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History in a
Pecan Shell
The town’s namesake is Virginian Samuel Cyle Skidmore,
who moved to Texas shortly before the Civil War. A short-lived post office opened
in 1860 under the name of River Side and closed its doors the same year.
A second post office opened and was named Lattington, after the postmaster. In
1886 Sam Skidmore’s son Frank donated a right-of-way to the San Antonio and Aransas
Pass Railroad and the town of Skidmore was on its way. A new post office opened
in 1887 under the name of Skidmore and the rest of what had been Lattington moved
to the new site in the early 1890s.
The railroad brought new prosperity
and Skidmore soon had its own doctor and newspaper. The population reached 1,000
by 1914.
The down suffered three disastrous fires (1913, 1918, and 1929)
which curtailed growth for decades. The population however didn’t decline dramatically
and by 1950 it was reported as 925.
Improved roads and the towns proximity
to Corpus Christi
has drained off population and by the 1980s it had been reduced to 500 which has
since rebounded to just over 1,000. |
Photographer's
Note:
The last of the railroad tracks were taken up a few years ago and
the old businesses along the tracks are all gone now and businesses mainly are
on the main drag (Highway 181) through town. - Will
Beauchamp, October 2008 |
| Aransas
Creek Settlers historical marker in front of the museum | |
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