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History in
a Pecan Shell
Once known
as River, Texas for it's location on the Trinity, the town
had several antebellum sawmills.
The flat terrain
availed itself to the rice farming that was fast gaining acceptance
after its introduction in the flat coastal regions of Texas. The
community requested a post office which was granted in 1903. In
a rather unusual move, the application was sent in with the request
for the name Romayer since the land was originally a part of the
Joaquin F. de Rumnayor land grant. Usually submissions were for
storekeepers, postmasters or early settlers. The spelling of the
name Romayor from Rumayor is assumed to be an error.
The granting of the post office coincided with the arrival of the
railroad. In this case the railroad was the Gulf, Colorado and Santa
Fe. The community now had two essential components for longevity
and prosperity.
Growth was slow and in 1929, the town just managed to have 100 residents
- enough to qualify it as a Liberty County voting precinct. The
town had its own newspaper (The Trinity Valley Voice).
The hopes of growth were dashed in the late 1940s when many families
left in search of better jobs. The post office managed to stay open
in the 1980s when it had 96 customers. The same number was estimated
for 1990 and 2000. The community never got around to incorporating.
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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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