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History in a Pecan
Shell
Founded
around 1902 with the arrival of the Texas and New Orleans Railroad, the first
citizens relocated from the village of Kickapoo, Texas, two miles southeast of
present Frankston. The first post office was named Ayers (as was the town)
but the name was changed when a Miss Frankie Miller donated land for a city park.
Lumber and cotton were the town's major
economic engines. As the lumber played out, peach orchards and tomato fields took
up the slack.
The railroad depot, just south of the town square was the nerve
center of old Frankston. During its heyday, Franston had three hotels, several
cafes, a basket factory (for the tomatoes), a Masonic hall, and even a theater.
The town's population ranged between just over 800 to 1,500 from the mid 20s through
the 80s.
In the 1980s Frankston was still thriving with two car dealerships,
stores, gas stations, a bank, savings and loan association, newspaper, and funeral
home.
Tourism has become increasingly important to Frankston in recent
years and the former depot has become a library.
Frankston
Chronicles > |
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Old
store in Frankston (Ellis Merchantile)
Photo courtesy Lori
Martin, 2001 |
Frankston
ChroniclesThe
Possum Dinner by Bob Bowman
While most East Texans were planning
Thanksgiving dinners in 1929, four old friends in Frankston were sitting down
for a meal of possum and sweet potatoes... more
A
Newspaper’s Centennial by Bob Bowman
One of my favorite weekly
newspapers, the Frankston Citizen, celebrated its 100th anniversary recently.
What I enjoyed most were reproductions of front pages from the Citizens’ issues
during the past century. In the early days, newspapers carried down-to-earth news
that you seldom read in newspapers today. Some examples... |
| Texas
Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing
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photos of their town, please contact
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