ASHLAND, TEXAS. Ashland, on State Highway 154 fourteen miles southeast of Gilmer in extreme southeastern Upshur County, was established around 1845. In antebellum Texas, the settlement served as a shipping and marketing point for plantations along the bend of Cypress Creek. A post office under the name Asbury opened there in 1894. By 1896 the community had a sawmill, a general store, Baptist and Methodist churches, two doctors, and an estimated population of 110. In 1902 the community was renamed Ashland. At its height around 1914 Ashland had a bank, a Masonic lodge, four general stores, a cotton gin, and a population of 250. After World War I, however, the town began to decline. The post office was closed in 1921, and by 1933 the population had fallen to 175. In the mid-1930s the community had a church, a store, and a number of scattered houses. By 1945 the population had fallen to twenty. In the mid-1960s Ashland had a church, a cemetery, and a few houses. In 1990 the church and cemetery were still at the site, and Ashland was a dispersed rural community with an estimated population of twenty.

BETHLEHEM, TEXAS (Upshur County). Bethlehem is on Farm Road 1650 eleven miles southeast of Gilmer in southeastern Upshur County. The site was settled in the early 1850s. A school began operating there around 1900. In the mid-1930s the community had a church, a school, a store, a cemetery, and a number of scattered houses. During the 1950s Bethlehem and nearby Omega formed an independent school district with a high school. The school and church were later moved a mile south to New Bethlehem, and in 1958 the school was consolidated with the East Mountain school district. In the mid-1960s Bethlehem had a church, a cemetery, a store, and a few houses. In 1990 the church and cemetery were still maintained, and Bethlehem reported a population of twenty-five.

BETTIE, TEXAS. Bettie, at the junction of U.S. Highway 271 and Farm Road 2088, six miles north of Gilmer in north central Upshur County, was established in the early 1880s as a stop on the newly constructed Texas and St. Louis Railway. During the antebellum period  the area had been a lumbering center. The town was named for Mary Elizabeth (Aunt Bettie) Anderson, an early settler. A Bettie post office opened in 1882 with Neri Anderson, owner of the local general store, as postmaster. By 1885 the community had a steam lumber and shingle mill, Baptist and Methodist churches, a district school, and an estimated population of 100. Much of the town's economy was based on lumbering, but after 1890 Bettie also became an important center for shipping sweet potatoes. The first area school was established at nearby Rocky Point but was moved to Bettie in 1894. By 1906 two local schools were operating, with a total enrollment of 128. A bank was organized at Bettie in 1913 but was closed in 1921, when the county's banks were consolidated. The population continued to grow during the 1920s, to a peak of 400 in 1929. During the 1930s, however, it began to decline, partly as a result of the Great Depression and the flight to the larger cities. In the mid-1930s Bettie comprised ten businesses and a number of scattered houses; the population in 1933 was estimated at 284. After World War II the town continued to decline; the population was 150 in 1958 and 100 by the mid-1960s. The post office and most of the businesses closed. In the mid-1960s Bettie consisted of several stores and a large number of houses. In 1990 it was a small rural community with three stores and an estimated population of 110.

BIG SANDY, TEXAS. Big Sandy, also known as Big Sandy Switch, at the junction of State Highway 155, U.S. Highway 80, and Farm Road 2911, fourteen miles southwest of Gilmer in extreme southwestern Upshur County, was established in the early 1870s. In 1873 the Texas and Pacific Railway was built through the area, and around 1880 the Tyler Tap, a narrow-gauge railroad, intersected the Texas and Pacific just south of Big Sandy Creek. A switch was constructed at the junction of the two railroads and came to be known as Big Sandy Switch, after the creek. By the early 1880s a small settlement, also known as Big Sandy Switch, began to grow up. A post office was established in 1875, and two merchants named Arenson and Yesner opened stores around the same time. By 1885 the community, now known as Big Sandy, had several stores and saloons, Baptist and Methodist churches, a school, and an estimated population of 500. Several hotels and restaurants opened by 1900, and by the eve of World War I, Big Sandy had two banks, a weekly newspaper named the Times, and a cotton market. The town's principal products included lumber, cotton, potatoes, and livestock. The community incorporated on June 21, 1926. The estimated population was 850 in 1929. By 1933 the population had fallen to 579, and the community had twenty businesses, several churches and schools, and a large number of houses. After World War II, Big Sandy again began to grow. The population increased from 609 in 1945 to over 1,000 by 1958, when the number of businesses was twenty-eight. In the mid-1960s Big Sandy had five or six churches, a high school, and twenty businesses. In 1990 the town was a regional commercial and shipping center with twenty-eight businesses and a population of 1,185.

BOXWOOD, TEXAS. Boxwood, on Farm Road 1649 twelve miles northeast of Gilmer in eastern Upshur County, was probably founded in the 1880s or early 1890s. A post office operated there from 1895 to 1906. Around 1900 Boxwood had a population of thirty. In the mid-1930s the community comprised a school, a store, and a number of scattered houses. After World War II its school was consolidated with the Ore City school, and by the mid-1960s all that remained of Boxwood was a few widely scattered houses.

BRUMLEY, TEXAS. Brumley, on Farm Road 2454 eleven miles northwest of Gilmer in northern Upshur County, was settled before 1900. A school was operating there around 1900, and in 1906 it had an enrollment of eighty-three. In the mid-1930s the community had a school, a store, and a number of scattered houses; the estimated population in 1940 was twenty. After World War II the Brumley school was consolidated with that of Union Hill, and by the mid-1960s all that remained of Brumley was a church and a few widely scattered houses. In 1990 the church was still there.

CALLOWAY, TEXAS. Calloway, one of the earliest settlements in Upshur County, was on Calloway Hill, near Farm Road 49 some ten miles west of Gilmer. The settlement was established around 1853 as a way station on the road from Jefferson. In antebellum Texas, Calloway served as a shipping and trading center for farms and plantations in the western part of the county. A post office opened there in 1855, and by the eve of the Civil War the town had a cotton gin, a blacksmith shop, and several stores and saloons. After the war, Calloway continued to prosper. In 1885 it had an estimated population of 250, three steam gristmill-cotton gins, three churches, two blacksmith shops, a general store, and a district school. Among the town's prominent citizens was James B. Cranfill, an influential Baptist leader. By the mid-1890s the population of Calloway reached 300. After 1900, however, the community began to decline. Its post office was closed, and many residents moved away. By the mid-1930s the town was no longer shown on county highway maps.

CEDAR SPRINGS, TEXAS (Upshur County). Cedar Springs, on U.S. Highway 259 sixteen miles northeast of Gilmer in extreme northeastern Upshur County, was first settled before the Civil War near a spring surrounded by large cedar trees. In the mid 1930s the community had a school and number of scattered houses. After World War II the school was consolidated with the Coffeeville school district and later became part of the Ore City Independent School District. In the mid 1960s Cedar Springs had a church and a few houses. Most of the approximately 100 residents worked for the nearby Lone Star Steel Company. In 1990 Cedar Springs was a dispersed rural community.

CENTER POINT, TEXAS (Upshur County). Center Point, also known as Pleasant Grove, is a farming community just off Farm Road 1404, ten miles southwest of Gilmer in southwestern Upshur County. It was established before the Civil War. During the antebellum period  a school known as Pleasant Grove operated in the settlement. In the mid-1930s the community had a school, a cemetery, and a number of scattered houses. During the 1950s most of its residents moved away. Its school was consolidated with the Gladewater school district, and by the mid-1960s all that remained of Center Point was a cemetery and a few houses. In 1990 Center Point was a dispersed rural community.

CHAPEL HILL, TEXAS. Chapel Hill is off Farm Road 2088 fifteen miles northwest of Gilmer in northwestern Upshur County. It was probably established before 1900. In the mid-1930s the community had a church and a small number of scattered houses. Children attended school at Piney Grove or Mount Lebanon. In the mid-1960s Chapel Hill had a church and a few houses. In 1990 it had a store and a church.

