| History in
a Pecan Shell
Daniel T. Leary, early settler, was the community’s namesake. A post office opened
in 1894. The population was 75 in 1914 and by the mid 1920s it had declined to
just 25 residents. As
mentioned in the histories of neighboring towns, Leary prospered after the two
military installations were built. The population increased to 100 by 1945, still
modest, but secure. By the mid 1950s, it had reached new heights, at 350 residents.
In
1982 the population was reported at 253 which has since grown to 555 for the 2000
census.
Photographer's
Note:
"Here is the town of Leary, located on highway US-82,
in Bowie County about 8-miles west of Texarkana.
It should be noted that
all these towns, Leary, Victory City, Hooks
(all located on highway US-82) and even Red Springs and Redwater
to the south are all at the very large military facility of “Red River Army Depot.”
Some of the pics at these towns are of parts to this facility." - Gerald
Massey, June 2010 |
