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History in
a Pecan Shell
There
never was a man named Joe Lee that had anything to do with founding
the town.
Originally named Mud Springs, the land was donated by Jefferson
Reed, a member of Robertson's colony. Settlement began in the 1830s.
Mud Springs didn't have too much to report until 1903 when the local
school showed a census of 83 students with 2 teachers.
The town underwent its name change in 1912 when founder Reed's daughter
Millie Reed McLean combined the two names of Joe Reed, a storekeeper
and Lee Underwood, the town's blacksmith.
Joe Lee, Texas kept its school until 1958 when it merged with Rogers
ISD. It also has a church (the County Line Baptist) and the Reed Cemetery
and McLean Cemeteries near the church. |
by Clay Coppedge
You wouldn't know it by driving through this old community now - you
might not even know you were driving through it at all - but the pioneering
Bell County settlement of Joe Lee has produced two of the state's
most respected historians, Ron Tyler and Malcolm McLean... more
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| 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. |
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