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History in
a Pecan Shell
As you may have imagined, the town was named after the town in Illinois.
“Transient resident” B. F. Stewart, is credited with suggesting
the name after his former hometown. Peoria was comprised of 21 cabins
in the 1840s but the town had big plans. An entire square mile of
streets was platted in 1853 and in 1887 the town was granted a post
office. By 1878 Peoria had a population of 500 and hope were high.
But when it was by-passed by the railroad in 1890, it immediately
declined to around 350.
In the 1880s the town had daily stage service to Hillsboro
and Whitney, but the population still dropped – reaching 129 by
1904.
The post office
closed in 1907 and although there was some growth in the prosperous
20s, by the time the Great Depression arrived, Peoria was down to
only four businesses. The Baptist and Presbyterian churches still
remain active and the population of 81 has been in use since the
early 1980s.
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