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History of Kingston Texas
KINGSTON, TEXAS. Kingston is on U.S. Highway 69 and Farm roads 3427
and 903, Hickory Creek, and the Missouri, Kansas, and Texas Railroad, ten
miles northwest of Greenville in northwestern Hunt County. The Cow Leach
Fork of the Sabine River runs a half mile south of the community. Kingston
was founded as a depot on the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railroad when
the tracks were built from Denison to Greenville in 1880. Nick Hodges donated
the land for the right-of-way and depot. In exchange he was allowed to
name the station and chose the name Kingston, reportedly because he surrendered
with his Confederate comrades at Kingston, Georgia. After its founding
Kingston grew rapidly. In 1880, a post office was established in the community
with J. H. Maynard as postmaster. Merchants left such nearby communities
as White Rock and Hogeye for Kingston. From 1885 to 1897, Calhoun College
was located in Kingston. The first paper in the community, The Kingston
Beacon, was started in 1882 with G. H. Black as editor.
In 1886, when the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway asked for a bonus
to bring the road through Kingston on its road from Wolfe City to Farmersville,
citizens refused. The railroad located its junction with the Missouri,
Kansas and Texas tracks three miles north, bought the surrounding land,
and named the community Celeste. Eventually many of Kingston's businesses
moved to Celeste, and Kingston declined. In 1890 it had a population of
600, a steam cotton gin, a gristmill, three churches, a school, a hotel,
a millinery, a saloon, and a dry-goods store. By 1914 it had a population
of 300, several general stores, and a grocer. The post office was discontinued
after 1930. Despite its decline Kingston remained a distinct community.
In 1947, it was a flag stop and had a population of 150, two churches,
a school, a cemetery, and a business. Located south of town on Cow Leach
Fork was the Harrell Campground, a Methodist summer meeting place. In 1990
the population of Kingston was 140.
BIBLIOGRAPHY: W. Walworth Harrison, History of Greenville and Hunt County,
Texas
(Waco: Texian, 1976). Lisa C. Maxwell
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