Gunter, Texas. (original) (raw)

Gunter Library and Museum
Photo courtesy Mike Price, 2007

History in a Pecan Shell

Gunter, Texas got off to a late start in the waning days of the 19th Century. The town was granted a post office in 1898 (name unknown) but the big jump-start came with the arrival of the railroad four years later.

The railroad was the St. Louis, San Francisco and Texas Railway and the town was named after John Gunter, a surveyor and land owner who donated land for the town.

The town had a healthy population of 800 people in 1914. The populace was served by 36 businesses, including the weekly Grayson County Advocate.

For reasons not explained, the population declined to 500 for the year of 1924 when the town incorporated but the Great Depression didn�t hit Gunter as hard as it did other towns � depleting the number of residents to 475 for 1936.

Growth was slow over the next five decades and by 1991 Gunter had 926 people. It reached 1,000 sometime in the 1990s. It was 1,230 for the 2000 Census.

Photographer's Note:
Gunter is beginning to feel the start of expansion pressure from Dallas. At the outer edge of growth. New schools and starting plans for new residental growth. - Mike Price, September 29, 2007

Gunter City Hall and Post Office
Photo courtesy Mike Price, 2007

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