Yantis, Texas, Wood County. (original) (raw)

History in a Pecan Shell

Named for the town�s first postmaster George Yantis, the community began in the 1860s although a center never developed until the 1880s when the post office opened. Besides his duties as postmaster, Yantis also ran the community�s gristmill and cotton gin.

The population was a mere 35 residents in 1890, increasing to 60 by the mid 1890s. In 1914 it had risen to a respectable 300 and it reached its high-water mark in the early 1930s with 500 citizens. It fell 20% during WWII and by the end of the 1940s it was less than 300. The town continued its decline to 174 in the late 1960s but has since increased to 321 in 2000 and 386 in 2010.

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