Halsell, Texas
Encyclopedia
Halsell is an unincorporated community
located 10 miles southwest of Henrietta
in west central Clay County
, Texas
, United States
.
in 1910. It became a stop on the line and for almost a decade the small town flourished, reaching a population of 600 by 1920. The rail line, however, was short-lived and the reduction of passenger travel forced the line into bankruptcy by 1921, spelling the end of Halsell's growth. The town's post office closed in 1919. Oil was discovered in the area in the 1930s, which had little to no effect on the small community. When Lake Arrowhead was built in 1965, residents of Halsell were forced to move, as the townsite would be under the new lake. Even the "residents" of the Halsell cemetery were moved to other graves in the county. Today, Halsell is still shown on some maps on the eastern shores of Lake Arrowhead.
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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...
located 10 miles southwest of Henrietta
Henrietta, Texas
Henrietta is a city in and the county seat of Clay County, Texas, United States. It is part of the Wichita Falls, Texas Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 3,264 at the 2000 census.-History:...
in west central Clay County
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...
, 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...
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History
Established in 1900 and named for a local rancher, the town of Halsell received a post office in 1901. The town remained a small, obscure ranching community until the Southwestern Railway Company established a rail line connecting Henrietta and Archer CityArcher City, Texas
Archer City is a city in Archer County, Texas, United States. The city lies at the junction of State Highway 79 and State Highway 25. It is the county seat of Archer County. It is located 25 miles south of Wichita Falls, Texas and is part of the Wichita Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area...
in 1910. It became a stop on the line and for almost a decade the small town flourished, reaching a population of 600 by 1920. The rail line, however, was short-lived and the reduction of passenger travel forced the line into bankruptcy by 1921, spelling the end of Halsell's growth. The town's post office closed in 1919. Oil was discovered in the area in the 1930s, which had little to no effect on the small community. When Lake Arrowhead was built in 1965, residents of Halsell were forced to move, as the townsite would be under the new lake. Even the "residents" of the Halsell cemetery were moved to other graves in the county. Today, Halsell is still shown on some maps on the eastern shores of Lake Arrowhead.
Education
The Halsell area is served by the Henrietta Independent School DistrictHenrietta Independent School District
Henrietta Independent School District is a public school district based in Henrietta, Texas .In addition to Henrietta, the district serves the city of Jolly as well as rural areas in central Clay County....
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