Wood County History

By LOU MALLORY — Chairperson, Wood County Historical Commission

Snapshots of Early Communities   4-15-06

Rock Hill, Texas. Rock Hill is located in Wood County near FM 2966 seven miles north of Quitman. Another Rock Hill is shown on the 1988 county highway map two miles further north near the intersection of Farm Roads 2966 and 515 (the latter road is known locally as the Coke Road). The community was apparently originally located at the more northern site and was reportedly named for a local geological formation.

The area was settled as early as 1850 when Andrew Gilbreath moved there. By 1870, a school existed at the Rock Hill on Coke Road. That same year, a Baptist church was organized at the school. In 1884, a Rock Hill public school district was established, and in 1892 a Baptist church was constructed. It had just four members in the congregation that year, but by 1900, its membership had an annual average of 170 people.

By 1905, the Rock Hill school had 73 white students and 57 black students.

The 1936 county highway map showed the second more southern Rock Hill Community. At that time, the community reported a population of ten and had two businesses plus several dwellings. By 1945, the population had risen to 20 and it continued to be reported at that level into the late 1980s.

Sometime after 1959, nearby Lake Fork Creek was dammed to form the Lake Fork Reservoir. The eastern bank of the reservoir comes within two and one-half miles of the southern Rock Hill community. In 1960 this Rock Hill consisted of a church and a few widely scattered dwellings, while the earlier site, on FM 515 retained a church and a cemetery. Both churches were shown on the 1988 county highway map.

A Texas Historical Commission marker is located at the northern site. The population of Rock Hill was reported to be 21 people as of 1990.

Pleasant Grove, Texas. Pleasant Grove is a rural community located six and one-half miles west of Winnsboro on FM 515 in northern Wood County.

Although there were settlers in the area before 1870, the community was founded in 1872 when Henry Robinson built a blacksmith shop there. The community was named for the large stand of oak trees at the site.

In 1874, a combination church and school was built and, in 1887, a store was established. Pleasant Grove had a post office from 1892 until 1907. In 1896, the community had a population of 100, three churches, and at least eight businesses. These included a general store, a blacksmith, a tannery, plus grist and syrup mills.

In that same year, Pleasant Grove’s four-teacher school had 177 students. In 1904, a two-story school was constructed and the following year, it reported an enrollment of more than 200 students taught by four teachers.

For a time, beginning in 1907, Pleasant grove also had a college. In 1926, a new one-story school was built at the site of the 1904 structure. A fire in the early 1930s destroyed many stores in the town, and by 1936, Pleasant grove reported a population of 82 people, one business, a school, and a number of swellings concentrated along the roads.

After 1947, no population figures were available, and by 1960, all that remained at the site was a church and a few scattered dwellings. A few new dwellings appeared at Pleasant grove around 1980, but by 1988 the church had disappeared.