiny offices. From epic scam to quirky tourist trap—Wichita Falls’ tiniest revenge on big dreams.