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Entering
Shannon
Photo courtesy Mike
Price, September 2009 |
History
in a Pecan Shell
Still shown on the state map, Stampede Springs, Texas was the colorful
name of this community in the late 1870s when residents clustered around the store
of Rachel D. Ivie. Shortly thereafter, the name changed. A local Irish family
was said to have honored the name of their former home in Ireland (The Shannon
Valley). A post office was granted in the 1890s. Although no population figures
are available prior to the mid-1920s, 112 people were listed at that time. That
number was used for the next 30 years, decreasing to 80 in the late 1960s and
then to 23 in the late 70s - the same number in use today.
A
Visit to Shannon, Texas Photographer's
Note:
A few homes, an odd building or two, and a nice cemetery are about
all you can say about Shannon. The old white church is across from Silver Hill
Cemetery which is much closer to Post Oak than
Shannon. The same for the ranch entrance. - Mike
Price,, September 2009 |
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Shannon
Cemetery historical marker
Photo courtesy Mike
Price, September 2009 |
Shannon Cemetery
Historical Marker TextEstablished
near a flourishing spring of water and a general store in 1878, the settlement
around this site was known as Stampede Springs. The first burial in this cemetery
was that of Mary W. Gibson (1824-1879). Trustees of the Stampede Springs School
community purchased five acres including this site for a school, church and graveyard
in 1880. A post office opened in 1893, and the town was renamed Shannon, either
by the U. S. Postal Service or by local settlers. In 1907 another acre was donated
to the cemetery. The population of Shannon was 112 in the mid-1920s. A cemetery
association was established in 1949. In 1990 the population was 23. There were
311 graves in the cemetery at the end of the 20th century, with 104 family names
represented. |
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Shannon
Texas ForumNot
Yet A Ghost Town: Once Upon a Time in Shannon... Dear
TE, I stumbled onto your magazine and began surfing. I was a little disappointed
in not being able to locate a small Texas community named Shannon in your coverage.
It is approximately 30 miles out of Jacksboro, Texas when you take Hwy 148 north
toward Henrietta. My parents, uncles, aunts and many other relatives attended
the Lodge Creek school in Shannon. Once upon a time, Shannon had a bank and the
bank vault, I believe, is still standing to this day. Believe it or not, there
are still people who live in this small community. There are probably less than
50 but it's not a ghost town yet. If you happen to make contact with Mike Castle,
Claudia Castle or Sarah Johnson, tell them Mary Nell Castle sent them your way.
They're my relatives and Mike can talk your ear off when you ask him about Shannon's
history. Thanks - Mary Nell Castle, January 07, 2007
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