Eliasville is an unincorporated community

Unincorporated area

In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...

 in Young County

Young County, Texas

As of the census of 2000, there were 17,943 people, 7,167 households, and 5,081 families residing in the county. The population density was 20 people per square mile . There were 8,504 housing units at an average density of 9 per square mile...

, Texas

Texas

Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. Eliasville is located near the Clear Fork of the Brazos River at the intersection of Texas Farm roads 1974, 3109, and 701, close to the Stephens county line in southwest Young County about 20 miles from Graham.

History

During the 1850's there was a river crossing near the present location of the town that was part of the Austin to Fort Belknap Military Road that was used by the 2nd U.S. Cavalry under command of Albert S. Johnston and Robert E. Lee

Robert E. Lee

Robert Edward Lee was a career military officer who is best known for having commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War....

. The first settlers arrived in the 1870's and Eliasville was founded on land owned by J. L. Dobbs. The town was officially named in 1878. The town is named for Elias DeLong who opened the first store and is the grandson of James Horton DeLong who served in the Revolutionary War. Other early store owners include Dr. Joseph Henry Nelson who ran an early drugstore. Former Dallas Cowboys

Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...

 linebacker Mike Dowdle

Mike Dowdle

Donald Michael Dowdle was an American football fullback and linebacker in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys and the San Francisco 49ers. Mike was born in Eliasville, Texas, and attended Graham Independent School district.]]...

 was born in Eliasville as were two University of Texas presidents, Dr. Harry Yandell Benedict and Dr. Homer Rainey

Homer Rainey

Homer Price Rainey was a U.S. college president and professor. He was born in Eliasville in Young County, Texas, and served as the president of the University of Texas at Austin from 1939 to 1944, when he was fired after a lengthy battle over academic freedom with the university regents...

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During the boom years of the 1920’s, Eliasville grew quickly and was incorporated in 1921. W. T. Donnell was the town’s first mayor. The areas minerals and oil led to this growth. During this time the town was served by the Wichita Falls and Southern Railway. By the 1940’s the population started to drop and many moved to Fort Worth, Texas

Fort Worth, Texas

Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...

 and other areas for defense work. The population was 400 in 1940, and had declined to 116 by 1980. A city lake was completed in 1952. Eliasville is no longer incorporated. As of the 2000 Census, the population was estimated to be 60. The community is best known today for the remains of the dam and historic mill.

The Mill

Two early residents were the Donnell brothers, William and Thomas, who established a grist mill on the Brazos River on the west side of town. The bed of the clear folk is sandstone in this area and made for a sturdy foundation on which to build a mill. The first mill was destroyed and then rebuilt in 1879 with help from a U.S. Government Engineer. The mill was destroyed in by fire in 1927. The remains of the mill and dam continue to be a popular stop for photographers and those looking for a glimpse of the past.

Education

During the boom years Eliasville's students were served by the DeLong Ward school. Today, students are served by the Graham Independent School District

Graham Independent School District

Graham Independent School District is a public school district based in Graham, Texas, United States.Located in Young County, a very small portion of the district lies in Stephens County....

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External links

http://www.purpleheartaustin.org/davis.htm

http://blog.masonmccoy.com/?p=176

http://cowtowntreasurehunters.org/OtherImages/CTTHfeb07NL.pdf

http://www.texasescapes.com/TexasBridges/Clear-Fork-of-Brazos-River-Suspension-Bridge.htm

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9902E3DD143AE532A25757C1A9669D946095D6CF

http://freepages.history.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~dav4is/people/BENE499.htm