COFFEEVILLE, TEXAS. Coffeeville is south of State Highway 155 and five miles west of Lake O' the Pines in the pine country of northeastern Upshur County. One account of the origin of the community's name claims that an early traveler spilled green coffee beans along the trail he was following, and the beans took root and grew. Another account explains that when Coffeeville was just a camping area, the smell of brewing coffee established its name. Actually, the community was named after the Coffee family, early settlers in the area. Coffeeville is one of the oldest settlements in East Texas. When Jefferson served as a riverport, Coffeeville was the goal of the first day's journey west from the port. Wagon trains moving west also stopped at Coffeeville for supplies, repairs, and recreation. Between 1845 and 1866 the Coffeeville area was settled by former plantation owners from Southern states. By 1852 a post office was established there. In the 1850s the community had Methodist and Presbyterian churches, three doctors, two dry-goods stores, two grocery stores, a drugstore, a Masonic lodge, an academy, and a large hotel. At its peak Coffeeville included several saloons, a bowling and pool hall, numerous blacksmith shops, and five churches. As late as 1867 the town had one of only four high schools in Upshur County; this school had an enrollment of seventy. During the Civil War and after, Coffeeville declined. Upon the request of Governor Edward Clark, the community voluntarily bore the burden of establishing and supporting a training camp for Confederate soldiers. After the war, however, the railroads bypassed Coffeeville, and the town's economy fizzled. Its population was 200 in 1887 and 153 by 1904. Its post office was closed in 1915. By 1936 the population of Coffeeville was down to fifty, and only two stores remained in 1940. Though a population of fifty was still reported in 1990, nothing of Coffeeville remained but a small church building.

CONCORD, TEXAS (Upshur County). Concord, on Farm Road 2263 seven miles northeast of Gilmer in north central Upshur County, was probably established before 1900. Around the turn of the century two schools were operating there; during the 1906-07 school year they had a combined enrollment of eighty-nine. In the mid-1930s the community had a school, a church, a store, a sawmill, and a number of scattered houses. After World War II many of its residents moved away, and the school was consolidated with the Gilmer school district. By the mid-1960s all that remained of the community was a church, a cemetery, and a few houses. The church and cemetery were still shown on county highway maps in the 1980s.

COX, TEXAS. Cox, a farming community on Farm Road 2796 eleven miles northeast of Gilmer in northeastern Upshur County, was established around 1890 and named for a family of local settlers. A school was in operation there around 1900, and during the 1906-07 school year it had an enrollment of sixty-seven. In the mid-1930s the community had a sawmill, a school, and a number of scattered houses. After World War II many of its residents moved away, and its school was consolidated with the La Fayette school district. By the mid-1960s all that remained of Cox was a church, a cemetery, and a number of houses. Its population was estimated at 300. Many of the community's residents worked at the nearby Lone Star Steel Plant. In 1990 Cox had a church and one store.

CROSS ROADS, TEXAS (Upshur County). Cross Roads (Crossroads), eight miles southwest of Gilmer on the old Gilmer-Big Sandy highway in southwestern Upshur County, was probably established around 1900. In the mid-1930s it had a church, a school, and a number of houses. After World War II many of its residents moved away, and the school was consolidated with the Big Sandy school district. By the mid-1960s all that remained of the community was a few scattered houses, among them the Gage House, one of the oldest houses in the county. Nearby was the Lone Pilgrim Primitive Baptist Church.

DELROSE, TEXAS. Delrose, on U.S. Highway 271 three miles north of Gilmer in north central Upshur County, was established around 1885 as a stop on what later became the St. Louis Southwestern Railway of Texas. In the mid-1930s the settlement consisted of a church, a store, and a number of houses. After World War II many of the residents moved away, and the school closed; by the mid-1960s Delrose was only a few scattered houses. In 1990 it was still a dispersed rural community.

DIANA, TEXAS. Diana, also known as New Diana, is at the junction of State Highway 154 and U.S. Highway 259, eleven miles east of Gilmer in eastern Upshur County. New Diana was established in the 1930s by residents of Diana (also known as Old Diana) after oil was discovered three miles south of the old town. In the mid-1930s New Diana had a school, a church, a store, and a number of houses. The town continued to prosper after World War II, and by the mid-1960s, when it was generally referred to as Diana, it included two churches, a school, and three or four stores. In 1990 Diana was a commercial center for area farmers and ranchers; at that time it had an estimated 200 residents and a dozen or so businesses.

EARPVILLE, TEXAS. Earpville was on a site that is now within the city limits of Longview in Gregg County. It was founded by the James Earp family of Alabama in the 1840s and had a post office from 1850 to 1867. In 1848 James Earp and his son-in-law James Starkey purchased 1,031 acres of the Alexander Jordan headright bounded on the east by the Upshur-Harrison county line and on the west by the Hamilton McNutt survey. Earp purchased several adjoining tracts of land the following year and built his homestead near the Marshall-Tyler road at the base of the largest rock hill in the area, where Longview's water towers are now located. During the 1850s other members of the Earp family joined James in Upshur County, and the settlement became known as Earpville. The community was on the stagecoach line from Louisiana to San Antonio. Dr. Job Taylor, a physician and lay preacher, operated the stagecoach stop. In 1860 the population was 276, and the community had a saddler, three merchants, a carpenter, three blacksmiths, a wagonmaker, and a minister. A Methodist congregation met in a small log structure beginning in the mid-1800s. It moved to a new building in 1860 and in 1875 became the First Methodist Church of Longview, which still exists. Although there are no records of a school in Earpville, some evidence suggests that the children of the community received private instruction from the postmaster, who was also a teacher, in 1861. With the coming of the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1870 Longview was built, and Earpville ceased to exist as a separate settlement.

EAST MOUNTAIN, TEXAS. East Mountain is on Farm Road 1845 eleven miles southeast of Gilmer in southeastern Upshur County. It was established in the 1870s near a small rise named East Mountain. A local school began operating in the mid-1870s, and a Primitive Baptist church was organized around the same time. Sam Slater settled in the area in the late 1870s and built a horse-powered cotton gin; a short time later Thomas Wells built a steam cotton gin and sawmill. A post office under the name Savannah was opened in 1902 with H. B. Jones as postmaster. It was closed in 1905, and the name of the town was changed to East Mountain a short time later. Oil was discovered in the 1930s, and a number of local families quickly became wealthy. At the height of the oil boom the school and all of the town's churches had producing wells. By the mid-1930s East Mountain had a three-teacher school, three churches, a store, and a number of houses. In 1940 the estimated population was seventy-five. In the mid-1960s East Mountain had five churches, a large district school, and two cemeteries. In the 1980s the town served as a commercial center for area farmers and ranchers and as a bedroom community for nearby Longview. The population in 1990 was 762.

ELAM SPRINGS, TEXAS. Elam Springs (Elam Spring), off Farm Road 1795 ten miles southwest of Gilmer in western Upshur County, was settled before 1900. By that year it had a school, which in 1906 had an enrollment of forty-nine black students. In the mid-1930s the community had a church and number of houses, and in the mid-1960s it had a church, a cemetery, and a few widely scattered houses. In 1990 Elam Springs was a dispersed rural community.

ENOCH, TEXAS. Enoch, on Farm Road 49 two miles west of Gilmer in central Upshur County, was established around 1912 by Mormons. Enoch and nearby Kelsey were founded as branches of the Mormon Church, and each was administered under the leadership of an appointed branch president who met weekly with the community to discuss spiritual and community affairs. By the mid-1930s Enoch had two churches, two stores, a school, and a number of houses. Its population in 1938 was reported as 250. The town's economy was largely agricultural, with dairying the most important industry. Cotton, grain, and truck-farming were also significant in the area. After World War II the community began to decline. Its school was consolidated with the Gilmer Independent School District in 1951, and during the 1950s and early 1960s many of its young people moved away. In the mid-1960s Enoch still had a population of 125 and a church, cemetery, store, and service station. In 1990 Enoch was a dispersed rural community, with only the church, the cemetery, and a few scattered houses remaining in the area.

