AS TIME GOES BY
Wood County History
By LOU MALLORY - Chairman Wood County Historical Commission
(ED NOTE: The following is a slightly edited version of a 1987 newspaper article authored by Carla Kizziah .)
Peach: A community of the past
One of the largest communities of early Wood County has long passed into history.
It was located in the eastern part of the county, near the Upshur County line. No stores remain, the old-timers are long gone and a modern Farm to Market Road has replaced the old tracks of the Texas Southern Railway Company.
The census taken in 1890 indicated that the fruit industry was well established and Peach was a leader of that industry in the county. Now, only a few peach trees stand as a reminder of the huge peach orchards that once covered the sandy fields.
The community was located alongside the railroad tracks that connected nearby Winnsboro to other markets. It had two large general merchandise stores, a bank, a post office, a sawmill, a grist mill, a railway station and a school.
The first railroad was owned by the Texas Southern Railway Company and was completed in 1897. In 1908, the Marshall and East Texas Railway Company bought the line and kept it in operation until 1917. J.C. Reese was the railway agent, and he also served as the postmaster for the community.
A large water wheel powered the grist mill used by the many corn farmers in the area. Near the grist mill stood a large shingle mill that was operated by W.G. Connaly for several years until the large pine timber was cleared.
The pine trees were sometimes four to five feet across and it was not uncommon to see large horse-drawn wagons pulling two or three of these giants to the mill.
Some of the families living in Peach around the turn of the century were the Davidson's, Moss, Young and Roberts. While the younger generation moved away to find work, many of the first settlers remained until their deaths. One of the better known Baptist preachers of the area also lived in Peach. He was known as Brother Boyd.
By the end of the forties, Peach was slipping away. The census, taken in 1940, showed that the population had decreased to 200 and there was just one store remaining.
The railroad tracks had been taken up and its route had been replaced by a deep-rutted sandy road. A new Farm to Market Road, 2869, was later built through the area.
A Mr. Briggs helped with material for this article. He lived in Peach eight years, and so considered himself a newcomer. He was very informative about the community's past. He had accumulated a lot of knowledge during the eight years. Although many modern homes are located along the old route, most of these residents were unaware that they lived where a once very active community had stood.
As the old communities pass, they leave their signature, whether it is a landmark, an old road, or memories left in the minds of former residents.
This poem, or a portion of one, written by Bert Cooksley, could serve as an epitaph for these disappearing communities: "Long vanished are the creaking homestead carts; the herdboy's whistle and the blacksmith's song; The men who built its length with joy of heart, all are gone now, are vanished for so long."
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
