NEW YORK, TEXAS

Henderson County, East Texas

32° 10' 12" N, 95° 40' 12" W (32.17, -95.67)
FM 604 and FM 607
About 11 miles E of Athens
87 miles E of Dallas
Population: 15 est. (2000)

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History in a Pecan Shell

The community was first settled before the Civil War just south of the present-day location. Founders were four men named Reynolds, Walker, Forester and Otts. In 1873 the community was centered where it is now. The naming was either a bit of facetious humor or a sincere hope for future growth (as unlikely as that was).

By the mid 1880s, New York had two gristmills and two gins to serve a population of 60 people. A post office was granted in 1876 and when the town was bypassed by the railroad in 1901, the post office lasted only a few years before closing.

In the 1980s the town become famous for producing cheesecake, although the company making them has since relocated to Athens. From a population of 20 in 1992, it has decreased to just 15 residents for the 2000 census.

Postcard cancelled with 1899 New York postmark
Courtesy The John J. Germann Collection

Henderson County 1920s map showing Athens
Courtesy Texas General Land Office

Take a road trip

New York, Texas Nearby Towns:
Athens the county seat
See Henderson County, East Texas

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