Bellevue, Texas, Clay County. (original) (raw)

Named after New York's Hospital

Clay County, Central Texas North

33�38'7"N 98�0'56"W (33.635221, -98.015609)

Highway 287
12 miles NW of Bowie
17 miles SE of Henrietta the county seat
35 miles SE of Wichita Falls
ZIP code 76228
Area code 940
Popularion: 289 (2020)
362 (2010) 386 (2000) 333 (1990)

History in a Pecan Shell

Settlement began in the 1870s but things didn't moving until 1882, when the Fort Worth and Denver City Railway made Bellevue a shipping point on its line. That same year a post office was applied for and for some unknown reason the railroad's surveyor named the town after the famed hospital in NYC.

By 1902 the population was 300 and the townspeople incorporated. In April of 1906 the town suffered a destructive tornado - leaving fourteen dead and only a handful of buildings standing. The town rebuilt and by the mid 1920s the town had over 700 people. With the arrival of The Great Depression the population declined to 546 by 1936 and although oil was discovered nearby, there was no boom. Even into the 1960s the town never reclaimed its initial momentum - remaining at just 289 into the late 1960s. In recent years the town has inched toward a population of 400 - reaching 386 for the 2000 Census.

Bellevue, Texas Landmarks

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