Stilson in Liberty County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)

Stilson

Photographed By James Hulse, April 13, 2022

1. Stilson Marker

Inscription. The community of Stilson traces its origins to the arrival in the 1890s of the Texas and New Orleans Railroad. Out-of-state developers O.H. Stilson and Rodney Hill bought land in 1896 and immediately began planning a town. They advertised the new community to farmers in Iowa, and a number of families came here to begin new lives.

Among those who came to build homes and establish farms were many Swedish immigrants, including C.F. Seaberg and C.D. Nelson. By the late 1890s the town boasted a fourteen-room hotel, a general store, a gin, a blacksmith shop, a rice mill, a warehouse, a barber shop, a post office, a railroad depot, and a school. The one-room Stilson School served students in all grades, taught by one teacher. The school was closed in 1918 when area children began attending classes in Dayton.

The Stilson post office was established in 1898 and was located in the general store operated by C.S. Brown. The post office was discontinued in 1925, and rural mail delivery from Dayton began in 1926. Stilson began to decline when the population gradually shifted to nearby Dayton. Descendants of many early settlers still reside in the area. Texas Sesquicentennial 1836-1986

Erected 1986 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 9688.)

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historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Railroads & Streetcars • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1896.

Location. 30° 1.142′ N, 94° 55.456′ W. Marker is in Stilson, Texas, in Liberty County. Marker is at the intersection of U.S. 90 and County Highway 496, on the right when traveling east on U.S. 90. The marker is located along the highway at a small roadside pullout. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Dayton TX 77535, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. First Methodist Church of Dayton (approx. 2.7 miles away); The Stash and Mattie Ripkowski Family (approx. 2.7 miles away); Ripkowski Brothers Memorial Trees (approx. 2.7 miles away); Dayton's Old School (approx. 2.7 miles away); First Baptist Church of Dayton (approx. 2.9 miles away); Dayton World War II Memorial (approx. 2.9 miles away); Dayton Egg Circle (approx. 2.9 miles away); 1937 Dayton City Hall (approx. 2.9 miles away).

Also see . . . Stilson, TX.

Stilson is on U.S. Highway 90 thirty-six miles northeast of Houston in southwestern Liberty County. The Stilson townsite was established as a shipping station on the
Photographed By James Hulse, April 13, 2022

2. Stilson Marker
Texas and New Orleans Railroad, platted by O. H. and Lydia Stilson and Rodney and Mary Hill in 1896 and officially filed in early 1899. Source: The Handbook of Texas

(Submitted on April 16, 2022, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.)

The view of the Stilson Marker from the street image. Click for full size.

Photographed By James Hulse, April 13, 2022

3. The view of the Stilson Marker from the street

Credits. This page was last revised on April 17, 2022. It was originally submitted on April 16, 2022, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 207 times since then and 37 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on April 17, 2022, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.