Kerby, Texas, Hill County ghost town. (original) (raw)

A Ghost Town Called Kerby

Located in the central region of Hill County, the site of the former town Kerby can be found five miles southwest of Hillsboro near the intersection of County Road 2452 and Pattons Mill Road. There are no buildings or structures proving its existance, but a historical marker does provide information about its history.

Texan Henry Ross first settled the area in 1881 after receiving a land grant. Robert Moore Duff arrived later that year and acquired five hundred acres, taking up the entire southern portion of the grant. Jesse M. Beavers arrived on the scene in 1882 after a long journey from Mississippi. After building a home north of the intersection already mentioned, Jesse and his family opened a store. This business later received the company of a blacksmith shop and cotton gin, both operated by a man named Sam McDonald. A church and school were also added.

In 1899, a post office operated by Jesse Beavers made itself available to the public, prompting the necessity to pick a name for the town. The settlers chose Kerby to honor Jerome Claiborne Kearby, a politician who had campaigned for the Sixth Congressional District five years earlier. For reasons unknown, Kerby was often interchanged with Kirby, a practice which may have caused confusion since there was another Kirby in Bexar County.

The town never voted for incorporation and never had a population count. The post office closed its doors in 1903 without any reasons given. Tragedy struck the town in 1920 when a fire burned down the store, school, and cotton gin. The school was rebuilt, but it was consolidated with the school districts of Abbott and Hillsboro before 1939.

The year Kerby came to an end is unknown. There can be no mistake, however, that the aftermath of the fire played a key role. Although nothing from the town exists, the solitary sign erected in 2008 serves as a reminder of the past.

SOURCES:
Google Maps
Hmdb.org
Tshaonline.org
Waymarking.com
Wikipedia