Allison, Texas, Wheeler County. (original) (raw)

History in a Pecan Shell

The town had no 19th Century history. It started life as a stop on the Panhandle and Santa Fe Railroad in 1929, the same year it was granted a post office. Railroad General Manager R. H. Allison is the town�s namesake.

Growth was fast. In just a year Allison had three cotton gins, a store and two lumberyards.

With the help of the Lone Star Townsite Company, electricity and gas were installed and a water system came in 1932. The nearby town of Zybach was swallowed by Allison�s growth. The town acquired a bad reputation during the 20s for the practice of bootlegging. By 1940 with a population of nearly 200, Allison was served by no fewer than five stores.

In 1974 the population was estimated at 135, the same figure given for the 2000 census.

Wheeler County 1940s map
From Texas state map #4335
Courtesy Texas General Land Office

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