Ashtola, Texas, Donley County. (original) (raw)

"Not much here, but here is some of it."
Photo courtesy Ken Rudine, July 2006

History in a Pecan Shell

Another town established by the Fort Worth and Denver City Railway, Ashtola began life as a simple railroad section house in 1906. The site was known as Southard and a post office was applied for and was granted that same year. Within two years the community had a school and two stores.

Southard may have caused some confusion with similarly spelled towns and in 1916 a change of name was requested by the post office department. A man named W. A. Poovey was asked for a new name. After he modestly suggested Poovieville, the postal authorities chose Ashtola - a name with no known origin, but with considerable more dignity than Poovieville.

The population was still estimated at a mere 25 people when the Great Depression hit. A home demonstration club was formed which later evolved into the Ashtola Needle Club. Ashtola had a gristmill which remained in operation until the early 1970s, but the post office closed in the mid-1950s. When the Ashtola school merged with Clarendon's schools in 1958, the former school was made into a community center.

From 1949 through the mid-1960s the estimated population was 50 - dropping to 25 in the late 1960s. From 1970 to 1990 the population was given as 20 and what it is today is anybody's guess.

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