They were:

the pioneer period; the coming of the railroad and prosperity; and the decline. In the 1980’s we experienced a fourth stage of growth – the mining of lignite and a new prosperity.

  In the pioneer period Beckville was located one mile north of Irons Bayou on the Shreveport-Douglas Road near a small stream. This stream, which divided the village into east and west sides, was later named Wall’s Branch for Dr. Alexander Sugars Wall. That site is about one mile southeast of the present town of Beckville.

Mr. Matthew Beck was the first person to settle there. He had secured a track of land through which ran the Grand-Bluff to Douglas Road (as it is referred to in Panola County Records). Mr. Beck built a log cabin and stocked it with groceries and whiskey for the convenience of the travelers who passed through. The Grand-Bluff to Douglas road was one of the first highways in East Texas.

  The good water, the good soil, the presence of Mr. Beck’s store, and the availability of a main wagon road were the reasons a small village began to grow in that location. It was named Beckville for Mr. Beck.

Mr. John Garner and Mr. William Appling built stores on the east side of Wall’s Branch and Mr. S.J. Metcalf later built on the west side. A saloon was constructed near the stores at a later date.

  The residences in Beckville were substantial buildings. Only the oldest one originally owned by Mr. Beck was made of logs.

The settlers all lived in much the same manner. Their food consisted of vegetables grown in the garden, poultry they had raised, pork, and wild game. They purchased such items as flour, salt, spices, and other staples at the stores.

  The youngest children would help the mother with the housework, while the older ones helped the father in the fields. Often after the day’s work was done, the older girls would sit up late with their mother and knit or weave.

The lamps used by these pioneers were made of tin. Kerosene was used in them but they gave very little light. Stoves began to take the place of fireplaces for cooking. A few sewing machines were to be found by the 1880’s. Glass windows were used in some homes, but they had to be hauled from Shreveport. At first springs, which were plentiful in the area, were the sources of water for the homes. Later wells were dug to furnish a more convenient method of obtaining water. The yards were enclosed with hand hewn picket fences. The grass was hoed and raked out of the yard. Trees and flowers were planted near the houses. Barns, lots for the stock, and garden plots were usually placed back of the homes. Some people had hen houses for the chickens to roost in, but most of the time the fowl roosted in trees.

  The Beckville of that period never had a church building. Parson George Lentz, the first minister, was Methodist. He held services in a schoolhouse not very far from the community or in private homes. These services usually lasted for several hours. After each service the Neighbors had a chance to visit, which was a rare treat for them.

Mr. Beck did not remain in Beckville for very many years. He moved nearer Shreveport, Louisiana. But his name still clings to the community that grew up near first East Texas home. In the year 1887, after the railroad came through, the settlers began to move from this first site to the location of the town today. The pioneer settlement became known as "Old Beckville".