ENON, TEXAS (Upshur County). Enon, also known as McPeek, is on Farm Road 852 six miles northwest of Gilmer in western Upshur County. The area was first settled in the late 1840s. The Enon Baptist Church, organized on May 13, 1848, was one of the earliest churches in the county. A school built across the road from the church began operating before 1900, and by 1906 there were two schools at Enon with a total enrollment of 203. A post office, named McPeek for one of the area's early settlers, opened there in 1903 but closed in 1905. In the mid-1930s the community had a number of scattered houses and a church, school, store, cemetery, and sawmill. After World War II many of Enon's residents moved away, and its school was consolidated with that of Harmony. By the mid-1960s only the church, the cemetery, and a few houses remained in the area. In 1990 Enon was a dispersed rural community served by a church and cemetery.

EWELL, TEXAS. Ewell, on Farm Road 593 ten miles north of Gilmer in northern Upshur County, was probably established soon after the Civil War. A post office opened in 1886, and by 1890 the community had two mills and a blacksmith shop. Ewell grew rapidly during the early 1890s; in 1896 it had two shingle mills, two sawmills, a cotton gin, two blacksmith shops, and Methodist, Baptist, and Primitive Baptist churches. After 1900, however, it began to decline. The post office closed in 1905, and by the mid-1930s the community had a church, two stores, a school, and a few houses. The population in 1940 was listed as 150. In the mid-1960s it dropped to 100, and only a community center, a church, and a few scattered houses remained. In 1990 Ewell was a dispersed community with an estimated population of 100.

FAZENDA, TEXAS. Fazenda was a farming community on Farm Road 2796 ten miles north of Gilmer in northern Upshur County. The settlement, on the postal route between LaFayette and Coffeeville, was probably established in the early 1890s. A Fazenda school was in operation by the mid-1890s, and in 1896 it had an enrollment of twenty-two. A post office opened in the community in 1899 and closed in 1905. By the mid-1930s Fazenda was no longer shown on county highway maps. Its population was reported as twenty from 1933 through 1945 and not reported thereafter.

FOREST HILL, TEXAS (Upshur County). Forest Hill, a farming community on the old Cherokee Trace just south of Farm Road 2088 and six miles northwest of Gilmer in northern Upshur County, was probably established before 1900. A school began operating there around 1900 and was later consolidated with that of Union Hill. By the mid-1930s Forest Hill was no longer shown on county highway maps.

FRIENDSHIP, TEXAS (Upshur County). Friendship, also known as Friendship School, is on State Highway 155 four miles northeast of Gilmer in north central Upshur County. It was probably established around 1900. In the mid-1930s the community, known as Friendship School, had a school, a church, and a number of houses. After World War II its school was consolidated with those of Gilmer, and by the mid-1960s all that remained of Friendship was a church and a few scattered houses. In 1990 Friendship was a dispersed rural community.

GILMER, TEXAS. Gilmer, the county seat of Upshur County, is on U.S. Highway 271 and State highways 155 and 154 thirty-five miles northeast of Tyler and twenty-two northwest of Longview in the central part of the county. When the county was established in 1846, provision required that the county seat be located within five miles of the geographic center and that it be called Gilmer, for Thomas W. Gilmer, who died during the test firing of a new cannon on the USS Princeton on February 28, 1844. The same explosion also killed United States secretary of state Abel P. Upshur. On December 15, 1846, when the fifth district court first met in Upshur County, Judge Oran M. Roberts held court in a grove of six oak trees at the residence of William H. Hart and declared that site the location of Gilmer until a more permanent location could be selected. The Gilmer post office opened in 1847. In 1848 county voters selected the permanent site. The original site came to be called Old Gilmer and was gradually abandoned; a historic marker on the Cherokee Trace three miles north of Gilmer marks the original site. Bethesda Masonic Lodge No. 142 received a charter in 1853 and sponsored the Gilmer Masonic Male Academy (1854). In 1861 the lodge rented the school building to Morgan H. Looney, who established Looney School; from 1868 to 1871 O. M. Roberts taught there. In 1860 Gilmer had twenty-five businesses, seven physicians, six law offices, two churches (Methodist and Baptist), two academies, and the post office. During the Civil War Gilmer businesses provided hats and leather goods to the Confederate States of America. Shortly after the war ended, members of the Ku Klux Klan beat up Meshack Roberts, a former slave of O. B. Roberts, who had helped him to become a landowner.

In its early years Gilmer served as a cotton-ginning center; it once had six gins in operation, and one continued until the 1950s. In 1890 farmers in the county began producing sweet potatoes but had to quarantine the crop in the late 1920s because of an infestation of sweet-potato weevils. When the quarantine lifted, residents organized the East Texas Yamboree, a fall festival to celebrate the sweet potato harvest; the first festival was held in October 1935. In the late 1980s the annual festival continued, with some 30,000 to 40,000 people attending in 1987. At that time it was one of the oldest continuing festivals in East Texas. On April 17, 1900, Dickson's Colored Orphanage was chartered in Gilmer. It was founded by a black Baptist preacher, the Rev. W. L. Dickson, and from 1900 to 1929 was the only orphanage for black children in Texas. Baptists in Dallas, Waco, and other cities contributed to its development, as did local Baptist churches and Gilmer businessmen. Robert C. Buckner served as chairman of the board of trustees. In 1929 the state took over the home and renamed it Gilmer State Orphanage for Negroes; the state continued its operation from 1930 to 1943, when the orphans were moved to Austin. In 1902 the Gilmer Independent School District was established; in the 1980s it had four schools in Gilmer. From 1920 to 1930, with the fall of the cotton market, Gilmer for the first time recorded a drop in population, from 2,268 to 1,963. In 1931, however, the East Texas oilfield rescued the town from the Great Depression. The new oil money went in part to construct a new courthouse, dedicated in 1937. By 1940 the population had grown to 3,138 and by 1950 to 4,192. Between 1960 and 1970 the population decreased slightly, mainly because of a new residential subdivision just outside the city limits. After Pine Acres joined the city, the population of Gilmer stood at 5,192 (1970).

After World War II, many Gilmer residents began commuting to jobs in Tyler, in Longview, and at Lone Star Steel in Morris County. During the same period the lumbermill at Gilmer was expanded, and the city over time gained a factory that made ceramic bathroom accessories, an electrical conduit and fittings plant, and, in 1989, a highway-sign factory. In the 1980s Gilmer obtained a federal matching grant to build a larger public library. The expanded Upshur County Public Library housed 37,794 volumes. In the late 1980s Gilmer had twenty-one churches, a hospital affiliated with the Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, nine resident physicians, five dentists, three chiropractors, two nursing homes, two national banks, two savings and loans, a motel, and numerous restaurants and service stations. In 1990 the population was 4,822.

GLADEWATER, TEXAS. Gladewater is at the intersection of U.S. highways 80 and 271, thirteen miles west of Longview on the boundary between Gregg and Upshur counties. It was founded by the Texas and Pacific Railway Company in 1873 on land bought from Jarrett Dean and Anderson White. A community called St. Clair, two miles to the east, moved to Gladewater when the railroad announced that the only mail stop in the area would be there; residents from Point Pleasant, also bypassed by the railroad, moved to Gladewater. The first post office at Gladewater was established on August 22, 1873. The town's name probably originated from its proximity to Glade Creek, a stream that rose in a rather barren region called the Glades.
In 1874 Gladewater was incorporated with a mayor-alderman government. The incorporation lapsed, and a new charter was not obtained until 1931, when an influx of population necessitated organized city government. In 1955 Gladewater adopted a council-mayor form of government. The population grew slowly during the nineteenth century; the town had only 163 people in 1880 and 259 in 1900. In the area around Gladewater lumbering was a major activity, although farming was also important; cotton was the major crop. In 1908 the town had ten stores, one bank, two blacksmith shops, two hotels, a gin, a sawmill, and a planing mill. It continued to grow slowly until 1931.
On April 7, 1931, the first Gladewater oil well blew in. It was located one mile outside town in the Sabine River bottom. Oil production led to a population increase during the 1930s from about 500 persons to around 8,000. In 1940, after the oil boom, Gladewater had a population of 4,454. Civic improvements in the 1940s included an extensive paving project and a commercial airfield. Between 1940 and 1960 the population grew to 5,742. Lake Gladewater, constructed in 1954, provides recreation for city residents.
During the 1970s Gladewater moved from an oil-oriented to a more diversified economy, primarily because of depletion of oil resources in the area. The movement of salt water into the western edge of the large East Texas oilfieldqv affected Gladewater first. By 1980 the town had a total of 6,548 residents, 4,311 in Gregg County and 2,237 in Upshur County. The economy in the 1980s depended on the oil industry and related activities and on the manufacture of such products as furniture, clothing, paper products, and boats. The lumber industry is also important, as is agriculture. In 1990 the community was known for its numerous antique stores. The population was 6,027. Important annual festivals include the Roundup Rodeo in June and the Arts and Crafts Festival in September.

