TOWNSHIPS OF PANOLA COUNTY

A History of post offices and communities of the First Congressional District of Texas was prepared by the U. S. Representative, Wright Patman, who gave permission to use any of it , providing credit is given to the author. That we do.

A-F...............G-M...............M-Z

ADAMS STORE..... In northeastern Panola County three miles from the Louisiana line. Named for a store proprietor in the early 1900's.

AJAX....Ten miles northeast of Carthage. Postmaster, Chapple W. Rogers Appointed May 3, 1900. Office discontinuied December 31, 1907: mail ordered sent to Tacoma.

ANACOSTIA....Postmasters and Appointment dates: Samuel W. Crawford app. March 13, 1854, Mrs. Louisa M. Williams App. March 1858, Thomas K. Crawford App. May 19 1859 & Jul 12, 1861 Office discontinued October 5, 1866.

ANTIOCH (pop.226)

ARLESTON....Six miles northwest of DeBerry. Postmasters and Appointment dates:

George G. Vincent , Jul 7, 1881 and John A. Harkrider Jan 30, 1882. Office discontinuied Feb 16, 1883: mail ordered sent to DeBerry. Office reestablished Oct 6, 1887. John A. Harkrider Oct 6, 1887, James Harkrider Jan 9 1891 and Robert W. Haynes Mar 31, 1894. Office discontinued June 30, 1906: mail ordered sent to Elysian Fields.

BACON....Four and one-half miles west of Carthage.Postmaster and Appointment dates:

William S. Chadwick Apr 29, 1903 Office discontinued June 15, 1905: mail ordered sent to Carthage.

BECKVILLE (pop. 602)

In northwestern Panola County nine miles northwest of Carthage. Named for Matthew W. Beck, settler in the area about 1850. Originally located about one mile north of the present site, the village was moved to its present location in 1887.

Postmasters and date appointed : Joseph R. Sweeten Aug 8, 1857, Alexander S. Wall Apr 22, 1858, J. Hamilton Booty Jun 18, 1858. Office discontinued November 5, 1866.

Office reestablished April 30, 1868.

Postmaster Thomas Farrow Apr 30, 1868.

Office discontinued July 9, 1870. Office reestablished Aug 15, 1870

BETHANY

Three miles northeast of Panola on the Louisiana state line. A Texas post office in 1849, the office was later moved across the line into Louisiana and renamed Bethany. Several residences and businesses remain on the Texas side. First known as Vernon.

Office changed to Caddo Parish, Louisiana, May 2, 1860.

BIGGS

Five miles southwest of Carthage.

John M. Ross Apr9, 1884 and Joseph F. Watson Oct 1, 1890.

Office discontinued June 3, 1895: mail ordered sent to Delray.

BOREN

Two miles South east of Carthage.

Robert T. Barnes Jul 28, 1893 and Cicero Smith Mar 2, 1894.

Office discontinued Aug 14, 1905: mail ordered sent to Carthage.

BROOKS (POP.82)

BROOME ( POP.42)

BUNCOMB (POP 87)

Five miles south of Clayton.

Postmaster William J. Snow Appointed Dec 26, 1891.

Office discontinued Aug 8, 1893: mail ordered sent to Clayton.

CARTHAGE (POP.5,386)

Nine miles southeast of Beckville, Jonathan Anderson donated the land and was named for Carthage, Mississippi.

CENTENNIAL

In eastern Panola County eight miles west of Keachie, Louisiana. A lumbering and livestock raising community prior to 1850.

Postmasters and Appointements:

James M. Joiner Jul 23, 1875...............David W. Adams Nov 19, 1875

John Holland Oct 14, 1875..................John T. Lacy Feb 2, 1876

Columbus Bagley Jun 18 1877..........Columbus Bagley Jun 5, 1888

James H. McDaniel Jan 21, 1879.........Katie L. Bagley Dec 27, 1905

Asa D. Johns Aug 3, 1881..........Carrie V. Adams Mar 26, 1907

William C. Johns Mar 3, 1887.

Office discontinued November 30 1913: mail ordered sent to Midyett.

CLAYTON (pop.164)

In western Panola Co. Nine miles southwest of Carthage. Originally known as Cariker, the post office application in 1874 requested the name Clayborne for a faithful slave. That name was already in use in TX and the name Clayton was selected for the slave and for Clayton, Alabama. Settled in 1843 when Isaac Reed and others from Tennessee established Bethel Baptist Church two miles west of the present town site. Jacob Cariker erected the first gin. The white settlers moved their church in 1874 to the present location and left the Bethel Church for the Negroes.

