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Unique Town Namesby
Bob Bowman | |
Sadly,
we’re losing much of the history of East
Texas--the small communities that sprouted and faded away as East
Texas grew and much of our population was congested in larger cities and towns.
Many of our small communities had unique names that gave them a flavor unlike
places such as Tyler,
Longview, Paris,
Lufkin and Nacogdoches.
Byspot
Byspot
is a good example. Settled in 1899 in San Jacinto County, it was first known as
Teddy, but in 1903 J.O. Bennett changed the community’s name to Byspot, a name
derived from spelling his wife Topsy’s name backward and adding a B. Bennett owned
and operated a logging tram railroad, indicating Byspot was a logging community.
Point Blank
Point Blank, also in San Jacinto County, got its name from
Florence Dissiway, a Frenchwoman who moved to the county in the 1850’s. She called
the community Blanc Point, which was changed by local residents to Point Blank.
Texas Governor George Wood, who rode a mule to Austin and hated to wear socks,
was buried here when he died.
Bug Tussell
Bug
Tussle, in
Fannin County, was originally called Truss, but supposedly got its new name when
an invasion of bugs spoiled an ice cream social, but there are other versions.
Stringtown
Stringtown
in Newton County was named by a peddler because the houses were strung out along
the road. Two other names attached to the community were Rainbow and Griggs.
Weeping
Mary
Weeping Mary
in Cherokee County was named for Mary Magdalene’s weeping at the tomb of Jesus.
Naclina
Naclina in Nacogdoches County got its name from a mixture of
Nacogdoches and Angelina County, which was served by the Angelina and Neches Railroad.
China
China
in Jefferson County was named China Grove for a grove of Chinaberry trees, but
the name was later shortened.
Seven Oaks
Seven Oaks in Polk
County was a sawmill settlement named by an early settler for his ancestral estate
in England.
Moss Hill
Moss Hill in Liberty County was named
for the Spanish moss that covered the trees in the dense forests of the area.
Goober
Hill
Goober Hill, a small farming community in Shelby County, was named
for the peanuts, locally known as “goobers,” that were a major crop in the region.
Black
Ankle
Black Ankle, in San Augustine County, also had a school known as
Black Ankle, but how the town got its name is unknown. One old story says it came
about when a girl wore black stockings to school.
Bob
Bowman's East Texas July 18, 2010 Column
A weekly column syndicated
in 70 East Texas newspapers
Copyright Bob Bowman
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