Whitney in Hill County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Whitney
Photographed By Mike Stroud, September 14, 2012
1. Whitney Marker
Inscription.
Whitney, the first railroad town in Hill County, was established in 1879 on the route of the Houston and Texas Central Railroad and was named for railroad investor Charles A. Whitney. Lots in the new town were sold at a "Grand Picnic" on November 25, 1879. An eager crowd bid on the lots which sold at prices ranging between $100 and $750. Several merchants who purchased lots established "tent stores" while carpenters worked night and day to complete wooden frame stores. Soon a central business district was in operation. The new town included a post office, bank, school, several churches, civic organizations, a newspaper, and many businesses. The opera house was the cultural center for entertainment, offering theatrical and musical productions and, later, movies. Several devastating fires burned much of the downtown area over the years, but the citizens rebuilt each time. The building of nearby Whitney Dam caused the town's population to expand in the late 1940s and early 1950s, and brought increased tourism from those visiting the newly created Lake Whitney. The town of Whitney observed its 100th birthday on November 25, 1979. A centennial celebration included a parade, musical entertainment, and fireworks.
Whitney, the first railroad town in Hill County, was established in 1879 on the route of the Houston and Texas Central Railroad and was named for railroad investor Charles A. Whitney. Lots in the new town were sold at a "Grand Picnic" on November 25, 1879. An eager crowd bid on the lots which sold at prices ranging between $100 and $750. Several merchants who purchased lots established "tent stores" while carpenters worked night and day to complete wooden frame stores. Soon a central business district was in operation. The new town included a post office, bank, school, several churches, civic organizations, a newspaper, and many businesses. The opera house was the cultural center for entertainment, offering theatrical and musical productions and, later, movies. Several devastating fires burned much of the downtown area over the years, but the citizens rebuilt each time. The building of nearby Whitney Dam caused the town's population to expand in the late 1940s and early 1950s, and brought increased tourism from those visiting the newly created Lake Whitney. The town of Whitney observed its 100th birthday on November 25, 1979. A centennial celebration included a parade, musical entertainment, and fireworks.
Erected 1996 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 5790.)
Topics. This historical
Click or scan to see this page online
marker is listed in this topic list: Notable Places. A significant historical month for this entry is November 1884.
Location. 31° 57.054′ N, 97° 19.31′ W. Marker is in Whitney, Texas, in Hill County. Marker is on W Washington Street near S Colorado Street (Farm to Market Road 933), on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 111 W Washington Street, Whitney TX 76692, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Also see . . . Whitney, Texas, from Wikipedia. Whitney is a town in Hill County in Central Texas. The population was 1,833 at the 2000 census.
Whitney is a rural lakeside community, and site of the very first bass fishing tournament. Created by the local newspaper, it took place on Lake Whitney in 1955 with 73 teams participating. (Submitted on September 23, 2012, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina.)
Photographed By Mike Stroud, 15
2. Whitney Marker next to 111 W Washington Street
Photographed By Mike Stroud, September 14, 2012
3. Whitney Marker at Memorial Park (between the buldings)
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on September 23, 2012, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. This page has been viewed 801 times since then and 128 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on September 27, 2012, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina.