Negley, Texas, Red River County. (original) (raw)
History in a Pecan Shell
The name was to honor local resident Oliver P. Negley. Settler W. C. Gough opened a saw mill here in the 1880s and it was around this business that the community grew.
A post office was granted in 1892 and operated until 1908. In 1912 the post office was reopened and stayed open through the 1960s. The population peaked in 1927 at 100 residents, but soon after the Great Depression hit, it was reduced to a mere 25. Rebounding was not in the stars for tiny Negley and it remained around 30 through the 1960s. It slowly accumulated enough residents to reach 136 for the 1990 census � where it remained for the 2000 figure.
Photographer's Note:
"Negley is located in the hardwood forests of NE Texas - a quiet region and one that is nice to visit. About all that is present now is what appears to be a hunting camp and a residence or two on the main road. There is also an abandoned church. That always saddens me when I see one.
Negley has been designated Site PPEE-117 of the Prairies and Pineywoods Wildlife Trail - one that leads you on a memorable journey through native grasslands and into the forests of East Texas. About 2.5 miles up the road, the Tuggle Springs Cemetery is a very picturesque place. Highly recommended." -
Prairies and Pineywoods Wildlife Trail
Photo courtesy Gerald Massey, August 2010
Tuggle Springs Cemetery
Photo courtesy Gerald Massey, August 2010
Historical Marker
Tuggle Springs Cemetery
This burial ground was established by Andrew Jackson Tuggle (1815-1877) a farmer who moved here from Tennessee c. 1850 with his wife Elizabeth (1819-1895). When a mother and infant died in 1864, Tuggle set aside property for use as a cemetery and for a church and school. As settlers came to the area, they began to use the burial ground, which is named for Tuggle and for nearby natural springs. Besides early settlers, others buried here include veterans of conflicts dating to the Civil War. Today, the Tuggle Springs Cemetery Association, organized in 1960, continues to care for the burial ground, which features Woodmen of the World markers, grave slabs and vertical stones.
Historic Texas Cemetery-2007
1907 Postal Map showing Negley in NE Red River County
From Texas state map #2090
Courtesy Texas General Land Office
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Negley, Texas - December 24, 2010
TE's 2600th Town