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Fentress ~ ca 1850
Early settlers of the 1850s and 1860s called the area Riverside, located
on the San Marcos River near the intersection of State Highway 80 and FM
20, Riverside. By 1880, though, the community had become Fentress in
honor of Dr. James Fentress who practiced medicine there for many years
and who subsequently became a large landowner. A school was established
in the 1870s and a post office in 1893. The area changed from ranching
to cotton production, with a horse-drawn gin as one of the first in the
area. Eventually three large gins were built near the river. Mr. A. R.
Harwood, a local dairy man, laid water lines for domestic use, and in
1902 an electric system was developed. Fentress became well known as a
resort for camping and swimming. A maple-floored skating rink was
constructed in 1917. This old rink was moved to Lockhart a few years
ago. By 1929, Fentress had a population of 500, that has declined
considerably and today only a few businesses remain. However, crumbling
brick walls along main street are still a reminder of early day
prosperity.
Source - Plum Creek Almanac, Vol. 14, No. 1,
Spring 1996 and Caldwell County Kin: The First 150 Years published by the
Genealogical and Historical Society of Caldwell County, November 2000
The Plum Creek Almanac is a project
of The Genealogical and Historical Society of Caldwell County.
 The Genealogical and Historical Society
of Caldwell County Copyright © 1963-2019
Updated
10/14/2019
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