GRAPELAND, TEXAS

"Queen City of the Sand Flats."
Gateway to Houston County Lake

Houston County, East Texas

31°29'30"N 95°28'49"W (31.491726, -95.480213)

Highways 287 and 19 and FM 227
12 miles N of Crockett the county seat
8 miles S of Elkhart
19 miles S of Palestine
Population: 1,489 (2010) 1,451 (2000)

Grapeland, Texas Area hotels:
Palestine Hotels | Crockett Hotels

First Christian Church
Photo courtesy Barclay Gibson, April 2006
More Texas Churches

History in a Pecan Shell

Grapeland was originally called Grapevine and was an important East Texas crossroads. It served as a mail exchange point on the Crockett-Palestine road.

In 1872 the Houston and Great Northern Railroad built through the county. They signed over a 640-acre tract of land to the New York and Texas Land Company to be developed as a townsite. When the town applied for a post office in 1873 they were given the sad news that a town up in North Texas was already using the name so they quickly changed three letters and resubmitted their application.

With its depot - Grapeland was soon an important shipping point for cotton. Before 1910, Grapeland had over 400 citizens two gins, five stores and a newspaper.

The town lost fifteen wooden structures in its business section in 1913 - but rebuilt with brick almost immediately. Cotton, lumbering and ranching were the towns major economic engines and in the 1920s Grapeland's population reached nearly 1,200.

Cotton cultivation declined and was replaced with peanuts (of all things). Oil and gas discoveries in the 30s helped the town through the Great Depression.

Due to growth in the 1970s and early 1980s, Grapeland's population reached new heights - and by 1990 there were 1,451 Grapelanders - the same number reported on the 2000 map of Texas.

Historical Marker

City of Grapeland

In area settled about 1850. Founded 1872 by International & Great Northern Railway investors. Named for rank wild grapevines. Post office opened May 26, 1873.

Log schoolhouse, used also for church services, was first public building. Disciples of Christ and Methodists erected first church buildings. Business section was rebuilt of brick after 1913 fire. Town was incorporated 1924.

Oil and gas, produced since 1936, enrich and economy based on peanuts, ranching, truck crops, cotton, and manufacturing. Town is now known as gateway to the 1500-acre Houston County Lake.
1972

Parker Cemetery
by Dana Goolsby

Parker Cemetery has long since been the most talked about haunted place in Grapeland. The historical cemetery is nestled beneath the pines and giant cedars, in the bend of a deep sandy road, where only a few rays of sunshine can peer through in the evenings... Many 100-year-old tombstones are scattered about the property. more

Signs in Grapeland
TE photos

Railroad tie yard near Grapeland
TE photo

Grapeland Chronicles

Mystery Solved
by Bob Bowman ("Bob Bowman's East Texas")
They solved a big mystery near Grapeland, in Houston County, a few weeks ago. Yep, the lingering mystery of the purple deer droppings has been unraveled...

The Black Beast of the Pineywoods
by Dana Goolsby
"Sightings of mysterious black panthers that scream like women in the pine jungles are not at all uncommon in the Pineywoods"

Grapeland Festivals

Possum Trot
by Mike Cox ("Texas Tales" Column)
"Since 1913, Grapeland has tried at least three different festivals."

Grapeland, Texas Forum

Subject: The Beautiful People of Grapeland
I am not from Grapeland, but visited when my step-mother was laid to rest on Tuesday, July 31, 2007. I traveled 3 hours to attend the service. I was not looking forward to this because we had already had 4 funerals this year, one of which was my son. I came to Grapeland, expecting a small town and not a lot of friendly people. What I found was a huge and wonderful surprise. When we lined up to take my step-mother to her final resting spot, I saw cars moving to the side of the road and stopping, I saw the people in some of the cars bowing their heads. I was so moved by this I was in tears. They were paying respects to a person they didn't even know. They had shown the ultimate respect to my step-mother - more than I could have ever wished for. I did not get the same respect for my son when he passed. I want to let everyone in Grapeland know that I will always call Grapeland my second home. My father is there still and I can understand why they lived so far away... Grapeland is God's Country. It is Texas' finest. The people are so nice you want to call them family and hug them tightly. I have never seen a more beautiful place because of the people. Thank you Grapeland, for respecting my family. I hold you near to my heart always. I will be back to visit as soon as I can! - Irene Weedman, LaMarque, Texas, August 01, 2007

Subject: Two Gentlemen of Grapeland
I very much remember Grapeland as a child approx 5 or 6 years in this town. My daddy worked at Brimberrys's grocery store in the market area and my sister and I loved going to see where he worked. My dad was a very friendly and honest type of guy. He never met a stranger. His name was Tommie Pouncy, now deceased. My grandfather worked for years at the Baptist church up near the main highway. He was a very quiet, religious man. We never, ever, heard him use any type of profanity. These two gentlemen were perfect role models for all us kids, especially during a time when they could have had a different attitude about life. I have been living in Dallas since. We (my family and I) still visit Grapeland now and then.- Eliza Wilson, Dallas, Texas, January 14, 2007

Subject: CLARENCE RAY CHAFFIN
Can you please help me? I'm trying to find the family of Clarence Ray Chappin. He was killed in action in Vietnam on 10/29/68 and was from Grapeland. We would like to get a picture of Clarence for our memorial page, and for the Vietnam Memorial Wall. I served with the 1/5 Mech, 25th Inf Div. as did Clarence. There is only one Chaffin listed in the white pages and that number is out of order. Ive tried everything to find his family with no luck. I would appreciate your help. Thank you - Denis McDonough July 21, 2006 Email: Denis1146@aol.com

My name is Lisa and I am from Nottingham, England. I had the pleasure of visiting Grapeland in April of 2001. I stayed with the Beazley family as I visited their beloved son Napoleon [who was] on death row and is no longer with us (God rest his soul). I would just like to say that my son Dale and I had a fantastic time in Grapeland and the people were so friendly and helpful. I just want to say that I think Grapeland is a lovely place and the people are great. I hope it won't be too long before my son and I can come visit Grapeland again. Thank you for your time. - Lisa Baguley, Nottingham, England, April 15, 2006

I am trying to speak with anyone in Grapeland about a Cemetery called Mackleroy. It is old and abandoned but I have found through genealogy research that some of my GGGrandparent are buried there. They were Weisingers who came to Grapeland from Alabama around the 1850s. I had a general direction that this was located somewhere on FM1272 out 9 miles ESE of Antrim cemetery. I went there on Thanksgiving day but what houses were there, people were gone and there was no one to ask. Any information on better directions would be greatly appreciated. - Jerry Martin, December 26, 2005

Grapeland water tower
TE photo

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