Deadwood, Texas, Panola County. (original) (raw)

History in a Pecan Shell

Settled in the late 1830s, Adam LaGrone and family are credited with being the town�s first settlers. Just prior to the Civil War, LaGrone�s son built a cotton gin and grist mill which later evolved into the town of Linus.

When the time came to apply for a post office, another town had claimed the name of Linus, so citizens chose Deadwood as their second choice. This was accepted by the postal authorities and in 1882 a post office opened.

Deadwood reported a population of fifty in the mid 1850s when the community had the aforementioned gin and mill as well as a school and two churches.

The post office closed its doors in 1917 and in the mid 1930s the population had reached 125 � the high-water mark. It has since declined to 106 � for the 1990 Census and again for the 2000 census.

Panola County 1920s map showing Deadwood
From Texas state map #10749
Courtesy Texas General Land Office

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