Crockett, Texas, Houston County seat. (original) (raw)

History in a Pecan Shell

The town was named after Davy Crockett who reportedly had camped nearby on his way to the Alamo. The site was very near the Old San Antonio Road. A family of Tennesseans donated the land for the town and named it after Crockett, who they had known back in Tennessee.

The town was incorporated in 1837, and a post office was granted the following year. Crockett was connected to Nacogdoches by stage service.

In 1839 raids by the Alabama-Coushatta and Cherokee Indians forced the town's residents to take shelter in the fortified log courthouse.

Crockett was a training center for Confederate conscripts during the Civil War.

The railroad came through in 1872 enabling Crockett to exploit the county's timber resources.

By 1885 the town was thriving with a population of 1,200 and the following year a school was opened for black girls. It evolved into Mary Allen Junior College, which operated into the 1970s.

In 1904 lignite mining started and it peaked about 1910. The stands of timber were seriously depleted by the 1920s.

The population was over 3,000 in the mid 20's and by 1936 it was nearly 4,500.

Crockett population increased while most of East Texas declined after WWII. It reached 5,000 by the 1960 census.

Crockett Landmarks / Chronicles

Photo courtesy Clayton Starr, 2008

Glenwood Cemetery
Houston County's oldest cemetery
Photo by Dana Goolsby, October 2010

Mission Tejas State Park by Dana Goolsby
21 miles NE of Crockett
Mission Tejas State Park fully encompasses both the rich history of East Texas and the natural wonder and beauty of the Pineywoods.

	Coca Cola Billboard in Crockett Photo courtesy Barclay Gibson, April 2006

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