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History in
a Pecan Shell
Potosi's beginnings
can be traced to a single family (The Pollards) who settled here in
the 1870s. The community's first church (Southern Methodist) was constructed
in 1880 but burned four years later before being reconstructed. The
new church housed both congregation and the pupils of it's first school
until a separate schoolhouse was built toward the end of the century.
One R. A. Pollard applied for a post office under the name Potosi,
after San Luis Potosi in Mexico - a site in the Mexican American War.
In the mid-1890s, the community had nearly 100 residents. In 1904,
the Lytle Grove Baptist Church moved the short distance to Potosi.
By 1914 Potosi had several essential businesses. These included a
general store and dry goods store as well as a cotton gin and two
blacksmiths. The 1940 census counted 80 full time residents served
by four businesses. The drought of the early 1950s reduced the population
to a mere 20 people but the 60s were kinder to the town and by the
late 1960s it had risen to around 150.
Despite its narrow escape from becoming a ghost town, by the early
1990s Potosi had grown to nearly 1,500 residents. |
Lytle Gap Potosi
Methodist Church
Photo courtesy Gerald
Massey, June 2010 |
Lytle Gap Potosi
Methodist Church Update:
"Checking on Google it appears the church has burned since Gerald
Massey's visit in 2010." - Barclay
Gibson, August 04, 2017 |
Photographer's
Note:
Map shows where a school was. It's probably the location of the Community
Center today. - Gerald
Massey |
| 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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