SLIDELL, TEXAS

Wise County, Central Texas North

33° 21' 35" N, 97° 23' 30" W (33.359722, -97.391667)

FM 455 near the Intersection with FM 51
About 20 Miles NE of Decatur the county seat
Population: 175 Est. (2000, 1990)

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Windmill in Slidell
Photo courtesy Mike Price, May 2009
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History in a Pecan Shell

Slidell didn’t develop until the 1880s although it had been surveyed and sold prior to the Civil War. The land was raw and the threat of Indian raids continued into the 1880s. It was on the Chisholm Trail and it is said that the area around present-day Slidell was used as a hideout for outlaw Sam Bass.

The region was refered to as Hackberry Grove until a post office was granted in the 1880s. The name submitted (and accepted) was to honor Confederate diplomat John Slidell. Although the population never broke 300 residents, Slidell had all the amenities of a small town – including a newspaper. The community suffered a fire in 1911 and although it only destroyed two businesses, the town was already in decline due to other forces at work. The people who remained have kept the town alive over the decades and the population remains just short of 200 residents.

Historical Marker

SLIDELL

Named for John Slidell, one of the Confederate diplomats in the "Trent Affair" (1861), this community was established to supply goods and services to nearby farmers. The post office was started in 1884. Garrett Fletcher, donor of land for a cemetery and church, gave lots to nearby businesses that moved here in 1885, including twenty-two-year-old Dr. Drury Young Stem's medical office and drugstore. George W. Durham gave land (1893) for the public square and the first school building, and Nathaniel Pruett began (1895) the telephone system. Today Slidell serves a farm and ranch area.
(1974)

Slidell, Texas Landmarks

Slidell, Texas 76267
Photo courtesy Mike Price, May 2009
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Closed gas station
Photo courtesy Mike Price, May 2009
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Storm Cellar
Photo courtesy Mike Price, May 2009

Slidell TX Volunteer Fire Department Fire Truck

Fire Truck
Photo courtesy Mike Price, May 2009

Slidell Historical Marker
Main Street & FM 455
Photo courtesy Mike Price, May 2009
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Slidell, Texas Nearby Towns:
Decatur
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