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Gallatin Public
School and students in 1916
Photo courtesy Arcadia Publishing and
The Cherokee County Historical Commission |
History in
a Pecan Shell
Like many Cherokee
County towns, Gallatin had been settled in the 1840s, although
it blossomed later than other towns. Here the year was 1902, when
the Texas and New Orleans Railroad arrived. John W. Chandler and his
sister, Sophronia, platted a townsite and named it after their former
home in Tennessee. It quickly modeled itself after other produce-producing
towns and before one could say "truck-farming" it was shipping out
tomatoes to northern cities.
The economy was bolstered in 1907 when a branch line of the Texas
and New Orleans connected Gallatin with Rusk.
The population was 350 by 1914, and although much of the downtown
burned in 1916, it was completely rebuilt. The population slowly increased
during the 20s and by the time the Great Depression arrived, Gallatin
had a healthy population of 500.
The depopulation of East Texas
after WWII is
well-documented and Gallatin was no exception. School consolidation
didn't help and Gallatin's students were merged into Rusk
schools. By the early 1950s, the population was back to 1914 levels
and a slow decline had left less than 200 people there by 1990.
It has since increased to its current estimate of 378. |
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Gallatin students
in 1916
(Closeup of photo above)
Photo courtesy Arcadia Publishing and
The Cherokee County Historical Commission |
Gallatin Texas
Forum
Subject:
Gallatin, TX
My father was born in Reklaw, TX
but he grew up in the Gallatin – Rusk,
TX and he grew up with the late great Johnny
Horton. My father’s name was Cleland E. Bailey and he was the
son of Isaac Lawson Bailey and Maude (Parsons) Bailey. I’ve been
to Gallatin several times even though I live in Michigan. What a
great place. My favorite place is the Olde Store restaurant. - Kevin
C. Bailey, Kalamazoo, MI, February 09, 2011
Subject:
Gallatin Texas
I am from Ponta, Texas and have never lived in Gallatin although
I have relatives there now. Gallatin is the childhood home of singer/songwriter
Johnny
Horton. Best Regards, LR (Larry) Trotter Ponta, Texas, June
22, 2006
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