GLENWOOD, TEXAS. Glenwood, at the junction of State Highway 300 and Farm Road 726, eight miles southeast of Gilmer in southeastern Upshur County, was established as a plantation before the organization of the county in 1846. The plantation was abandoned before the Civil War, and during the last years of the war new settlers began to move to the area. A post office opened there in 1875 with Wiley Florence as postmaster; he apparently named the town. Just after the war a Glenwood Methodist Church was established, and around the same time a school began operating in the church. Charlie Christian opened a local boarding school in 1880. By 1885 Glenwood had a steam gristmill and cotton gin, a general store, two churches, and an estimated population of 100. The town continued to grow during the 1890s and early 1900s, and by 1914 it had reached a peak reported population of 250. After World War I, however, the community began to decline. Its post office closed, and by the mid-1930s Glenwood comprised only a church, a school, a store, and a number of houses. In 1940 its population was estimated at ninety. After World War II the Glenwood school was consolidated with that of East Mountain, and in the mid-1960s all that remained of Glenwood was a church, a store, a cemetery, and a few scattered houses. In 1990 Glenwood was a dispersed rural community.

GRANGE HALL, TEXAS (Upshur County). Grange Hall, five miles north of Gilmer off the St. Louis Southwestern Railway in central Upshur County, was established after the Civil War. A post office operated there from 1875 to 1881. In the early 1880s the settlement had a general store, a cotton gin and mill, and a number of houses; in 1882 the reported population was twenty-four. By the mid-1880s the community was no longer shown on maps.

GRICE, TEXAS. Grice, at the junction of Farm roads 852 and 1002, twelve miles west of Gilmer in western Upshur County, was established in the late 1880s or early 1890s near a heavily wooded area known as the Big Woods. The community was originally called Hamil's Chapel, for a small Baptist church organized not long after the Civil War. Around 1890 John J. Grice opened a store and post office there. The post office became known as Grice, but the church continued for several years to be known as Hamil's Chapel. By 1896 the community had a gristmill and cotton gin, a general store, a wagonmaker, two carpenters, and an estimated population of twenty-four. A Grice school began operating before 1900, and by 1907 it had an enrollment of 126. Around 1900 the town also had a saloon. After 1900 Grice began to decline. The Marshall and East Texas Railway bypassed the town, and many community residents moved away. The Grice post office closed in 1905. By the mid-1930s the community had a school, two churches, and two or three stores; its population in 1936 was estimated at twenty. After World War II the Grice school was consolidated with the Harmony consolidated school district, and in the mid-1960s all that remained of Grice was a church, a cemetery, and a few scattered houses. In 1990 Grice was a dispersed community with an estimated population of twenty.

HOPEWELL, TEXAS (Upshur County). Hopewell was a farming community on the Hopewell Branch of Kelsey Creek and Farm Road 49, seven miles west of Gilmer in western Upshur County. It was one of the earliest settlements in the county. A Hopewell post office opened in 1849 and operated until 1854. A church was organized at Hopewell sometime around the Civil War and continued to operate in the late 1980s. The community, however, by the mid-1930s was no longer shown on the county highway map. A cemetery also still existed at the site in the late 1980s.

HORACE, TEXAS. Horace was a farming community eleven miles south of Gilmer and eight miles northwest of Longview in south central Upshur County. The community was probably settled sometime after the Civil War. It had a post office from 1889 until 1896, when it also had two general stores and an estimated population of twenty. Horace was not shown on the 1936 county highway map.

INDIAN ROCK, TEXAS. Indian Rock, a farming community near the junction of Farm roads 154 and 1650 and six miles east of Gilmer in eastern Upshur County, was established in the late 1880s. The community was named after a large rock, roughly thirty feet in diameter, in which the Cherokee Indians had worn depressions by grinding corn. An Indian Rock post office was opened in 1888, and by 1890 the community had a gristmill and cotton gin, a shoemaker, two carpenters, a tannery, and an estimated population of 150. Two schools were operating just after 1900, and in 1907 they had a combined enrollment of 133. In the mid-1930s the community consisted of a school, a church, and a number of houses. After World War II , many of the residents moved away, and the school was consolidated with the Gilmer district. By the mid-1960s all that remained of Indian Rock was a few scattered houses. In 1990, when no recent population estimates were available, Indian Rock was a dispersed rural community.

JAMES, TEXAS (Upshur County). James, on Farm Road 3245 twelve miles southeast of Gilmer in southeastern Upshur County, grew up just after 1900 near the junction of two railroads: the Marshall and East Texas and the St. Louis and Southwestern. The community was originally named Jamestown, for W. P. James, a prominent local citizen; in 1915 its name was shortened to James. A post office opened there in 1914. Around the eve of World War I James had several stores, a cotton gin, and a depot. The community continued to grow during the 1920s and by 1929 reported a population of 150. In the mid-1930s James had two churches, several stores, a number of houses, and fifty residents. Its population peaked at 200 in 1952, but many of its residents moved away, and by the mid-1960s all that remained of the community was a cemetery and a few scattered houses. In 1990 James was a dispersed rural community.

JOHNSON CHAPEL, TEXAS. Johnson Chapel, on Farm Road 49 ten miles west of Gilmer in western Upshur County, was probably settled before 1900. In the mid-1930s the community had a church, two businesses, and a number of houses. After World War II the businesses closed, and in the mid-1960s all that remained of the community was a church and a few scattered houses. In 1990 Johnson Chapel was a dispersed rural community

JOHNSTONVILLE, TEXAS. Johnstonville was a post office community near the site of present Soules Chapel ten miles northwest of Gilmer in northwestern Upshur County. The community was established after the Civil War. A post office operated there from 1871 to 1880. In the early 1880s the small settlement had a general store, a cotton gin and mill, and a number of houses. By 1885 it was no longer shown on maps.

KELSEY, TEXAS. Kelsey, on Farm Road 1795 seven miles west of Gilmer in central Upshur County, was named for Dr. W. H. Kelsey, one of the earliest settlers in the county; a nearby creek also bears his name. During the antebellum period there were a number of large plantations in the area. In 1901 two brothers, John and Jim Edgar, of Andalusia, Alabama, founded a settlement of Mormons on Kelsey Creek. After the colony was established, Mormons from all over the South flocked to the area. A school run by Mormon missionaries from Utah began operating in 1901, and a post office opened the next year. In 1910 the Marshall and East Texas Railway was built through the town, and Kelsey became a stop on the line. By 1911 Kelsey had five stores, a brick kiln, three sawmills, a shingle mill, a cotton gin, two blacksmith shops, a gristmill, and a school. A red brick school, the Kelsey Academy, was built that year and was operated as a public school staffed by Mormon missionaries. The town's economy was largely agricultural. Many of the residents depended on dairying for their livelihood, but cotton, grain, and truck farming also played an important role in the economy. Kelsey reached its largest size around 1917, when it had 750 residents; several hundred additional Mormons also lived in Enoch, a nearby community. Kelsey began to decline in 1917, when the railroad was abandoned. The post office closed the following year, and during the 1920s and 1930s many of the residents moved away. In the mid-1930s Kelsey had a church, several stores, a cemetery, and a number of houses. The population in 1938 was 350. After World War II the decline continued. The school was consolidated with the Gilmer Independent School District, and by the mid-1960s all that remained of Kelsey was a church, a cemetery, and a store. In 1990 Kelsey was a dispersed community populated mostly by descendants of the original Mormon settlers. Some 200 inhabitants lived in the area in the 1990s.

