MYRA, TEXAS

Cooke County, North Central Texas

33° 37' 30" N, 97° 18' 56" W (33.625, -97.315556)

FM 1198
Just 1.6 Miles S of Highway 82
12 Miles W of Gainesville the county seat
About 5 Miles E of Muenster
Population: 150 est. (2010) 300 (2000) 70 (1990)

Myra Area Hotels › Gainsville Hotels

Myra water tank
Photo courtesy Mike Price, August 2009

History in a Pecan Shell

Like many Texas towns, Myra was named after a woman. In this case Myra was the daughter of the railroad’s construction superintendent. The railroad was the Gainesville, Henrietta and Western and the year was 1887. The rails were heading westward from Gainesville to Henrietta and Myra became a stop on the line.

A landowning company decided to plat a town on the south side of the tracks in 1900 and the company’s agent (Geo. Aldridge) starting selling town lots – but recording sales in the county records as being in Aldridge, Texas. The post office retained the name Myra and George Aldridge lost his bid on his self-named town. Both communities became “greater” Myra.

Oil was discovered in Cooke County in 1898 and one of the early wells was in Myra. But even before the town could arrange a boom, drillers found that the well wouldn’t bring up enough oil to justify further exploration.

In 1902 the town’s water infrastructure was started and telephone service was begun. A hospital was established in 1914 by the town’s druggist and Myra received electricity in 1919 when a generating plant was built.

Although Myra wasn’t abandoned by the railroad, it was bypassed by the new highway (82) when it was built in the early 1930s. Businesses moved to the county seat and the population declined.

By 1988 the population estimate was 70.

A Day Trip to Myra, Texas

"I almost hit the goats as I turned onto the east bound street. A blood hound type dog, followed by two small children were trying to round them up." Mike Price, August 2009.
More Texas Animals

ICE 25LB 10C
Photo courtesy Mike Price, August 2009

Myra Masonic Lodge
More Texas Lodges
Photo courtesy Mike Price, August 2009

Myra Baptist Church
More Texas Churches
Photo courtesy Mike Price, August 2009

Myra old schoolhouse
More Texas Schoolhouses
Photo courtesy Mike Price, August 2009

Photo courtesy Mike Price, August 2009

Photo courtesy Mike Price, August 2009

Take a road trip

North Central Texas

Myra, Texas Nearby Towns:
Gainesville the county seat
Muenster

See Cooke County

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