TexasEscapes.com HOME Welcome to Texas Escapes
A magazine written by Texas
Custom Search
New   |   Texas Towns   |   Ghost Towns   |   Counties   |   Trips   |   Features   |   Columns   |   Architecture   |   Images   |   Archives   |   Site Map

Cherokee County TX
Cherokee County


Texas Towns
A - Z

Jacksonville Hotels

More Hotels

GALLATIN, TEXAS

Cherokee County, East Texas

31°54'12"N 95°9'2"W (31.903316, -95.150520)

FM 22 and 768
6 miles N of Rusk the county seat
4 miles W of Ponta
10 miles SE of Jacksonville
Population: 434 Est. (2019)
419 (2010) 378 (2000) 368 (1990)

Book Hotel Here › Jacksonville Hotels


Gallatin Schoolhouse and students, 1916, Texas
Gallatin Public School and students in 1916
Photo courtesy Arcadia Publishing and
The Cherokee County Historical Commission

History in a Pecan Shell

Like many Cherokee County towns, Gallatin had been settled in the 1840s, although it blossomed later than other towns. Here the year was 1902, when the Texas and New Orleans Railroad arrived. John W. Chandler and his sister, Sophronia, platted a townsite and named it after their former home in Tennessee. It quickly modeled itself after other produce-producing towns and before one could say "truck-farming" it was shipping out tomatoes to northern cities.

The economy was bolstered in 1907 when a branch line of the Texas and New Orleans connected Gallatin with Rusk. The population was 350 by 1914, and although much of the downtown burned in 1916, it was completely rebuilt. The population slowly increased during the 20s and by the time the Great Depression arrived, Gallatin had a healthy population of 500.

The depopulation of East Texas after WWII is well-documented and Gallatin was no exception. School consolidation didn't help and Gallatin's students were merged into Rusk schools. By the early 1950s, the population was back to 1914 levels and a slow decline had left less than 200 people there by 1990.

It has since increased to its current estimate of 378.

Gallatin, Texas class of 1916
Gallatin students in 1916
(Closeup of photo above)
Photo courtesy Arcadia Publishing and
The Cherokee County Historical Commission

Gallatin Texas Forum

  • Subject: Gallatin, TX
    My father was born in Reklaw, TX but he grew up in the Gallatin – Rusk, TX and he grew up with the late great Johnny Horton. My father’s name was Cleland E. Bailey and he was the son of Isaac Lawson Bailey and Maude (Parsons) Bailey. I’ve been to Gallatin several times even though I live in Michigan. What a great place. My favorite place is the Olde Store restaurant. - Kevin C. Bailey, Kalamazoo, MI, February 09, 2011

  • Subject: Gallatin Texas
    I am from Ponta, Texas and have never lived in Gallatin although I have relatives there now. Gallatin is the childhood home of singer/songwriter Johnny Horton. Best Regards, LR (Larry) Trotter Ponta, Texas, June 22, 2006

  • Texas Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history, stories, landmarks and recent or vintage photos, please contact us.


    Take a road trip

    East Texas

    Gallatin, Texas Nearby Towns:
    Rusk the county seat
    Ponta
    Jacksonville
    Tyler
    See Cherokee County

    Book Hotel Here:
    Jacksonville Hotels | More Hotels

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     


    Texas Escapes Online Magazine »   Archive Issues » Home »
    TEXAS TOWNS & COUNTIES TEXAS LANDMARKS & IMAGES TEXAS HISTORY & CULTURE TEXAS OUTDOORS MORE
    Texas Counties
    Texas Towns A-Z
    Texas Ghost Towns

    TEXAS REGIONS:
    Central Texas North
    Central Texas South
    Texas Gulf Coast
    Texas Panhandle
    Texas Hill Country
    East Texas
    South Texas
    West Texas

    Courthouses
    Jails
    Churches
    Schoolhouses
    Bridges
    Theaters
    Depots
    Rooms with a Past
    Monuments
    Statues

    Gas Stations
    Post Offices
    Museums
    Water Towers
    Grain Elevators
    Cotton Gins
    Lodges
    Stores
    Banks

    Vintage Photos
    Historic Trees
    Cemeteries
    Old Neon
    Ghost Signs
    Signs
    Murals
    Gargoyles
    Pitted Dates
    Cornerstones
    Then & Now

    Columns: History/Opinion
    Texas History
    Small Town Sagas
    Black History
    WWII
    Texas Centennial
    Ghosts
    People
    Animals
    Food
    Music
    Art

    Books
    Cotton
    Texas Railroads

    Texas Trips
    Texas Drives
    Texas State Parks
    Texas Rivers
    Texas Lakes
    Texas Forts
    Texas Trails
    Texas Maps
    USA
    MEXICO
    HOTELS

    Site Map
    About Us
    Privacy Statement
    Disclaimer
    Contributors
    Staff
    Contact Us

     
    Website Content Copyright Texas Escapes LLC. All Rights Reserved