LAFAYETTE, TEXAS. LaFayette (Lafayette), at the junction of Farm roads 993 and 1975, thirteen miles northeast of Gilmer in extreme northern Upshur County, was first settled in the late 1850s and was named for LaFayette Locke, the son of M. F. Locke, an early settler. A post office opened there in 1858, and by the mid-1880s the community had several gristmills and cotton gins, three churches, a district school, and a population of thirty. A large deposit of iron ore, discovered nearby in the early 1890s, prompted a brief mining boom. The town's population grew to 400 by 1896. At its height during the iron boom, LaFayette had three cotton gins, a gristmill, a shingle mill, four general stores, several saloons, a Masonic lodge, and a weekly newspaper, the Iron Record. The boom proved to be short-lived, however, for investment money dried up as a result of the financial panics of the mid-1890s. After 1900 LaFayette declined. Its population dropped to 250 by 1914, and by the late 1930s it had two stores, a school, and a sawmill. The community's population in 1940 was listed as eighty, and it continued to decline during the 1950s, to a low of sixty in 1958. In the mid-1960s LaFayette had a community center, two churches, two cemeteries, and a number of scattered houses. In 1990 the town was a dispersed rural community with an estimated population of eighty.

LAKE PROVIDENCE, TEXAS. Lake Providence is on Farm Road 726 seven miles southeast of Gilmer in east central Upshur County. Originally known as Lake Providence School, the community was probably settled before 1900. In the mid-1930s Lake Providence had a school, a church, a store, and a number of houses. After World War II the school and the store closed, and in the mid-1960s all that remained of the community was a church and a few widely scattered houses. In 1990 Lake Providence was a dispersed rural community.

LATCH, TEXAS. Latch, on Farm Road 1795 eight miles west of Gilmer in western Upshur County, was established in the late 1880s and originally named Know. The name was changed to Latch when a post office opened in 1894, after L. A. Latch, who moved to the area in the early 1890s, bought a large parcel of timberland, and built a sawmill. By 1896 Latch had Methodist, Baptist, and Christian churches and a general store. A Latch school was in operation by 1906, when it had an enrollment of 118. In 1906 the post office was closed. After L. A. Latch had cut most of the timber, he closed the sawmill and built a cotton gin; a second gin built by Will Mathis also operated for a time. In the mid-1930s the town had a church, several stores, a school, and a number of houses. The estimated population in 1936 was fifty. After World War II the school was consolidated with the Harmony School District, and by the mid-1960s all that remained of Latch was a church, a store, and a few widely scattered houses. In 1990 Latch was a dispersed community with an estimated population of fifty.

LITTLE MOUND, TEXAS. Little Mound was a rural community on Farm Road 49 thirteen miles west of Gilmer in west central Upshur County. It was probably settled around 1900. In the mid-1930s the community, then known as Little Mound School, had a school, a church, and a number of houses. After World War II the school was closed, and in the mid-1960s all that remained of the community was a church, a cemetery, and a few scattered houses. In 1990 Little Mound was a dispersed rural community.

LOCUST GROVE, TEXAS. Locust Grove, a farming community twelve miles southwest of Gilmer on the old Big Sandy-Gladewater highway in southwestern Upshur County, was first settled before the Civil War. In the mid-1930s Locust Grove had a church, a cemetery, a sawmill, and a number of houses. After World War II the sawmill closed and the church was disbanded. In the mid-1960s all that remained of the community was a cemetery and a few widely scattered houses.

LONE MOUNTAIN, TEXAS. Lone Mountain was a farming community on Farm Road 2263 five miles northeast of Gilmer in central Upshur County. Originally known as Lone Mountain School, the community was probably settled before 1900. In the mid-1930s Lone Mountain had a school, a church, a cemetery, and a number of houses. After World War II its school was consolidated with those of Gilmer, and the church was disbanded. During the mid-1960s all that remained of the community was a cemetery and a few widely scattered houses. In 1990 Lone Mountain was an abandoned site.

MIDWAY, TEXAS (Upshur County). Midway, on U.S. Highway 271 five miles north of Gilmer in northern Upshur County, was established as a stop on the St. Louis and Southwestern Railway in the 1880s. In the mid-1930s the community, which served as a center for a lumbering and agricultural area, consisted of a sawmill, a store, and a number of scattered houses. The population in 1940 was forty. After World War II the number of residents grew slightly, reaching sixty by 1952, but in the mid-1960s all that remained of the settlement was a church and a few scattered houses. In 1990 Midway was a dispersed rural community with a church and one store.

MINGS CHAPEL, TEXAS. Mings Chapel, on the Red Rock Road off U.S. Highway 271 six miles south of Gilmer in south central Upshur County, was established in the late 1850s or early 1860s and named for "Grandpa" Mings, a prominent early settler. A church and chapel were built there in the early 1860s. By 1900 three schools were operating in the community: two white schools with an enrollment of 108 and a black school with an enrollment of fourteen. At its height just after 1900, Mings Chapel had a cotton gin, a church, and several stores. In the mid-1930s the community consisted of a church, a store, a school, and  houses. A 1941 Mings Chapel School annual shows 9 grades, 159 students, 6 teachers, 2 bus drivers, 1 librarian, and 5 ladies in
the kitchen. The number of residents declined after 1945. By the mid-1960s all that remained of the community was a school and
a few scattered houses; the Glade Creek Church was nearby. In 1990 Mings Chapel was a dispersed rural community.

MOUNT GILEAD, TEXAS (Upshur County). Mount Gilead was eight miles northwest of Gilmer on Farm Road 852 just west of Enon in western Upshur County. The community was probably settled sometime before 1900. In the mid-1930s it had a church, a school, and number of houses. After World War II the church was disbanded, and the school was consolidated with the Rosewood school. By the mid-1960s Mount Gilead had been abandoned.

MOUNT LEBANON, TEXAS. Mount Lebanon, a community off Farm Road 2088 just west of Simpsonville and fourteen miles northwest of Gilmer in western Upshur County, was probably settled sometime before 1900. In the mid-1930s it had a school and a number of houses. After World War II the school was closed and converted into a church. In 1990 Mount Lebanon was a dispersed rural community with a church and a few scattered houses

NEALS, TEXAS. Neals was thirteen miles southwest of Gilmer and just north of the Sabine River in southern Upshur County. The settlement, named for an early settler, Charles O'Neal, was established as a stop on the Texas and Pacific Railway in 1871. It served for a time as a shipping point for pine lumber milled on the Sabine. By 1890 the settlement had disappeared.

NEW BETHLEHEM, TEXAS. New Bethlehem, a farming community off Farm Road 1650 eleven miles southeast of Gilmer in southeastern Upshur County, was established in the 1940s by residents of nearby Bethlehem. A new school was built in the community around the time of World War II, and in the mid-1960s New Bethlehem consisted of the church and the school. In 1990 New Bethlehem was a dispersed rural community.

NEW MOUNTAIN, TEXAS. New Mountain, a farming community on State Highway 155 ten miles northeast of Gilmer in northeastern Upshur County, was probably established sometime after 1900. By the mid-1930s the community had a school, a church, and a number of houses. After World War II the school was consolidated with the Gilmer school district, and by the mid-1960s only a church and a few scattered houses remained. The estimated population in 1966 was fifty; thereafter no further population estimates were available.

