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The
Stranger Cemetery
TE photo, 2001 |
Stranger
dates to the 1840s, although it is hard to imagine people settling
such a remote area this early. Before it was given it's unusual name,
it was connected to the community of Blue
Ridge and was referred to as "Upper Blue Ridge".
A plaque near Stranger says the name was given to the town by a visiting
Frenchman. That seems like an unusual way to get your town named,
no matter how gracious your town is to visitors. We checked the Handbook
of Texas Online and their version is that a post office representative
was asking the local blacksmith (who may or may not have been French)
what to name the town. Why he would be doing this is anyone's guess,
but he supposedly asked the man (a newcomer) who answered that he
shouldn't decide since he was a stranger. The agent wrote down at
least this part of the man's reply and there you have it. |
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One
of the Stranger churches you'll see in Falls County
TE photo |
Two churches
still offer services in Stranger.
The population never surpassed 200 and that was in 1884. The 1960
Census showed a population of 27, but what it is now is anyone's guess.
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1907 postal map
showing Stranger in eastern Falls
County
near Limestone
County line
From Texas state map #2090
Courtesy
Texas General Land Office |
| 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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