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| "The
old courthouse square where the 1891
courthouse used to stand, has been turned into a park. Notice the old jail
on the right. The raised walls to the right of the garzebo mark the foundation
of the burned courthouse." - Terry
Jeanson, December 2006 photo |
History
in a Pecan Shell
First there was Boston, Texas – but this wasn’t it. The original town of Boston
is now called Old Boston and is about 2.5 miles
S of this Boston. The original town was the county seat until around 1890 when
Texarkana became the seat of government
for Bowie County.
Since it had been decided by the Texas State Legislature
that county seats should be centrally located, a new courthouse was begun here
in 1890.
The postal application had been submitted under the name of Center,
but that was nixed by the postal authorities. Other names were submitted and rejected
– usually for the reason that other post offices were operating under those names.
The post office was moved from the original town of Boston, making the new county
seat officially Boston and making Boston “Old”
Boston in the same act.
In the mid 1890s Boston had a growing population
of 175. That seems to be a level that comfortable with, since it hasn’t changed
all that much in 115 years.
New Boston,
has had more businesses growth and has eclipsed the smaller town, leaving it to
tend to the county business without distractions.
The towns of Boston and
New Boston now join one another but are as separate
as the Texas side of Texarkana is from the Arkansas side of Texarkana.
To
further confuse things, a new
courthouse was built in 1985 – but in New Boston,
even though Boston is the official county seat.
Bowie
County Courthouse |
 |
The
1891 Bowie County Jail
On the old courthouse square
FM 1840 and S.
Merrill St.
In use until 1984 |
|
1939 photo courtesy TXDoT |
The
1891 Bowie County Courthouse in Boston
Burned in 1989 |
1940s
Bowie County map showing Boston and New Boston
(Above
"W" in "B-O-W-I-E")
Courtesy Texas General Land Office |
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