NEWSOM, TEXAS. Newsom was a farming community ten miles northeast of Gilmer on State Highway 155 in northeastern Upshur County. The community, named for an area family, developed around a school established sometime after 1900. By the mid-1930s Newsom had the school and a number of houses. After World War II the school was consolidated with that of Coffeeville and later with that of Ore City. At various times several stores operated in the area. By the mid-1960s, however, all that remained of the community was a few widely scattered dwellings. In the late 1980s Newsom was no longer shown on highway maps.

NIX CHAPEL, TEXAS. Nix Chapel was a farming community off Farm Road 1975 and just east of the Union Ridge Community Center, ten miles northeast of Gilmer in northeastern Upshur County. The community was first settled sometime after the Civil War and developed around a church. In the mid-1930s Nix Chapel consisted of the church, a school, and a number of houses. The school was consolidated with the Union Ridge school and later with the Gilmer district, and the church disbanded. By the mid-1960s the community was no longer shown on highway maps.

OLD DIANA, TEXAS. Old Diana, near the junction of Farm Road 726 and U.S. Highway 259, twelve miles east of Gilmer in eastern Upshur County, was first settled in the early 1850s. A Diana post office began operating in 1882, and by 1885 the community had two stream gristmills and cotton gins, two churches, a school, a general store, and an estimated population of fifty. During the 1890s Diana, with a population of nearly 150, was one of the largest towns in eastern Upshur County. After 1900, however, the town began to decline, and in 1909 the post office was closed. When oil was discovered in the 1930s three miles south, most of the residents moved to a site just west of the oilfield and established the town of New Diana. In the mid-1930s Old Diana still had a sawmill, a church, a store, two cemeteries, and a number of houses; but by the mid-1960s only a few houses remained. In 1990 Old Diana was a dispersed rural community with a few scattered residences; Jones Cemetery and Walnut Creek Church were nearby.

ORE CITY, TEXAS. Ore City, at the junction of U.S. Highway 259 and Farm Road 1649, thirteen miles northeast of Gilmer in eastern Upshur County, was originally part of the William Murray League. A school known as the Murray League Institute began operating in the area before the Civil War. Rich iron ore deposits were discovered in the area during the antebellum period, and ore was mined sporadically from the 1860s through 1900. Around 1910 efforts were made to begin industrial mining of the ore. In 1911 L. P. Featherstone persuaded the Santa Fe line to finance a rail link with Port Bolivar. By 1914 thirty miles of line, known as the Port Bolivar Iron Ore Railway, had been built, connecting newly founded Ore City with Longview. The town of Ore City was platted around 1911, and a post office opened the next year. By 1914 the town had several saw, shingle, and planing mills. It also had a bank, five general stores, a blacksmith shop, and an estimated population of 400. After the outbreak of World War I further construction on the railroad link was halted, and the line was abandoned in 1927. The town survived, however, and in the mid-1930s Ore City had two schools, several churches, a sawmill, ten stores, and a number of houses. Its population in 1936 was 500. It declined after World War II, reaching a low of 385 in 1952, when the town incorporated. The number of inhabitants topped 800 in the mid-1960s, and by 1976 Ore City had a population of 900 and thirty-four businesses. Many of the residents were employed at the nearby Lone Star steel mill. In 1990 Ore City was the second largest city in Upshur County; it had a population of 898 and thirty-one businesses.

PATTONFIELD, TEXAS. Pattonfield, a farming community five miles southeast of Gilmer and a mile east of U.S. Highway 271 in south central Upshur County, was probably established sometime around the Civil War and was named for an early settler called Patton. A school was in operation there by 1900, and in 1906 it had an enrollment of fifty. In the mid-1930s the community had the school, a church, and a number of houses. After World War II its school was consolidated with the East Mountain district, and by the mid-1960s only the church and a few scattered houses remained at Pattonfield. In 1990 it was a dispersed rural community.

PIEDMONT, TEXAS (Upshur County). Piedmont, three miles southeast of Gilmer and a mile east of U.S. Highway 271 in south central Upshur County, was probably established around 1900. In the mid-1930s the community had a school, a church, and a number of houses. Many of its residents moved away after World War II, but in the mid-1960s the school and the church were still present. In 1990 Piedmont was a dispersed rural community.

PINE GROVE, TEXAS.  a rural community fifteen miles northeast of Gilmer off U.S. Highway 259 in northeastern Upshur County, was probably first settled sometime after the Civil War around a church. A school was in operation around the turn of the century, and in 1906 it had an enrollment of sixty-seven. In the mid-1930s Piney Grove had a church, a school, and a number of houses. After World War II the school was consolidated with the Ore City school, and by the mid-1960s only the church, a cemetery, and few scattered dwellings remained. In the early 1990s Pine Grove was a dispersed rural community. No population estimates were available.
 

PLEASANT GROVE, TEXAS (Upshur County). Pleasant Grove, also known as Nubbin Ridge, is a rural community twelve miles southwest of Gilmer on Farm Road 1002 in western Upshur County. It was first settled before the turn of the century. A school was in operation by 1906, when it had an enrollment of fifty-one black students. In the mid-1930s the community had a school, a church, and a number of houses; the school was famous in the area for its baseball teams. After World War II the school was consolidated with Big Sandy district, and in the mid-1960s a church, a community center, and a few scattered houses remained in the area. In 1990 Pleasant Grove was a dispersed rural community. No population estimates were available.

PLEASANT HILL, TEXAS (Upshur County). Pleasant Hill was a rural community nine miles southwest of Gilmer off State Highway 155 in south central Upshur County. The community, which took its name from its location on a small rise, was established sometime before the Civil War and is said to have been one of the earliest Anglo settlements in the county. John T. Holloway, a Christian evangelist, held revival meetings in the area and founded a church around 1865. The town grew rapidly after the Civil War, and at its height in the 1880s and early 1890s had a church, a store, a cotton gin and grist mill, and a blacksmith shop. T. J. Allison built a private school during the 1880s, and for a time the two-story frame structure was the largest school in the area. When the St. Louis Southwestern Railway was constructed in the early 1890s, it bypassed the town, and most of the residents moved to the newly-formed community of Pritchett three miles to the north. By the early 1930s Pleasant Hill no longer appeared on highway maps, and in 1990 it was a ghost town. No population estimates were available.

PRITCHETT, TEXAS. Pritchett, on State Highway 155 seven miles southwest of Gilmer in southwestern Upshur County, was established as a stop on the St. Louis Southwestern Railway when the railroad was constructed in the early 1890s. It was originally known as Lockhart's Switch, but when a post office was granted in 1893, it was renamed for John M. Pritchard, a local settler; mispronounced, the name came to be Pritchett. The town grew rapidly in the early 1890s, when many of the businesses from nearby Pleasant Hill moved to Pritchett to be on the railroad. At its height just before World War I, the town had a cotton gin, Baptist and Christian churches, a bank, several general stores, a blacksmith, and an estimated population of 600. During the 1920s, however, the town began to decline. By the mid-1930s it had a population of 245, two churches, a school, and five stores. The town continued to decline after World War II. The school was consolidated with the Gladewater school, and by the mid-1960s all that remained were two churches and a few scattered houses. In 1990 Pritchett was a dispersed community of 125.

RED ROCK, TEXAS (Upshur County). Red Rock was a settlement and ferry crossing on the Sabine River two miles west of Gladewater off U. S. Highway 80 in southwestern Upshur County. Among the earliest communities in the county, Red Rock was probably first settled in the 1840s and served along with Coffeeville and Calloway as a stopping point for wagon trains. Several private ferries operated there during the 1850s, but Red Rock apparently declined after a large ferry came into use at Walter's Bluff around the time of the Civil War.

RHONESBORO, TEXAS. Rhonesboro (Roansboro), at the junction of State Highway 154 and Farm Road 1002, twelve miles west of Gilmer in western Upshur County, was established around 1900 as a stop on the Marshall and East Texas Railway. A post office opened there in 1902, and by 1914 Rhonesboro had a cotton gin, Baptist and Methodist churches, a bank, five general stores, a blacksmith shop, and an estimated population of 300. During the 1920s, however, the town began to decline. By the mid-1930s it had only a church, two stores, and an estimated population of 255. The decline continued after World War II. The post office was closed, and by the mid-1960s only a church, a store, a service station, and a few scattered houses remained. In 1990 Rhonesboro was a dispersed community with an estimated population of forty.

