De Leon in Comanche County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Texas Central Railroad
Railroad construction in Texas, interrupted by the Civil War and by the national economic depression of the early 1870s, began a period of recovery in the late 1870s and early 1880s. Chartered on May 31, 1879, the Texas Central Railway was owned by the Houston & Texas Central Railway and was in competition with the Texas Pacific to build a line westward through North Central Texas.
Extending from Ross Station near Waco in 1879, the Texas Central reached the Erathe - Comanche County line in 1880. The Texas Central laid out the town of De Leon on April 10, 1881, and railroad official Robert M. Elgin conducted the sale of town lots from the back of a flatcar on July 7. Although the initial sale of lots was slow, the town soon developed and attracted new settlers from the southeastern United States. Railroad offices, shops, and a roundhouse were built here, and De Leon became the area's primary shipping point for cotton and, later, peanuts and other products.
Acquired by the Missouri-Kansas-Texas (Katy) Railroad in 1910, the line continued to operate until 1967, when local backers purchased part of the line and continued to provide shipping service to customers along "The Peanut Line " connecting Dublin, De Leon and Gorman.
Erected 1994 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 5251.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Railroads & Streetcars. A significant historical date for this entry is April 10, 1881.
Location. 32° 6.65′ N, 98° 32.194′ W. Marker is in De Leon, Texas, in Comanche County. Marker is at the intersection of North Texas Street (State Highway 16) and West LaSalle Street, on the left when traveling north on North Texas Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 280 North Texas Street, De Leon TX 76444, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 11 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. De Leon Peanut Company (within shouting distance of this marker); Frances Marie Sparks Brown (approx. ¾ mile away); Zion Hill Baptist Church (approx. 9.7 miles away); Site of Old Gill Farm (approx. 10.1 miles away); Desdemona Cemetery (approx. 10½ miles away); Dr. David Verle Rodgers (approx. 10.9 miles away); Site of Blackwell Hospital (approx. 10.9 miles away); Fort Blair, C.S.A. (approx. 10.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in De Leon.
Also see . . .
1. Texas Central Railroad. Texas State Historical Association (Submitted on December 6, 2020, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.)
2. Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad. Texas State Historical Association (Submitted on December 6, 2020, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.)
3. De Leon, Texas. Texas State Historical Association (Submitted on December 6, 2020, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.)
Credits. This page was last revised on December 11, 2020. It was originally submitted on December 6, 2020, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 194 times since then and 31 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on December 6, 2020, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.