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BLOSSOM,
TEXAS
AKA BLOSSOM PRAIRIELamar
County, North Central Texas
Hwy 82 and FM 196
9 miles E of Paris
14 miles W of Clarksville
Population:
1,440 (2000) 1,439 (1990)Book
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| | "R.V.
Womack & Co. Store, Blossom, Texas." Early 1900s.
Photo courtesy
texasoldphotos.com |
The town today refers to itself as Blossom Prairie, the original name of
the community.
History
in a Pecan Shell
Davy Crockett is said to have entered Texas near
present Blossom. William Patton, Crockett’s nephew crossed the Red River into
Blossom Prairie in November of 1836 and a three year-old who later became Texas
Ranger Ben Dragoo came to Blossom Prairie with his family in 1838.
By
1873, The roadbed for the Texas & Pacific Railroad was graded, but no track materialized.
For three years there was a gap between Texarkana and Brookston. Freight was transported
by wagon, to bridge the gap - passing through Blossom. Later, a passenger and
freight depot was built on Front Street.
Blossom Prairie Academy was
established in 1884 at this time the town’s population was around 1,000. The town
of Blossom Prairie was incorporated on January 8, 1886 and the name was shortened
to the present Blossom two years later. Lamar College was founded in 1889.
Vice President John Nance Garner, who is usually associated with Uvalde,
Texas once attended school in Blossom. His lifelong friendship with Sam Rayburn
was based on their common NE Texas upbringing.
Blossom was once famous
for its mineral water and wells were said to have numbered one hundred. The only
one remaining today is in Blossom’s City Park.
Professor J. Valenza’s
excellent Taking
the Waters in Texas (UT Press, 2000) includes Blossom on her map of Springs
and lists Bell’s Mineral Wells, Blossom Wells and Beauchamp Wells as three different
names in the Blossom vicinity.
Hotels opened to house the patrons
“taking the waters.” A portion of the former Burke Hotel is now a residence.
Cotton growers could have their cotton ginned and baled at one of the two
Blossom gins. There were also two brick manufacturers. A hardware store is one
of two remaining buildings in town made of Blossom Brick. By 1903, Blossom had
one bank, two in 1910, and a third in 1919.
Blossom still has mineral
water in the City Park although the hotels, bathhouse and brickyards are now gone.
In later years Cuthand Creek was dammed to create City Lake. (The City
Administrator of Blossom in July of 2001 states that there is no “City Lake.”)
Blossom’s population dipped down to about 650 people at one point
during the Great Depression. Today many Blossomites commute to Paris
and the population is now a respectable 1,440. |
| | Blossom
today
Photo courtesy Barclay Gibson, April 2006 |
Blossom
Attractions
The Blossom Museum and Civic Center is located at 215 Pine Street in Blossom
Directions: South of Highway 82 on Faucett Street. go one block and turn
left on Pine Street. Museum is on the left. Hours: Fridays from 10:00 a.m. to
5:00 p.m.
Chamber of Commerce: None
City Offices: 903-982-5900
is the number we received from the telephone company for the city offices in Blossom.
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Blossom,
Texas ForumIf
you will go to Lamar Co TX Genweb, then scroll down to Blossom Museum, you will
find a short history of Blossom, TX. I live there, and work at the Museum.
Blossom has lots of history, and we work to preserve the history in our genealogy
section, and museum which has small items that were either used by Blossom residents,
or happen to be items like those that Blossom people probably used. We have information
about Blossom from the time it was incorporated, up to the present time. Our genealogy
section has family files, which are furnished by family members interested in
preserving their family history and sharing it with others. At the present we
have six ladies that do volunteer work there, and we're all very proud of what
has been accomplished in just a few short years.
The museum is also a
library, utilized by people that live in and around Blossom. - Peggy Johnston,
March 18, 2005
Anyone
wanting to share history or photos of Blossom, Texas - please contact
us.
© John Troesser
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