SALMON, TEXAS

History in a Pecan Shell

Late in the 19th Century Elkhart, Texas was growing and some people went in search of greener pastures. They found them at Byron (or Byron's) Switch - a spot on the railroad. M.D. Salmon, an enterprising storeowner, built his general store here and applied for a post office that was granted in 1902. Both post office and town were named Salmon.

The history of Salmon's population has a see-saw quality about it. Given as 100 people in 1914, it dropped to a mere 10 in 1925 then mysteriously increased back to 100 two years later. There was speculation the residents were practicing for the soon-to-be Great Depression which appeared in earnest in 1933. As, they had planned in their drill, the population again fell to only ten residents.

But plucky little Salmon defied the odds and actually gained people during the 30s. By the end of that decade, there were eighty people and four surviving business from the town's 1914 heyday. The 1940s were calm with no fires or natural disasters to report. The town suffered the same post-war decline as most East Texas communities, and by the mid-1950s, the post office closed. The population was back to only 25 residents and this time, no businesses were in operation.

But once again, Salmon defied the odds and increased its population. By the mid- 1960s, there were enough residents willing to do their grocery shopping in Elkhart to raise the population back to 100 (estimated). By the 1970 census, Salmon was back to just 20 and this time, the decline remained through the 2000 census.

In 1902, a descendant of storekeeper and namesake Meredith Salmon has built a replica of the early post office and store, establishing a tangible history for the community.

Salmon Switch Post Office Display
Photo courtesy Barclay Gibson, December 2010
More Texas Post Offices

Anderson County 1907 postal map showing Salmon SE of Palestine
near Anderson / Houston County state line
Courtesy Texas General Land Office

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