ROSEWOOD, TEXAS. Rosewood is on State Highway 154 eight miles west of Gilmer in western Upshur County. It was probably first settled in the late 1880s or early 1890s and was originally known as Double Springs. Its name was changed to Essex in 1891 when a post office was opened. In 1902 the name was changed again, to Rosewood. When the Marshall and East Texas Railway was built through the area around 1909, Rosewood became a station. In the years just before World War I the town was an important shipping point and commercial center for farmers and ranchers in western Upshur County. By 1914 Rosewood had Baptist and Methodist churches, two sawmills, four general stores, a bank, and an estimated population of 500. After the railroad went out of business in the early 1920s, the town declined. By 1925 its population had fallen to 255, and in the mid-1930s it consisted of a school, several stores, one sawmill, and two churches. After World War II its school was consolidated with the Harmony school district, and by the mid-1960s all that remained of the town was two churches, a cemetery, and a few widely scattered houses. In 1990 Rosewood was a dispersed rural community with an estimated population of 100.

SAND HILL, TEXAS (Upshur County). Sand Hill, a farming community seven miles northeast of Gilmer on Farm Road 555 in northeastern Upshur County, was established around 1898 by W. A. Bland, who named the community for the deep sand beds in the area. A school began operating there after 1900, and by the mid-1930s Sand Hill had a school, a church, a cemetery, and a number of houses. After World War II its school was consolidated with the East Mountain school district, and by the mid-1960s all that remained of the community was two churches, a cemetery, and a few widely scattered houses. In 1990 Sand Hill was a dispersed rural community.

SEVEN PINES, TEXAS. Seven Pines, a farming community on State Highway 300 a mile north of Longview and twelve miles southeast of Gilmer on the Gregg-Upshur county line, was established around 1900 and named for seven large pine trees at the site. The town boomed when oil was discovered in the East Texas oilfieldqv in the early 1930s; by the mid-1930s it had a number of stores and a population of several hundred, mostly oilfield workers. In subsequent years the town dwindled to a few businesses and the seven pine trees were cut down. By the mid-1960s all that remained of the community was a few stores and some scattered houses; the estimated population in 1966 was 100. In 1990 Seven Pines was a dispersed rural community on the outskirts of Longview, where many of its residents worked. George Arthur contributes the following on Seven Pines: It's at the cross roads of Seven Pines Road and Gilmer Roar . This is a forgoten town but in the 30 and 40's it was a busy place . I can remember the gas station at Sams was the kind that had a big glass bowl on top and you pumped the gas up into the glass bowl to the amount you wanted then the gas would run out into the car tank back then it was 19 cents a gallon.  I lived about 2 or 3 miles from the store and every year Iwould save coke bottles and sell them to buy fire works for the fourth of July.  A coke cost 5 cents and a 2 cent deposit. That was over 50 years ago.

SHADY GROVE, TEXAS (Upshur County). Shady Grove (Shadygrove) is a farming community on Farm Road 1002 twelve miles west of Gilmer in western Upshur County. The area was settled before 1850, and in 1889 a high school opened with Professor C. B. Reader, a graduate of Add-Ran College, serving as its first teacher. A town was officially established in 1890, when the Shady Grove post office was granted. In 1894 postal officials changed the post office name spelling to Shadygrove, and that spelling continued to be used until at least 1905, when the post office closed. At its height just after 1900, Shady Grove had a school, a cotton gin and gristmill, a general store, a drugstore, a barbershop, a shoe shop, two blacksmith shops, and several doctors. During the 1920s the town began to decline, and by the mid-1930s it consisted of a church, a school, two stores, and an estimated population of twenty-five. After World War II its school was consolidated with that of Big Sandy, and by the mid-1960s only a church, a cemetery, and a few scattered houses remained. In 1990 Shady Grove was a dispersed rural community.

SIMPSONVILLE, TEXAS (Upshur County). Simpsonville, also known as Thomas, at the junction of Farm roads 2088 and 556, twelve miles northwest of Gilmer in northwestern Upshur County, was first settled in the late 1850s. The community was originally known as Chelsea, and a post office under that name operated briefly in 1858. On April 22 of the same year the town's name was changed to Simpsonville, after an early settler. Over the course of the next half century the post office was discontinued and reestablished several times; it was closed in 1866, reopened in 1867, closed in 1879, and reopened again the same year. The first church in the community, the Missionary Baptist Church, was established in 1853, and the first school opened around the time of the Civil War. By 1885 Simpsonville was a thriving town with four gristmills and cotton gins, a school, two churches, three general stores, a wagon shop, a cotton-press factory, and a population of 300.
The town continued to prosper after the turn of the century, and in 1906 the school had an enrollment of 114. Postal officials, however, discontinued the post office that year. Late in 1913 citizens of the town applied for another post office. By that time, however, a Simpsonville in Matagorda County had been granted a post office, so postal officials denied the application. The townspeople decided to rename the post office Thomas, in honor of O. Thomas, who had served as postmaster for many years. The new post office opened in 1914 and operated until 1954. During the 1930s and 1940s the town was shown as Thomas on highway maps, but was still generally known as Simpsonville. The population reached 400 in 1929 but began to decline in the 1930s. By the mid-1930s the community consisted of a school, six or seven stores, and a number of houses; the estimated population in 1936 was 220. After World War II the population continued to dwindle, and by the mid-1960s only a church, a cemetery, three stores, and a few houses remained. In 1990 Simpsonville was a dispersed rural community.

SMITH, TEXAS (Upshur County). Smith was a farming community and shipping point off U.S. Highway 271 eight miles north of Gilmer in northern Upshur County. The settlement, originally known as Smith's Mill, was established in the 1880s to prepare lumber to ship on the St. Louis and Southwestern Railway. A local post office operated under the name Smith from 1897 to 1906. In the mid-1930s the community consisted of a store and a number of houses; the estimated population in 1936 was fifteen. By mid-1960s all that remained of the community was a few scattered houses. In 1990 the town no longer appeared on state highway maps.

SNOW HILL, TEXAS (Upshur County). Snow Hill, a farming community off Farm Road 1649 twelve miles northeast of Gilmer in eastern Upshur County, was settled sometime before 1900, when a school was in operation there. By 1906 the school had an enrollment of sixty-eight black students. In the mid-1930s Snow Hill consisted of the school, a church, and a number of houses. The school was closed after World War II, and by the mid-1960s only the church and a few widely scattered houses remained. In 1990 Snow Hill was a dispersed rural community.

SOULES CHAPEL, TEXAS. Soules Chapel, on Farm Road 556 ten miles northwest of Gilmer in northwestern Upshur County, grew up around a Methodist church established in the early 1880s named for a Methodist bishop. A school was in operation there by the turn of the century, and in 1906 it had an enrollment of eighty-six students. In the mid-1930s the community had a school, a store, the Methodist church, a cemetery, and a number of houses; the estimated population in 1936 was ten. After World War II the school was consolidated with the Harmony district, and by the mid-1960s only the church, a cemetery, and a few houses remained. In 1990 Soules Chapel was a dispersed rural community for which no recent population estimates were available.

STAMPS, TEXAS. Stamps, on Farm Road 1649 ten miles northeast of Gilmer in eastern Upshur County, was established after 1900 and named for W. O. Stamps, who purchased a large tract of virgin timberland and established a local sawmill, gin, syrup mill, and canning factory. He also donated lumber for a school, a church, and a Woodmen of the World hall. In the mid-1930s the settlement consisted of a church, two stores, and a number of houses. After World War II many of the residents moved away, and by the mid-1960s all that remained of the Stamps was a few widely scattered houses. In 1990 Stamps was still a dispersed rural community.

