BEN HUR
or BENHUR, TEXAS

Limestone County, Central Texas North

31°30'37"N 96°43'40" W

FM 339 and FM 2489
8 miles NW of Groesbeck
37 miles NW of Buffalo
25 miles E of Waco
ZIP code 76642
Population: 100 (2000) (1990)

A closed store
Photo courtesy Barclay Gibson, August 2006
See Texas Stores

History in a Pecan Shell

The name of Ben Hur had been Cottonwood, although there were already several Cottonwoods in Texas at that time. The name was changed in 1895 to honor the best-selling book by General Lew Wallace. Since 1895 is the year the post office was granted, the name change was probably the result of a post office rejection. It didn't matter too much since the post office closed in 1906.

A man named Joseph Nussbaum (Nut tree) was selling acreage to farmers in the area shortly after the Civil War. By 1900 the population was a little over 100. The town lost population to Mart (McLennan County), a town with a railroad connection.

The population managed to slowly grow to 200 by 1947 but like many towns after WWII, Ben Hur dropped back to 100.

The school was consolidated with Mart in 1957, dealing another blow to the community.

Closed gas station
Photo courtesy Barclay Gibson, August 2006
See Texas Gas Stations

Cover cancelled with Benhur, TX 1900 postmark
Courtesy The John J. Germann Collection

1940s Limestone County map showing Ben Hur
E of Groesbeck
From Texas state map #4335
Courtesy Texas General Land Office

Take a road trip

Ben Hur, Texas Nearby Towns:
Groesbeck the county seat
Waco
Buffalo
See Limestone County, Central Texas North

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