POYNOR, TEXAS
AKA Poyner, Texas

Henderson County, East Texas

32°4'40"N 95°35'49"W (32.077740, -95.596885)
Highway 175
About 18 Miles SE of Athens
About 27 Miles N of Palestine
About 21 Miles NW of Jacksonville
Population: 305 (2010) 318 (2000)

Poynor, Texas Area Hotels > Athens Hotels

"This is a 1939 photograph of the Poynor train depot of the Texas and New Orleans (T&NO) railroad. This structure was torn down sometime in the 1950s."
Photo courtesy Roberta Neisz of Cedar Rapids, Iowa
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History in a Pecan Shell

"Poynor is one of the famous "railroad" towns of Henderson County. The town was laid off in 1900 when the Texas and New Orleans Railroad came through. The town was named Poynor, after D.H. Poynor, a surveyor of the railroad line. The railroad also created the towns of LaRue, Baxter, Frankston, Cuney, and Reese (Henderson, Anderson, and Cherokee counties respectfully). A post office founded in 1901 mistakenly named the town "Poyner", until the name was corrected in 1919 to Poynor. The town once had its own newspaper, the Poyner Times-Express. Note that the paper also misspells the name. According to historic records and newspapers, the town was first known as Ida Valley (the town is centered in the hills west of Frankston), and the railroad almost named the town David.

An Indian village existed south of Poynor, near the site of Fosterville, which is in itself famous for being the first grave of Cynthia Ann Parker.

Poynor was home to the historic Milner Grist Mill, one the few that continued to operate even into recent history. The town is home to the First Baptist Church of Poynor, which has a historical marker. Poynor Cemetery is noted as a Texas Historical Cemetery.

Some structures from the early 1900s still line US Highway 175, which serves as the "main strip" of the town. The railroad depot was torn down sometime in the 1950s. Hunt Oil Company now serves as a major industry, headquartered in Poynor. A tornado destroyed a section of the town in 2008.

The Henderson County Historical Commission in Athens contains historical records about Poynor, and a book about the history of the town written by a local resident."
- Gage Guinn, Poynor, Texas

TX - The First Baptist Church of Poynor.

First Baptist Church of Poynor
Photo courtesy Gage Guinn, September 2012

TX - The First Baptist Church of Poynor. histroical marker

First Baptist Church of Poynor Historical Marker
Photo courtesy Gage Guinn, September 2012

"What the remains of the historic Milner Grist Mill appear today. The mill was sent sliding into Mill Branch Creek during the tornado of 2008, but was pulled out in decent shape by a Poynor business owner. However, the property was neglected and the building collapsed during a recent 2012 storm." - Gage Guinn, September 2012

Photo courtesy Gage Guinn, September 2012
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"Two early 1900 structures that used to be general stores and shops sit next to the modern day Poynor post office on US Hwy 175."
- Gage Guinn, September 2012

Poynor Cemetery
Photo courtesy Gage Guinn, September 2012

"The newly installed historical marker at Poynor Cemetery, which gives a great brief history of early Poynor and some of it's founding peoples." - Gage Guinn, September 2012
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Henderson County 1920s map showing "Poyner"
SE of Athens, near Anderson County line
Courtesy Texas General Land Office

Poynor, Texas Area Towns:
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