Roosevelt, Texas, Kimble County. (original) (raw)

History in a Pecan Shell

Named after Teddy not Franklin.

Roosevelt's population has never exceeded 150 people.

A local ranch imported Angora goats from South Africa in the 1920s and horses were raised here for the US Cavalry. Polo ponies were trained here as well, and Polo matches were a frequent activity in the 1920s.

Historical Marker:

Roosevelt

The community of Roosevelt began with the establishment of a post office in 1898. Although Alice Wagner applied for the post office with another name, the postal service in Washington substituted the name Roosevelt presumably in honor of Theodore Roosevelt, whose Rough Riders visited the area prior to their legendary Spanish-American War service. Two military roads traversed this area and Roosevelt became a social center for surrounding ranch families. In addition to the post office Roosevelt included a masonic lodge, churches, stores and a school.
(1997)

Roosevelt Texas Historical Marker
Photo courtesy Barclay Gibson, February 2009

Roosevelt, Texas Landmarks

Roosevelt, Texas Forum

• Subject: Growing up in Roosevelt, TX
  My father, David Earl Fellers, lived in Roosevelt, Kimble County, TX as a boy. Born in 1926, he was the youngest of twelve children of Edward, and Alice Fellers. To make ends meet, my grandparents had to cut cedar posts. I always loved to hear Daddy tell stories of the way he and his friends passed the time in Roosevelt. My favorite is how the boys would take guitar strings and fish for Gar in the Llano River. They would "shuck" their clothes, and while sitting on tubes, let the big fish pull them around the river. Before supper time, they would go ashore, and put their clothes back on. They would head for home, and their parents never realized what they had been up to. - Mary Fraley, February 25, 2011

Kimble County 1940s map showing Roosevelt, W of Junction,
and Llano River
From Texas state map #4335
Courtesy Texas General Land Office

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