STRACENER, TEXAS. Stracener, a farming community off U.S. Highway 271 four miles north of Gilmer in north central Upshur County, was settled sometime before 1900, when a school was in operation there. By 1906 the school had an enrollment of fifty-five black students. In the mid-1930s the community comprised the school, a store, and number of houses. After World War II the school and the store closed, and by the mid-1960s only a few widely scattered houses remained.

SUFFOLK, TEXAS. Suffolk was on State Highway 155 four miles southwest of Gilmer in southwestern Upshur County. The community was established around 1900 as a stop on the St. Louis and Southwestern Railway. In the mid-1930s the small lumbering and farming town consisted of a church, a depot, a store, a cemetery, and a number of houses. After World War II most of the residents moved away, and by the mid-1960s all that remained of the community was a few widely scattered houses. In 1990 Suffolk no longer appeared on highway maps; the only vestige of the town was the Morris Cemetery.

SUMMERFIELD, TEXAS (Upshur County). Summerfield, on Farm Road 49 six miles southwest of Gilmer in western Upshur County, was established toward the end of the nineteenth century. A school was in operation there by the mid-1890s, and in 1896 it had an enrollment of forty-three black students. In the mid-1930s the predominantly black community consisted of a church, a school, and a number of houses. After World War II many of the residents moved away, and the school was consolidated with the Gilmer school district. By the mid-1960s all that remained of Summerfield was a few scattered houses.

SYRINGA, TEXAS. Syringa was a farming community off State Highway 155 nine miles northeast of Gilmer in northeastern Upshur County. It was settled sometime before 1900, when it had a general store, a sawmill, and a number of scattered houses. A post office operated there from 1901 to 1906. By the mid-1930s the settlement was no longer shown on highway maps. No population estimates were available.

TODDVILLE, TEXAS. Toddville, a post office community near the site of what is now Enon and five miles northwest of Gilmer in northwestern Upshur County, was established after the Civil War. A post office operated there from 1871 to 1874, and during the early 1870s Toddville included a general store, a cotton gin and mill, and a number of houses. It apparently declined in the late 1870s, and by 1885 it was no longer shown on maps.

UNION GROVE, TEXAS (Upshur County). Union Grove, at the junction of U.S. Highway 271 and Farm Road 1844, eleven miles south of Gilmer in southern Upshur County, was first settled in the mid-1880s. Among the earliest settlers was John O'Byrne, a native of Ireland, who built a large plantation home and opened a sawmill. Around 1886 a school began operating near the O'Byrne house, but two years later the school building was moved to a site three miles north of Gladewater on the Gilmer Road. The school was part of the West Mountain district until 1907, when the districts were separated. The settlement remained small until the early 1930s, when oil was discovered nearby. Union Grove became a boomtown. By the mid-1930s it had two churches, a school, and a number of stores. The school had an enrollment of nearly 400 in the early 1940s. After World War II most of the businesses closed, but in the mid-1960s Union Grove still had a high school and a large number of houses. In 1990 the town had a population of 271; many of the residents commuted to work in nearby Gladewater or Longview.

UNION GROVE, TEXAS (Upshur County). Union Grove, a farming community a mile west of State Highway 155 and eleven miles southwest of Gilmer in southwestern Upshur County, was first settled before 1900. Around that time a school opened there, and in 1907 it had twenty-six black students. During the mid-1930s the community included a school, a church, a cemetery, and a few houses. After World War II its school was consolidated with that of Big Sandy, and in the mid-1960s all that remained of the community was a church and cemetery. In 1990 Union Grove was a dispersed rural community.

UNION HILL, TEXAS (Upshur County). Union Hill, a farming community at the junction of Farm roads 2088 and 2454, six miles north of Gilmer in north central Upshur County, was settled sometime before 1900. In the mid-1930s it included a school, a church, and a number of houses. Union Hill and several area schools were consolidated in 1951 to form the Union Hill Independent School District. In the mid-1960s Union Hill was the site of a large rural high school and a number of widely scattered houses. It was a dispersed rural community in 1990.

UNION RIDGE, TEXAS. Union Ridge, a rural community ten miles northeast of Gilmer on Farm Road 1975 in northeastern Upshur County, was first settled sometime after the Civil War. A school was in operation by the turn of the century, and in 1906 it had eighty-four students. In the mid-1930s Union Ridge had three churches, a school, and several stores and houses. After World War II the school was consolidated with the Gilmer district, but in the mid-1960s the community still had three churches, several stores, a community center, a rodeo arena, and a number of houses. In 1990 Union Ridge was a dispersed rural community; the community center and churches were still present. No population estimates are available.

VALLEY VIEW, TEXAS (Upshur County). Valley View, off Farm Road 1649 eight miles east of Gilmer in eastern Upshur County, was first settled about 1880. A local school opened before 1895, and in 1897 it had an enrollment of twenty-eight black students. In the mid-1930s the community consisted of a school, a church, a factory, and a number of houses. In the mid-1960s Valley View had a large black high school and several businesses and residences. In 1990 the settlement was a dispersed rural community.

WALLACE CHAPEL, TEXAS. Wallace Chapel, a rural community eleven miles north of Gilmer off U.S. Highway 271 in north central Upshur County, was settled sometime before 1900 around a church. In the mid-1930s the community had a school, a church, and number of houses. The school was closed after World War II, and in the mid-1960s only a church and a few widely scattered houses remained. No population estimates were available.

WARREN CITY, TEXAS. Warren City, on Farm Road 2275 in northwestern Gregg and southeastern Upshur counties, was founded and incorporated in 1952. It was named for the Warren Petroleum Corporation, which manufactures natural gas and is the town's main industry. The reported population was 167 in 1960 and 150 in 1970. Utilities are from neighboring Gladewater, except for the city-owned water system. In 1990 Warren City had a population of 250.

WEST MOUNTAIN, TEXAS. West Mountain, at the junction of U.S. Highway 271 and Farm Road 726, eight miles southeast of Gilmer in southeastern Upshur County, was founded by Isaac Moody, one of the earliest Anglo settlers in the county, and named for a nearby small rise. A post office operated from 1859 until 1867 and from 1888 until 1905. By 1890 West Mountain was a prosperous town with a sawmill, a carpenter, a general store, a Baptist Church, and an estimated population of 100. Two schools were in operation after 1900, and in 1906 they had a combined enrollment of 114. In the early 1930s oil was discovered in the area. After 1931 the population grew rapidly, swelled by large numbers of oilfield workers. By the mid-1930s the town had a church, two or three stores, and a large number of houses. After World War II the population began to dwindle, falling to sixty-five in the early 1970s. During the later 1970s the small town became a bedroom community for nearby Longview and Gladewater, and the population again began to grow. By 1984 the number of residents had reached 395. In 1990 West Mountain was a dispersed community with a population of 412.

WILKINS, TEXAS. Wilkins, also known as Wilkins Mills, on U.S. Highway 80 twelve miles southwest of Gilmer in southwestern Upshur County, was first settled in the late 1870s as a stop on the Texas and Pacific Railway. The town was originally known as Wilkins Mills, and a post office under that name operated in 1879-80. The name was later shortened to Wilkins. A second post office opened in 1903 but closed the following year. In the mid-1930s the community consisted of two stores and a number of houses. After World War II the stores were closed, and by the mid-1960s only a cemetery and a few scattered houses remained. In 1990 Wilkins was a dispersed rural community.

WILLOW OAK, TEXAS. Willow Oak, a rural community eleven miles north of Gilmer off U. S. Highway 271 in north central Upshur County, was settled sometime before 1900. In the mid-1930s it had a church and number of houses; children attended school in nearby Midway. In the mid-1960s Willow Oak was still the site of a church, a cemetery, and a few widely scattered houses. In 1990 Willow Oak was a dispersed rural community. No population estimates were available.

ZION HILL, TEXAS. Zion Hill, a rural community eight miles north of Gilmer off Farm Road 2263 in north central Upshur County, grew up around a church established sometime before 1900. In the mid-1930s the community had a school, a church, and number of houses. The school was closed after World War II, and in the mid-1960s only a church and a few widely scattered houses remained. In 1990 Zion Hill was a dispersed rural community.

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