West Point, Texas, Fayette County. (original) (raw)
History in a Pecan Shell
The land had been deeded as long ago as 1831 but it wasn�t until the 1880s when the railroad arrived that the town was established. The first railroad was the Missouri, Kansas and Texas, which was soon followed by the Texas and New Orleans.
Montreville Woods was one of the two original owners. It was the Woods family that built a stockade here and for sometime the region south of the Colorado River was called Wood�s Prairie.
A post office was granted in 1894 when West Point had most essential businesses including two doctors, three hotels and a cannery.
The construction of Highway 71 one mile south of the railroad tracks caused a sizable portion of the populace to move toward the highway.
The community had a population of 300 during the 1940s. Students attended classes in La Grange, and by 1950 the population had shrunk by nearly half. Agriculture consists of growing corn which is supplemented by oil and gas. The 1990 census reported 205 and those numbers are used again for the 2000 and 2010 count.
West Point Main Street looking south
Photo courtesy William Wessels
The train station once stood on the west side of town before it was moved to Smithville.
1959 photo courtesy William Wessels
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West Point Public School
Photo courtesy William Wessels, September 2009
School Interior today
Photo courtesy William Wessels, September 2009
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West Point Drug Store / Post Office
Photo courtesy William Wessels, September 2009
West Point Drug Store / Post Office in 2009
Photo courtesy William Wessels, September 2009
West Point Drug Store / Post Office interior
Photo courtesy William Wessels, September 2009
West Point Drug Store / Post Office in 2014
Photo courtesy William Wessels, April 2014
L.C. Luck General Merchandise in West Point
Vintage photo courtesy William Wessels
"The Luck store (right) was originally owned by S.A. Shelburne.
Wessels garage (left) was built and owned by John Wessels,
brother of Adolph Wessels." Photo circa 1965.
Courtesy William Wessels
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Wessels Auto Dealership & Shelburne (Luck) Grocery
Photo courtesy William Wessels, September 2012
Wessels Garage
Photo courtesy William Wessels, September 2009
The Luck Store / Grocery Store in 2009
Photo courtesy William Wessels, September 2009
Havemann's Texaco Station and Store
Formerly J.E.Wessels Humble Gas Station
destroyed by fired in 1985
"This was also built by John Wessels and operated by his daughter Laura and her husband, Vastine Havemann. The building eventually burned down." - William Wessels
Vintage photo courtesy Carolyn Heinsohn
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Havemann Gas Station & Grocery
Photo courtesy William Wessels
Havemann Gas Station & Grocery
Photo courtesy William Wessels
Havemann Gas Station & Grocery
Photo courtesy William Wessels
Havemann Gas Station & Grocery on Hwy 71 just outside West Point
Photo courtesy William Wessels
Old Plum Grove Cemetery
Old Plum Grove Cemetery
E on State Loop 543, N on CR 109, E on Plum Grove Cemetery Rd.
Photo courtesy William Wessels, April 2014
Historical markerOld Plum Grove Cemetery
Old Plum Grove Cemetery began as a family burial ground. Texas pioneer John Y. Criswell buried his wife, Eleanor, on this site. The Criswell family was part of Stephen F. Austin�s Third Colony, which arrived in Texas by 1830. In 1839, the Plum Grove Baptist Church, which would become linked to the cemetery, formed. This was one of the earliest Baptist churches in the state of Texas. In 1851, John Click deeded land for the church and cemetery to the congregation. Church participation declined in the 1860s, and by the end of the decade, the congregation moved its place of worship. Soon, though, the nearby community of West Point started to grow and began using the burial ground. The earliest grave here dates to 1835. Other graves include those of military veterans involved in conflicts dating to the Texas Revolution.
The cemetery had two sections � one where whites were interred and the other for African American burials. Today, as one cemetery, the site serves as a monument to the history of the surrounding communities.
Historic Texas Cemetery - 2006
Plum Grove Cemetery
Photo courtesy William Wessels, April 2014
Plum Grove Cemetery
1839
Photo courtesy William Wessels, April 2014
Plum Grove Cemetery
Photo courtesy William Wessels, April 2014
The Criswell Family Cemetery
located inside the Plum Grove cemetery
Photo courtesy William Wessels, April 2014
The Criswell Family Cemetery
Photo courtesy William Wessels, April 2014
1835 Criswell Family Cemetery Plaque
Photo courtesy William Wessels, April 2014
More Texas Cemeteries
1907 Fayette County postal map showing West Point
Courtesy Texas General Land Office
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