Gainesville, Henrietta and Western Railway
Encyclopedia
The Gainesville, Henrietta and Western Railway Company was chartered on July 23, 1886, to build a rail line from Gainesville
in Cooke County, Texas
, to Seymour
in Baylor County, Texas
, a distance of 130 miles (209.2 km). The line was to cross Montague
, Clay
and Wichita
counties.
existed. Other towns vied for access to the railroad, such as Montague, Texas
; however, land for the right of way was offered across northern portions of Cooke, Montague, and Clay counties, and the railway would produce new towns along the route, to include Myra
, Muenster
, Bonita
, Nocona
and Belcherville, Texas
. The town of Ringgold
, also along the line, would develop after the crossing of the Rock Island
line in 1892.
Before the line was completed in 1887, it was sold to the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad
. The line was initially completed only from Gainesville to Henrietta, a distance of 70 miles (112.7 km). It began moving cotton and people across the farming communities of north central Texas. The rail line brought prosperity and settlers to the area, and towns bypassed by the line quickly vanished as citizens moved to towns on the line. Nocona, a mid-point on the railway, particularly prospered as settlers from northern Montague County moved into town. It became the largest town between Gainesville and Wichita Falls
as a result.
By 1900, the line had been extended, parallel to the Fort Worth and Denver Railway
, into Wichita Falls, connecting to lines that ran to Abilene
and into Oklahoma
.
were removed and sold for scrap metal. Many of the towns that developed along the line vanished long before the railroad, but others continue to prosper without it. Portions of the old right of way
can still be seen in various places (between Henrietta and Nocona, particularly). On the eastern side of Henrietta, a U.S. Route 82
bridge over nothing still stands as a reminder of the Gainesville, Henrietta, and Western Railway and its contributions to north central Texas
.
Gainesville, Texas
Gainesville is a city in and the county seat of Cooke County, Texas, United States. The population was 15,538 at the 2000 census.-History:...
in Cooke County, Texas
Cooke County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 36,363 people, 13,643 households, and 10,000 families residing in the county. The population density was 42 people per square mile . There were 15,061 housing units at an average density of 17 per square mile...
, to Seymour
Seymour, Texas
Seymour is a city in and the county seat of Baylor County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,740 as of the 2010 Census.-Geography:Seymour is located at ....
in Baylor County, Texas
Baylor County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 4,093 people, 1,791 households, and 1,156 families residing in the county. The population density was 5 people per square mile . There were 2,820 housing units at an average density of 3 per square mile...
, a distance of 130 miles (209.2 km). The line was to cross Montague
Montague County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 19,117 people, 7,770 households, and 5,485 families residing in the county. The population density was 20 people per square mile . There were 9,862 housing units at an average density of 11 per square mile...
, Clay
Clay County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 11,006 people, 4,323 households, and 3,181 families residing in the county. The population density was 10 people per square mile . There were 4,992 housing units at an average density of 4 per square mile...
and Wichita
Wichita County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 131,664 people, 48,441 households, and 32,891 families residing in the county. The population density was 210 people per square mile . There were 53,304 housing units at an average density of 85 per square mile...
counties.
History
Between Gainesville and Henrietta, only the town of Saint JoSt. Jo, Texas
Saint Jo is a city in Montague County, Texas, United States. The population was 977 at the 2000 census.-History:Established in 1856, the city was originally known as Head of Elm, named for its location at the headwaters of the Elm Fork of the Trinity River....
existed. Other towns vied for access to the railroad, such as Montague, Texas
Montague, Texas
Montague is an unincorporated community in Montague County, Texas, United States. It is the county seat of Montague County and had an estimated population of 400 in 2000, according to the Handbook of Texas.-Geography:...
; however, land for the right of way was offered across northern portions of Cooke, Montague, and Clay counties, and the railway would produce new towns along the route, to include Myra
Myra, Texas
Myra is an unincorporated community in western Cooke County, Texas, United States. It lies just off U.S. Route 82 west of the city of Gainesville, the county seat of Cooke County. Its elevation is 935 feet . Although it is unincorporated, it has a post office, with the ZIP code of 76253....
