Letot, Texas
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Matthew Hayes Nall
Letot was at the intersection of Lombardy Lane and the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railroad, seven miles northwest of Dallas in northwestern Dallas County. It was on the original land grant of J. S. Shelby. Clement Letot, a Crimean War veteran who moved to the region from Illinois in 1876, settled and cultivated a large farm in the area of Calvary Hill Cemetery. By 1878 the Dallas and Wichita Railway had been built from Dallas to Lewisville, and the first stop was in the area of Letot's farm. A community began to form around the stop, named for Letot. By 1881 the community had twenty-one families, most of whom were farmers, a general store and cotton gin owned by Letot, a post office that remained until 1907, and a nondenominational church that served as a schoolhouse during the week. In 1882 the population stood at 200, and the community had begun to ship cotton and grain. In 1884 Letot had a doctor, a wagonmaker and carpenter, a blacksmith, a teacher, several livestock traders, and a population of forty. By 1890 the population had risen to sixty, and the community had a corn mill. Letot grew to an estimated population of 150 in 1939. The number of businesses also increased from three in 1931 to six in 1939. In 1950 the town had a population of 500 and seventeen businesses. The last listing for Letot is in 1968, when the population was 540. By the 1970s the community was part of Dallas.
BIBLIOGRAPHY: Sam Hanna Acheson, Dallas Yesterday, ed. Lee Milazzo (Dallas: Southern Methodist University Press, 1977).
Handbook of Texas Online, Matthew Hayes Nall, "LETOT, TX"
1891 - City Notes
The gin house of A. H. Letot, on Missouri, Kansas & Texas, ten miles north of the city, was burned last night. Ninety bales of cotton were consumed. Loss $9000; no insurance.
December 3, 1891, Dallas Daily Times Herald, p. 5, col. 3.
1893 - PERSONAL
Captain Tom Flynn, a prosperous farmer of Letot, is in the city. He was the first city marshal of Dallas in 1865, and served in the Confederate army with Judge Kendall and other well-known citizens of Dallas.
June 3, 1893, Dallas Daily Times Herald, p. 1, col. 5.
1893 - NEWS OF THE DAY
The first bale of Dallas county cotton this season was brought to the city yesterday at 2 p. m. by A. C. Clark, colored, of Rowlett. It weighted 447 pounds, classed middling and sold for 5 1/2 cents a pound. Twenty minutes later, a second bale was brought in by W. T. Dunlop, who resides on Smith's farm, near Letot station. This bale was classed middling and weighed 430 pounds. G. R. Reynolds, secretary of the Dallas Commercial club, collected from a few members of that organization, a premium of $25, which he divided equally between Clark and Dunlop.
August 17, 1893, Dallas Daily Times Herald, p. 5, col. 3.
1898 - LOTS OF FUN
By Two Youths at Letot Last Sunday Morning
Charlie Gilmore was arraigned before Justice Lauderdale this forenoon on a charge of flourishing a gun, and disturbing the peace at Letot last Sunday morning. The testimony was to the effect that he and Thomas Johnson called at Mark's store, and that while at the store, they got to shouting and dancing. when Marks reminded them it as the Sabbath day and, besides, that his family lived overhead, the rioters went out in the road in front of the store and resumed their war dance, interspersed with, and accompanied by, profane and obscene language and the flourishing of a six-shooter by Gilmore.
The court, after hearing the testimony, said he thought Gilmore must have had about $79.15 worth of fun that Sunday morning, and he, accordingly, instructed the constable to take charge of the young man until the amount was paid, or good security for its payment given.
Thomas Johnson will be tried Saturday morning.
February 15, 1898, Dallas Daily Times Herald, p. 5, col. 4.