Office discontinued Feb 24, 1879.

Office reestablished June 16, 1879

COZART Name changed. See Ragley for details

DANIELS

In southern Panola Co. On a mail route from Carthage, five miles southwest of Bethany.

CLAYTON (pop.164

In western Panola Co. Nine miles southwest of Carthage. Originally known as Cariker, the post office application in 1874 requested the name Clayborne for a faithful slave. That name was already in use in TX and the name Clayton was selected for the slave and for Clayton, Alabama. Settled in 1843 when Isaac Reed and others from Tennessee established Bethel Baptist Church two miles west of the present town site. Jacob Cariker erected the first gin. The white settlers moved their church in 1874 to the present location and left the Bethel Church for the Negroes.

Office discontinued Feb 24, 1879.

Office reestablished June 16, 1879

COZART Name changed. See Ragley for details

DANIELS

In southern Panola Co. On a mail route from Carthage, five miles southwest of Bethany.

DAVIS

Office established under name of Parry's in Harrison Co..

Samuel Parry May 22 1846.

Office changed to Panola Co. From Harrison Co., no date shown.

Samuel Parry May 11, 1849....Archibald M. Davis Mar 8, 1851.

Name of office changed to Davis, June 30 1851.

Archibald Davis Jun 30 1851 ....Samuel Parry Dec 1, 1851

Office discontinued September 13, 1852.

DEADWOOD (POP.176)

In eastern Panola Co. Sixteen miles south of Panola on Sacogee Bayou. Settled in the 1840's near the Adam LaGrone homestead which was established in 1837. A mill and gin (the nucleus of the present village) was built by H.C. LaGrone Nov 27, 1885

Office discontinued July 14 1917: mail ordered sent to Logansport, Louisiana

William D. Potts Feb 9, 1882....Thomas H. D. LaGrone Mar 23, 1886

Thomas H. D. LaGrone....Jan 21, 1884...Frank N. Staples Feb 23, 1901

H.C. LaGrone Nov 27, 1885

Office discontinued July 14, 1917: Mail ordered sent to Logansport, Louisiana.

DEBERRY (pop 313)

In northeastern Panola Co. five miles south of Elysian Fields, Harrison Country. Names for A. W. DeBerry, TX Legislator and TX Secretary of State in 1874

DELRAY

Five miles east of Fair Play.

Albert W Davis Aug 1 1882.......Thomas B. McPherson Mar 15 1898

John Lockwood Jun 20 1893

Office discontinued April 29, 1905: mail ordered sent to Carthage.

DIXIE

Ebenezer Sistrunk Mar 25 1880.........Andrew T. Davis Jun 8 1880

Nathan Davis May 17 1880

Office discontinued September 7 1880

Office reestablished Nov 9 1881

Nathan Davis Nov 9 1880

Office discontinued July 7, 1991.

DOTSON

In southwestern Panola Co. Seven miles south of Long Branch. A cotton and lumber producing area settled before the Civil War.

James E.Bailey Jan 15 1915......Curtis R. Keeling Feb 21 1918

Alvin Bush March 28 1916........Lena Sparks Oct 10 1918

Office discontinued December 15, 1921: mail ordered sent to Ragley.

FAIR PLAY (80)

In western Panola Co. Ten miles west of Carthage. One of the oldest settlements in the area, occupying part of the Immanuel Antonio Romero grant. John Allison, Co. Judge when the Co. Was organized in 1846, was the first settler.

Office discontinued January 23, 1867

Office reestablished June 25, 1874.

Office discontinued April 14, 1904: mail ordered sent to Beckville.

FORK POINT

William J. Vickery Dec 12 1859........C. J. Dodson Nov 7 1864

William J. Vickery Nov 1 1861.

Office discontinued November 5, 1866.

FREEMAN

Nine miles south of Clayton.

Joseph W. Freeman Oct 19 1888......Alva G. Watkins Feb 12 1889

Office discontinued January 29, 1892: mail ordered sent to Caledonia.

FURRH

In northeastern Panola Co. Three miles south of DeBerry. Named for John Furrh owner of a grist and sawmill near Deberry in 1870. And T.H. Furrh, his son, who had a mill and general store at the site in 1885.

Office discontinued September 29, 1917: mail ordered sent to DeBerry.