|
History
in a Pecan Shell
Fairy was originally known as Martin's Gap. James Martin
was a settler who took an oxcart through the mountain gap which (evidently)
was a feat worthy of naming the place in his honor. |
Fairy Fort
- the town's namesake
It is somehow
appropriate that there is little information available on Fairy
Fort. Born the fifth child after four brothers - she was the daughter
of Battle Fort - Mississippi native, lawyer, Confederate officer
and Mississippi Governor.
Little Fairy was one of the smallest Texans ever, although she enjoyed
a relatively normal life. Her size didn't stop her from being married
- and divorced. Twice. Her first husband was William Allen and husband
number two was identified only as T. Phelps.
Details of Fairy Fort's life are hard to locate, but her height
was given by some to be 2' 7" and she weighed something like 28
pounds. We call on our readers to please correct these figures if
possible.
Photos or Daguerreotypes of Fairy certainly existed - but our research
has yet to find any. Although Fairy's unusually small size might've
made her famous in another time and place - to the folks in Hamilton
County - Fairy's size was Fairy's business.
Fairy didn't have children - but she lived into her 70s. She is
buried in the Fairy cemetery.
(For more on Fairy Fort, see forum
below)
|
 |
Fairy Fort
Courtesy
Ginger Andrews |
Fairy the town
Fairy had a
post office established in 1884 and a cotton gin dating from 1900.
It had the normal assortment of schools, churches, and businesses
typical of regional farming communities. In 1947 Fairy had a population
of 150.
The post office closed in 1957, and the Fairy school consolidated
with Hamilton schools
in 1967. In both 1980 and 1990 the census was given as thirty-one.
|
Fairy, Texas
Street Scene
Old photo courtesy Ginger Andrews |
Fairy School
Photo Courtesy Betty Picek, December 2021 |
Photographer's
Note:
"I did find the old Fairy School. It looks like the old school
had an annex built in front of it before it closed down." - Betty
Picek, December 15, 2021 |
Fairy school
building
Photo Courtesy Betty Picek, December 2021 |
Fairy school
building with clothes line
Photo
Courtesy Betty Picek, December 2021
See Texas
Schoolhouses |
FAIRY, TEXAS
A
town renamed
now it's called Fairy
so small a place
out on the prairie
so few its souls
most dead and buried
still if you are asked
yes sir, there's Fairy!
© d.knape
"Once
Upon A Line" - Light verse and poetry by d.knape ›
|
Fairy, Texas
Forum
Subject:
Fairy, Texas
I would love to see more pics of Fairy, TX if you have any....I
live in Idaho and my name is Fairy Essex... I was named after Fairy
Chisum, a Nazarene missionary to Africa...It would be cool to see
pics of Fairy Fort, also, if at all possible. Thank you, Fairy Arta
Essex, July 16, 2011
Subject:
Fairy, Texas
Thanks for making your information available to interested folks.
The web is too often my only connection with Mother Texas, and I
appreciate it.
The James side of my family (my mother's side) had a connection
with Fairy, Texas. Many of the younger children were born near Evant
on the family farm, and attended elementary school there. When it
came time for them to go to high school, they had a choice of Hamilton
or Fairy. My mother, Ruth (James) Clemmer, chose Hamilton,
for that's where my dad (Charley Wayne Clemmer) was born and lived.
She graduated from Hamilton High School. My uncle A. E. James Jr.
and my aunt Cleda James chose Fairy, and both graduated from Fairy
High School. Mother was born in 1922, between A. E. and Cleda, so
this must have been in the mid- to late 'thirties.
I visit Texas too infrequently, as most of the family is now deceased,
but I was in Kerrville
(my birthplace) just last month. That prompted me to gather information
for the monthly newsletter of a traditional music organization to
which I belong, and it was during a little research for an article
that I found Texas Escapes. I'll
work Fairy into a piece one of these times, and perhaps I will visit
next time I come. - Ken Clemmer, Phoenix, Arizona, February 14,
2007
Subject:
My grandparents founded the
Church of Christ in Fairy, Texas
I stumbled upon your site quite by accident and found it fascinating.
My grandparents, Johnny and Valeria Jackson, lived on a farm just
outside of Fairy and along with a few others founded the Church
of Christ (shown in the picture as the now Community Center). I
spent many summers on the farm in Fairy and have beautiful memories
of that church house and rocky hill. The vast majority of my relatives
are buried in the cemetery there and I expect that I will be too.
My mother, Louise Jackson Vance, and her sisters, Mary and Gwen,
and brother Vernon (all still living) still visit Fairy as often
as they are able. Now 44 years old myself I think about Fairy Texas
often. Thank you for keeping history and memories alive. - Jon Vance,
Dallas, Tx, December 24, 2006
Subject:
Fairy Fort was my Great Aunt
I am Charles Allumbaugh. I currently live in Midlothian
Texas. Fairy Fort was my Great Aunt. She was my mothers aunt.
Fairy lived with my mother when she was a young girl. She still
has a dress that her Aunt Fairy used to wear. She currently lives
in Grand Prairie Texas and
is 91 years old. She talks about her Aunt Fairy with great fondeness
and can tell many stories about growing up with her. I also have
a picture of Fairy in a scrapbook that I am putting together about
the Fort family. - Charles Allumbaugh, May 16, 2006
Subject:
Fairy Fort was my Great Aunt
My name is Donnie Fort and Fairy would be my Great Aunt. My Dad
and his brother are children of Hugh Fran Fort who was Fairy's brother.
They still live in Sweetwater,
Texas. W.W. Fort is listed there and my Dad lives at the Holiday
Retirement Center. My Aunt Fay lives in the Dallas area. She is
the sister of my Dad. - Donnie Fort, January 24, 2004
|
Subject:
FAIRY HIGH SCHOOL text book
Hello, I am sorting through book donations for an upcoming charity.
I came across this book published in 1897 called "Under Six Flags,
the story of Texas" that is stamped with the Fairy High School stamp.
I was curious about where Fairy and hoped to find an old photo of
the school... so I googled it and that is how I got to know about
this little town and its namesake and history. But, alas no photos.
[Here are ] photos of the book. - Mae Stoll, April 24, 2018
|
Fairy High School
stamp
Photo Courtesy Mae Stoll, April 25, 2018 |
Copyright 1897
Photo Courtesy Mae Stoll, April 25, 2018 |
Fairy High School
textbook "Under Six Flags, the story of Texas"
Photo Courtesy Mae Stoll, April 25, 2018 |
| Texas
Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing
Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history, stories,
landmarks and recent or vintage photos, please contact
us. |
|
|
HOME
