Alma, Texas, Ellis County. (original) (raw)

History in a Pecan Shell

Settlement began as early as the 1840s. Prior to the railroad�s arrival a stop for the Waxahachie-Marshall stage line was opened here alongside a small lake called Willow Pond. The Houston and Texas Central Railway arrived in 1872 and in 1881 the community was granted a post office. The community�s name is said to have been that of a local banker�s daughter.

The population of 1900 was given as 150 residents and the town seems to have peaked in the mid 1920s when it reached 250. During WWII it dropped to a mere 100 but leveled off at 200 until the early 1960s. By 1964 the population plummeted to only 30 and its post office closed its doors. It was up to 117 in the late 1970s, increasing to 205 for the 1990 census and increasing to 373 for the 2020 census.

Ellis County 1920s map showing Alma SE of Ennis
From Texas state map #10749
Courtesy Texas General Land Office

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