|
History in
a Pecan Shell
Named after the
nearby mountain of the same name, Sugar Loaf, Texas was settled in
the early 1850s. A post office was granted in 1874 but the community's
hopes of permanence were dashed in 1882 when it was bypassed by the
railroad (the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe). The 1890 census reported
a mere 30 residents there, supported by a single store, gin and gristmill.
Finally, in 1899 there weren't enough people to justify the post office
and mail was rerouted through Brookhaven
(Bell County).
With the establishment of Camp
(now Fort) Hood during WWII,
the remaining residents were forced to move and the former village
is now a part of the giant base.
[See Killeen, Texas - Home of Fort
Hood Army Base] |
Forgotten
Tales of Sugar Loaf by Clay Coppedge
The community of Sugar Loaf in Coryell County lasted from 1852 to
1942. Today it's part of the "impact zone" at Fort Hood, the largest
military installation in the world. But it was a dangerous place in
the 1850s too.
Sugar Loaf started out as a dot on a non-existent map, a settlement
more than a community. The community was named for a bald, volcano-shaped
mini-mountain because pioneers thought it resembled a well-known candy
of the day called Sugar Loaf. We don't know what the native tribes
called it, but they had been there for a long time and in good numbers.
Archaeological excavations on Fort Hood in the 1970s found at least
900 permanent Indian settlements in the area around the mountain...
more |
FORUM:
Subject: Oral History of Sugar Loaf
I was stationed at Fort
Hood from April 1954 to September 9, 1955. I was from Holland,
MI, so I made my home away from home in Killeen.
I was the first Explorer Advisor (Boy Scouts) at the First Baptist
Church in 1954.
I talked with an old-timer near the USO which had a nice bench out
front. He told me the history of Killeen
without any dates. A community was formed on the east side of Sugar
Loaf Mountain as soon as the Comanches would allow. Just how big it
got, he didn't say, but it was big enough for a graveyard.
When the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway built through the area
of the current city, he stated that the crew chief painted his name
on the storage building. As the railroad was near the South Nolan
Creek, the citizens of Sugar Loaf moved to that location and the railroad
named the town as being the name on the shed. The grave yard was moved
when Fort
Hood was expanded as the that location was within the firing range.
How much of his story was true, I don't know, but he honestly passed
on the history to me in hopes it would be passed on. - Clifford J.
Vander Yacht, PFC, US55440178, Hq & Hq Btry, Div Arty, First Armored
Division, January 16, 2011 |
| 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
