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BURKE,
TEXAS Angelina
County, East Texas
Highway 59 and FM 2108
8 Miles S of Lufkin
3 Miles N of Diboll
Population: 315 (2000) |
Burke History
in a Pecan Shell
Born on the railhead of the Houston, East and West Texas Railroad - when it built
through Angelina County in 1881, the region was known as Bradley Prairie
but the town was first named Rhodes, Texas after local storekeeper W. R.
Rhodes. Another Rhodes (H. R.) served as postmaster when a post office was granted
in 1886. In 1885 Rhodes was renamed for Ed Burke, a railroad (civil) engineer
who helped conduct the survey for the railroad.
By 1885, Burke was a
three-sawmill town and had most essential businesses. Three years later the town
had to build a larger school and businesses included a dentist and even a watchmaker.
The 1897 population of Burke was a respectable 650 - it's high-water mark. The
town's proximity to Lufkin drained
off population and by 1904 it was down to a mere 161. It rebounded to 200 for
1915 and by the mid 20s it was around 300. Burke's post office closed in the 1950s
and in the mid 1960s the school merged with the Diboll ISD. In the mid 1960s Burke
incorporated and installed a municipal water system. Burke's population has remained
between 300 and 325 from 1980 to the present. |
Burke
Texas ForumSubject:
Burke, Texas
Dear TE, Most of my family is from Burke. I live in the house
that my great grandmother was born in. It has played a part in my grandparents
lives - on both sides of the family. Our mayor has gathered a lot of information
on Burke. So has my cousin and a man who went to school here in the 40's-50's.
The only original building still standing is the schoolhouse, but there are still
a few original homestead houses. My great aunt lives in the 2nd house ever built
in Burke and the house I am in was the 3rd house built. My grandmother is now
89 and her memory is just now starting to slip, but she has told us a lot of stories
of Burke and the locations of where stores, gins and other places used to be.
She also has some photos as do the aforementioned people. If I am not mistaken,
my grandmother's family was one of the first few who started out in Burke. Arrington/Rush
families. Lee is my grandfather's name .. which is how this house I'm in came
to be. Tellie Arrington (my grandmother's mother) was born here and it passed
through various hands until my paternal great grandfather Jake Lee bought the
property. Thank You for including Burke in your town listings. - Lori Lee~Ray,
Burke, Texas, January 07, 2007 | |
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