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Ellis County TX
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MAYPEARL, TEXAS

Ellis County, Central Texas North

32°18'57"N 97°0'25"W (32.315701, -97.006839)

FM 66
11 miles SW of Waxahachie the county seat
13 miles S of Midlothian
39 miles S of Dallas via I-35E
45 miles S of Fort Worth via I-35W
Population: 1,033 Est. (2018)
934 (2010) 746 (2000) 781 (1990)

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Maypearl watertower & Dr Pepper sign
Maypearl
TE Photo, 2001

History in a Pecan Shell

Maypearl got it's name the same way as Penelope in Hill County. When the International-Great Northern Railroad came through, (1902) Penelope was named after the Railroad President's daughter and when it reached Eyrie, in 1903, the town was renamed in honor of two other railroad official's daughters.

Further north, Venus was on the railroad's route, but was named after a local girl.

Maypearl was incorporated in 1910 and its history is not unlike its neighbors. All enjoyed prosperity immediately after World War I and all lost people to the draw of larger cities during the Great Depression.

Maypearl's population, however, remained somewhat constant through the depression. In fact the population was virtually unchanged from 1925 to the mid-60s with 350 to 400 people. People from Maypearl call themselves Maypearlians.

Maypearl has suffered several fires and vacant storefronts where the buildings once stood are filled in to conceal the gaping spaces.


Shell as architectural ornament
A shell for Maypearl
TE Photo, 2001

Maypearl water tower
The Maypearl Watertower
TE Photo, 2001



Maypearl Cemetery

Ellis County

FM 157
1/2 mile NW of Maypearl

Ellis County TX - Maypearl Cemetery
Maypearl Cemetery
Photo courtesy Jen Basham, June 2020

Historical Marker:

Maypearl Cemetery

The community of Maypearl was established on the International and Great Northern Railroad line in 1903. The 1907 death of landowner William P. Wilemon and subsequent burial on his farm led Maypearl citizens to discuss the establishment of a cemetery for the community. Wilemon's widow, Minnie, sold four acres of land, including the burial site of her husband, to trustees J. P. Claunch, A. W. Dowd and Isaac Griffith for that purpose.

The Maypearl Cemetery stands as a testament to the people who lived and worked in the community, including doctors, business owners, teachers and farmers. Members of various fraternal organizations rest here as well. Tombstones mark the graves of military veterans, including those who served in the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, World Wars I and II, the Korean conflict and Vietnam.

In the latter part of the 20th century, the descendants of William and Minnie Wilemon and Betha Jackson donated additional land for the graveyard. As a reflection of the community's heritage, the Maypearl Cemetery is a significant reminder of the history of this part of Ellis County.
(2001)

Ellis County TX - Maypearl Cemetery
Maypearl Cemetery
Photo courtesy Jen Basham, June 2020

Ellis County TX - Maypearl Cemetery
Maypearl Cemetery
Photo courtesy Jen Basham, June 2020

Ellis County TX - Maypearl Cemetery
Maypearl Cemetery
Photo courtesy Jen Basham, June 2020

Ellis County TX - Maypearl Cemetery
Maypearl Cemetery
Photo courtesy Jen Basham, June 2020

Ellis County TX - Maypearl Cemetery
Tombstone
Photo courtesy Jen Basham, June 2020

Ellis County TX - Maypearl Cemetery
Tombstone
Photo courtesy Jen Basham, June 2020

Ellis County TX - Maypearl Cemetery historical marker
Maypearl Cemetery Historical Marker
Photo courtesy Jen Basham, June 2020



TX Maypearl School 1920
Maypearl School 1920
Courtesy Robert N. Hudspeth



Related Story:

The Iron Road Sorority: Penelope, Maypearl, and Venus




Maypearl, Texas Forum
  • Subject: Maypearl photo
    Your website asks for photos of Maypearl, so here is one of the high school ca. 1920, from which my mother graduated that same year. - Best, Robert N. Hudspeth

  • Subject: Maypearl, Texas
    Dear TE, My aunt Maypearl Branam was named for Maypearl TX, where she was born in the early 1900's. She went by Pearl, and her siblings, my father and other aunt, were subsequently named Earl and Mearl to rhyme. - J.P. Branam, Grand Prairie, Texas, November 02, 2006

  • Subject: Maypearlians
    You said you didn't know what people of Maypearl called them says but your guess was Maypearlers. Well we call ourselves Maypearlians. - Niki Larson of Maypearl, January 12, 2006



  • Take a road trip
    Maypearl, Texas Nearby Towns:
    Waxahachie the county seat
    Dallas
    Fort Worth
    See Ellis County | Central Texas North

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    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.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     


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