Poer, Texas, Bowie County. (original) (raw)

Poer, Texas Forum

Subject: Poer, Texas

I would like to add information about the community of Poer, Texas that once had a school and a post office and a store about two miles east of Simms, Texas on highway 67.

My father was born in Poer, Texas in 1905. His name was Clarence V. Poer and he was delivered by his father, Dr. John Franklin Poer. That is written on his birth certificate. The original plantation was owned by Martin A. Poer who received the land grant of 1280 acres in 1837 from the Republic of Texas.

The post office existed until Dr. John Franklin Poer died in 1918. Poer, Texas is now called Old Union Community and receives rural mail delivery from Simms, Texas in Bowie County. A letter that was post marked "Poer, Texas" could be put on the train at Carbondale, Texas about a mile east and arrive in New Orleans in two days for 2 cents.

The school existed until it was consolidated with James Bowie High School in the Simms Independent School District in 1939. The school in Poer had only 6 grades.

There were two churches, the Primitive Baptist Church and the Missionary Baptist Church. There is a large, well-kept cemetery next to those churches where the original settlers are buried. The members of the community still have an annual reunion picnic every Memorial Day with a business meeting in the old Primitive Baptist Church and a military memorial service by the veteran's monument. Descendants bring their lunch and eat in the large pavilion under the oak trees.

The Primitive Baptist Church was organized in August of 1850. There is a monument in front of the old building with the names of the charter members which includes two slaves. We think it is probably the first integrated church in Bowie County. The secretary of the church was Martin A. Poer. We have the minutes that he wrote at each meeting until he retired. - Frances Poer Fox, March 18, 2013