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History in
a Pecan Shell
In the 1870s the
State of Texas was placing ads in northern papers, enticing people
to come to Texas. One such ad lured a
group of German Catholics who traveled from Teutopolis, Illinois by
wagon train. Their arrival fell on the feast day of St. Martin of
Tours, which makes it easy to remember the town’s founding (November
11, 1874). The site, which had been “school land” owned by the state
was first called St. Martinsville. It wasn’t until 1891 when
a post office was applied for that the citizens of St. Martinsville
found another Texas town (in East
Texas) was already using that name. Their second choice, Tours
(after the French city where St. Martin was Bishop) was submitted
and accepted.
St. Martin's Church was built in 1890 and the town had four general
stores, two blacksmiths, two saloons and 2 gins. By the mid 1890s,
Tours had retained five businesses although the population of that
time was a mere 45 residents.
It was determined that the population didn’t warrant a post office,
so in 1905 the doors were shut. Thereafter, mail was delivered through
West, Texas.
In the middle of the Great Depression, tours managed to retain 61
people, although it rose to 150 (estimated) by 1941.
After WWII,
Tours’ population leveled out at 100 and has remained there ever since.
Tours has become a bedroom community for Waco
and / or West, Texas with local farmers
working in those towns and tending to their crops in late afternoon
and on weekends. |
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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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