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Photo Courtesy of Texas Highways
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Welcome to Texas Genealogy
Trails!
*Volunteers dedicated
to putting free data online.*
Erath County Website is available for adoption.
If interested in joining our group, view our Volunteer
Information Page and contact
Kim.
[Basic webpage design
knowledge and a desire to transcribe data is required]
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The
development of this county began during the decade of the '70s, after
the fear of Indian raids had ceased. Population increased six or
sevenfold during the '70s, and since 1880 has increased about three
hundred per cent. Erath County is well
above the average agriculturally, with cotton its largest crop, is also
a producer of apples and peaches, has coal mines in the northern part,
and still retains a share of the live stock activities that once were
almost the sole industry.
Erath
County was created January 25,1856, from Bosque and Coryell
counties.It is named for It is named for George Bernard Erath, an early
surveyor and a soldier at the Battle of San Jacinto. The seat of the
county is Stephenville. It was organized by Its proprietors on July 4,
1855,when they offered land for the county buildings, provided the
county seat was located there, and the legislative act above noted
designated that town as the seat of justice provided these donations
were made.
The
population of the county in 1858 was estimated at 766, and only about
one thousand five hundred acres were in cultivation. For twenty years
after the county was organized it was on the frontier, and property was
never secure from Indian raids. After the war this entire region was in
the great cattle ranges.
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In October, 1890, the Fort
Worth & Rio Grande Railroad was completed to Stephenville. During
the first decade of the present century the Stephenville North &
South Texas Railroad was built from Stephenville south to Hamilton, and
has since been acquired by the St. Louis Southwestern (the Cotton Belt).
Some years ago the Texas & Pacific constructed a short line to tap
the coal mines at Thurber. The coal deposits at Thurber have been
developed in recent years, and that is now a considerable mining town
and also a center for the manufacture of paving brick. In 1890 the
principal towns of the county in order of population were Dublin,
Stephenville, Thurber, Alexander, Duffau and Bluffdale. Dublin and
Stephenville have been close rivals as population and business centers
in recent years, and in 1910 the former had a population of 2,551 and
the latter 2,561.
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