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Downtown
Elkhart circa 1900
Photo courtesy Maurice Higginbotham |
Elkhart
History in a Pecan ShellThe
town dates from 1851 and is said to have been named after an Indian who befriended
the settlers.
Jay Gould's International - Great Northern Railroad
ran through the town for years, providing both passenger service and freight shipping.
The railroad phased out its operations as the economy slumped during the Great
Depression.
Elkhart suffered a devastating fire in 1912. The town became
a minor resort in the late 1800s because of mineral waters.
Professor
Janet Mace Valenza mentions Elkhart in her excellent Taking
the Waters in Texas: Springs, Spas, and Fountains of Youth (University of
Texas Press, 2000)
She states that the springs were about
one mile Southeast of Elkhart. "The 1889 First Annual Report of the Geological
Survey of Texas reported that a hotel was being built [there] and a health resort
started. Some waters tasted strongly of sulphur and others of alum and iron salts.
These waters probably were the same as those called Loretto Mineral Wells
in 1907 by the USGS."
Book
Hotels
Palestine
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Elkhart Chronicles:Plunder
In The Pines
by Dana Goolsby
East
Texas is full of legends, mysteries, and folklore. Just beneath the surface of
the Pineywoods, buried treasure is said to be scattered. There may not have been
pirates roaming about the region, but over the years plenty of booty was left
behind in East Texas.
One of the many fortunes left behind is believed
to be in southern Anderson County. Mexican gold bars, gold coins and jewels have
eluded treasure hunters for well over a century, but some still believe there
is buried treasure in Elkhart, Texas.
Today, little remains of the pre-Civil
War settlement known as Pilgrim Community just outside the city limits
of present day Elkhart. An old church and an even older graveyard bring back dim
memories of days gone by. A replica of a Spanish mission has also been erected
on the property in recent years. Pilgrim Church was reputed to be the first Protestant
church in Texas. ... more
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Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing
Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history and vintage/historic
photos of their town, please contact
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