Dilworth, Texas. (original) (raw)

History in a Pecan Shell

The community appeared with the construction of a spur line of the SAAP railroad between Shiner and Luling in 1889. Locals were enthused and quickly built a proper station, cattle pens and a shipping platform exclusively for cotton. Since banker and financier G.N. Dilworth arranged the expansion, the community didn't have to search for a namesake.

Early business included a mill / gin and a blacksmith. Dilworth also had a dentist and doctor - two amenities many towns had to wait years for. When a post office was granted in 1892, the population of Dilworth was a respectable 150 people. Perhaps the town was a little too close to the county seat, but whatever the reason, the population fell to 75 by 1915.

The post office closed during the Great Depression and the community remained at 75 into the 1950s. Nineteen-fifty was a big year for school consolidations and Dilworth's students were bussed to

Gonzales. The population shrank to just fifteen during the 60s and 70s and has remained there into the 21st century.

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