Ethel, Texas, Grayson County. (original) (raw)

History in a Pecan Shell

The town was settled in the late 1850s. Growth was slow and it wasn�t until 1885 that the community received a post office, built on the ranch of one S. A. Schott. The name Ethel was suggested by storekeeper W. H. Burgin, who also served as the town�s first postmaster.

The 1900 population was eighty-one but by this time there was little hope of a railroad connection. The post office closed in 1902 and the Great Depression reduced the population to a mere 25 people where it remained until the boom of the 1990s when it exploded to 40 residents.

The transmission tower
Photo courtesy Mike Price, November 2007

Photographer's Note:
The community of Ethel is dominated by the transmission tower shown. It is about a mile from the center of the community. It is 1999 feet tall, making it the second tallest structure in the state, just after the ERA tower which is about 30-40 miles away.

The cemetery is a little south of 'town'. The grave shown was the oldest I saw, but I made no real effort to search it thoroughly. Most graves were rather old, 50-75 years or older.

The's no indication that there is/was any commercial development in the area. The community consists of about 20 homes from trailers to very nice modern homes. I only saw one that looked to be really old. -

Mike Price, November 2007

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