| On
September 1, 1907, residents platted the townsite, and the townsite company made
provisions for school and church sites. In 1909 P. Ansley established a local
newspaper. By 1914 Blessing had 500 inhabitants, two churches, a bank, a hotel,
a telephone connection, and a weekly newspaper, the Blessing News.
In
1925 Blessing's population was still recorded at 500. In 1931 the town had a population
of 450 and twenty-two businesses.
During the 1937-38 school year, nine
teachers instructed 251 white students in eleven grades, and two teachers instructed
thirty-eight black students in seven grades. By 1949 the Blessing district had
been consolidated with the Tidehaven Independent School District.
In
1945 Blessing's population had risen to 600, served by thirteen businesses. Though
in 1966 the population was reported as 1,250; in 1968 it had dropped to 405. |