, Muenster
Muenster, Texas
Muenster is a city in Cooke County, Texas, United States, along U.S. Route 82. The population was 1,556 at the 2000 census.-History:In 1887 the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad constructed a line from Gainesville to Henrietta that passed through the site that would become Muenster...
, Bonita
Bonita, Texas
Bonita is an unincorporated community in north central Montague County, Texas, United States north of U.S. Route 82 on Farm to Market Road 1815.The West Texas historical preservationist Myna Potts was born in Bonita in 1927.-History:...
, Nocona
Nocona, Texas
Nocona is a city along U.S. Highway 82 and State Highway 175 in Montague County, Texas, United States. The population was 3,198 at the 2000 census.-History:...
and Belcherville, Texas
Belcherville, Texas
Belcherville is an unincorporated community along U.S. Route 82 and Farm to Market Road 1816 in Montague County, Texas, United States. The population is less than 50.-History:...
. The town of Ringgold
Ringgold, Texas
Ringgold is an unincorporated town in Montague County, Texas, United States, with an estimated population of 100 people. It is located approximately 20 miles northwest of Montague, the county seat.The town's major industry is cattle ranching.-Schools:...
, also along the line, would develop after the crossing of the Rock Island
Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad
The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad was a Class I railroad in the United States. It was also known as the Rock Island Line, or, in its final years, The Rock.-Incorporation:...
line in 1892.
Before the line was completed in 1887, it was sold to the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad
Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad
The Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railroad was incorporated May 23, 1870. In its earliest days the MKT was commonly referred to as "the K-T", which was its stock exchange symbol; this common designation soon evolved into "the Katy"....
. The line was initially completed only from Gainesville to Henrietta, a distance of 70 miles (112.7 km). It began moving cotton and people across the farming communities of north central Texas. The rail line brought prosperity and settlers to the area, and towns bypassed by the line quickly vanished as citizens moved to towns on the line. Nocona, a mid-point on the railway, particularly prospered as settlers from northern Montague County moved into town. It became the largest town between Gainesville and Wichita Falls
Wichita Falls, Texas
Wichita Falls is a city in and the county seat of Wichita County, Texas, United States, United States. Wichita Falls is the principal city of the Wichita Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Archer, Clay and Wichita counties. According to the U.S. Census estimate of 2010,...
as a result.
By 1900, the line had been extended, parallel to the Fort Worth and Denver Railway
Fort Worth and Denver Railway
The Fort Worth and Denver Railway , nicknamed "the Denver Road," was a class I American railroad company that operated in the northern part of Texas from 1881 to 1982, and had a profound influence on the early settlement and economic development of the region....
, into Wichita Falls, connecting to lines that ran to Abilene
Abilene, Texas
Abilene is a city in Taylor and Jones counties in west central Texas. The population was 117,063 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Abilene Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had a 2006 estimated population of 158,063. It is the county seat of Taylor County...
and into Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
.
Demise
The automobile and America's love affair with it brought the end to the small-town rail lines. In 1969, the line was abandoned with the exception of a small stretch near Wichita Falls. In 1971, the tracksRail tracks
The track on a railway or railroad, also known as the permanent way, is the structure consisting of the rails, fasteners, sleepers and ballast , plus the underlying subgrade...
were removed and sold for scrap metal. Many of the towns that developed along the line vanished long before the railroad, but others continue to prosper without it. Portions of the old right of way
Right-of-way (railroad)
A right-of-way is a strip of land that is granted, through an easement or other mechanism, for transportation purposes, such as for a trail, driveway, rail line or highway. A right-of-way is reserved for the purposes of maintenance or expansion of existing services with the right-of-way...
can still be seen in various places (between Henrietta and Nocona, particularly). On the eastern side of Henrietta, a U.S. Route 82
U.S. Route 82
U.S. Route 82 is an east–west United States highway in the southern United States. What started as a 1932 addition to the system across central Mississippi and southern Arkansas eventually became a 1,609 mile route extending from the White Sands of New Mexico to Georgia's Atlantic coast.The...
bridge over nothing still stands as a reminder of the Gainesville, Henrietta, and Western Railway and its contributions to north central 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...
.