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History in a Pecan
Shell
First known as Patton Springs (after a hunter who had
camped at the springs) prior to the 1890s, a post office was granted under the
name of Beckton (after the first postmaster). The post office soon closed
and the community started using the name Cottonwood. When the time came
to open a new post office, the name was already in use by another post office
and so Patton Springs/Beckton/Cottonwood was in a quandary. Enter citizen and
romantic Myra Kelly who suggested the name from the English song "Flow Gently,
Sweet Afton." The new post office opened in 1900 when the town was populated
by Myna Kelly and nine of her friends. The town was so poor that the grocer (Afton's
sole business) operated out of a tent. Other businesses opened and by the time
the 20s had arrived people were (perhaps facetiously) calling Afton "Little
Fort Worth."
Afton kept an estimated population of 100 for the 1970
and 1990 censuses, but by 200 there were only 15 people remaining. |
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