Moffat, Texas, Bell County. (original) (raw)

History in a Pecan Shell

The community dates from early 1857 when Amelia Vancil and Chauncey Warren Moffet decided Bell County needed another town. A store was opened in the 1860s and the community was known by a variety of names. Mount Green, Gandertown, Moffatville and Moffatttown. In 1872 in order to get a post office, townsfolk had to to decide on a permanent name and they settled on just plain Moffat.

The 1880s were good times for Moffat. Besides having most essential businesses, three churches and a school, it enjoyed a healthy population of 200. Moffat peaked in 1890 with a population of 350 as its high-water mark.

But with the dawning of the Twentieth Century. Moffat had declined to just 147 residents.

The post office closed and mail was diverted to Bland. In 1925 a new post office was opened but closed again in 1926.

After WWII through the mid 1980s, Moffat's population see-sawed between 75 and 100 residents. The local school merged with Belton

's ISD in the mid 1970s. The population was given as 150 for the 1990 and 2000 census.

A historical marker on State Highway 36 commemorates the town.

Historical Marker:

MOFFAT

Founded in 1857 by New York native Dr. Chauncy W. Moffet and his wife, Amelia, the town of Moffat came to be known by a misspelling of their name. A Union loyalist during the Civil War, Dr. Moffet was impressed into Confederate service, but later also served the Union. He disappeared mysteriously after returning to the Moffat community in 1868. The town was platted that year by D.F. and Calista Wiswell. Moffat soon had 3 churches, a school, a post office, stores, and small industries. The Moffat Cemetery, begun before the Civil War, is still in use.
(1985)

Historical Marker:

Moffat Cemetery

This burial ground began as a family and Masonic cemetery. Although many, possibly older, graves exist, the oldest marked grave is that of Mary Marshall (d. 1861). In 1869, eight years after Marshall's death, J.A. Grimes sold his farm to Mary E. Dean. The parcel of land excluded two acres set aside for a graveyard. In 1893, Dean deeded additional property for the cemetery to the Leon Masonic Lodge No. 193, AF&AM. R.J. and Hattie Goode conveyed additional land to the lodge in 1916. On July 23, 1921, the Masonic Lodge deeded the property to the Moffat Cemetery Association, which later acquired additional land for the burial ground. The association incorporated in 1976. The cemetery is the final resting place for numerous area settlers, including pioneer Isaac Thomas Bean (1821-1899), who came to Texas in 1823 with his family. The names of prominent families and military veterans are found on the numerous markers, which include vertical stones and stone cairns.
Historic Texas Cemetery - 2003

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