Jean, Texas

The Jean community has been known as Lamar, Gray and Shinola. The community of Jean is located on State Highway 114 and FM 1769. The area was settled in 1875 by S.B. Lamar, an early Young County stockman. Records show Lamar built a schoolhouse and mercantile store in the area. James T. Lamar, son of S.B. Lamar, became the first postmaster in 1906 of the community. He re-named the community, "Jean" after his favorite girl.

In 1903, the Gulf, Texas & Western Railroad came through from Seymour heading for Jacksboro. The Jean community moved one mile south to its present location.

R.F. Willis donated land for the town and the Trinity Townsite Company had use of alternating blocks for the railroad's progress. Jean had four brick buildings built in the 1920s to house a bank, drug store, mercantile houses and Masonic lodge. At the railroad, G.G. Cantrell used his mercantile store for the railroad station.

Cemetery records show the following families in the Jean community: Cantwell, Duckworth, Gastkin, Lamar, Thompson, Ragle, Pratt, Weem, Simms.

The Gray School was located on the south side of Jean, in the southeast corner of the Texas Emigration & Land Company Survey, Abstract No. 787 which is near the home of Bob Sims.

The Lamar School or Shinola was located one mile north of Jean on the west side of the Jean-Farmer Road, in the northeast corner of the T, E & L Survey, Abstract No. 891. There are a few graves in the area of the old school location

In the 1930s, a six room, six teacher brick school house was built. The building still stands and is used as a community center.

There is a cemetery, Baptist and Methodist church buildings and many inhabitants of the proud Jean community.

submitted by: Dorman Holub