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Entering Norton
Photo courtesy Stephen & Elizabeth Taylor, December 2005 |
From
"Eighteen
Ghost Towns of Runnels County" by Alton O'Neil Jr.
"Norton, on Farm Road 383 in west central Runnels
County, was named for George W. Norton, who owned the townsite
land. The post office opened in 1894 with Marion A. Wilkerson as postmaster.
The first houses were built in 1901, and in 1902 the post office was
moved. A school began operation in 1901, as did the first store, built
by Robert Turner. Businesses included a gin and a bank which operated
from 1923 to 1930. In 1912 a cyclone killed one resident and damaged
buildings, and in 1929 a fire caused extensive property damage. At
one time Norton had four different churches; a Baptist, a Methodist,
a Church of Christ, and a Presbyterian. In 1968 the Norton School
burned and the high school students were sent to surrounding schools.
The elementary school was rebuilt but has since been closed. As of
2004 the Post Office remains open.
Norton has remained a small town serving the surrounding rural area.
Until the 1930s its population did not exceed fifty. In 1940 the town
had a population of 120 and five businesses. The population was seventy-six
in 1980 and in 1990." |
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Old Norton Church
Of Christ
Photo
courtesy Dave Shaffer, May 2016
More Texas Churches |
Norton, Texas
Forum
Subject: Norton
Texas in my youth
Norton Texas was the town where my grandparents lived most of their
lives. My grandmother was a Lilly (maiden name) and the farm just
a couple of miles north of Norton was owned by the Lilly family. My
father moved there in the early 1980's to take care of my grandmother
and is buried in the norton cemetery next to my grandparents. Most
of my summers were spent there with my grandparents who lived at the
west end of town, across the road from the lilly girls and Mrs. Steele.
- Zeke Allen, August 17, 2005 |
| Texas
Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing
Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history, stories,
landmarks and vintage/historic/recent photos, please contact
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