Old Glory, Texas
Encyclopedia
Old Glory is an unincorporated community
in Stonewall County, Texas
, United States
. The community has an estimated population of 100.
and FM 1835 in eastern Stonewall County, between the Double Mountain Fork
and Salt Fork of the Brazos River
.
Old Glory lies nine miles east of Aspermont
and sixty-two miles northwest of Abilene
.
. In 1903, G.R. Spielhagen laid out a town site two miles southeast of the present-day location and named it Brandenburg. Only a school house and a general store were constructed there. The Stamford and Northwestern Railway Company was chartered to build a railroad from Stamford
to Spur
in 1909. The Swenson Land and Cattle Company provided a town site two miles northwest of the Brandenburg settlement. The new town became known as New Brandenburg, with the originally referred to as Old Brandenburg, which soon died out. New Brandenburg, or simply Brandenburg, continued to grow. A mercantile store, a gin, post office, and a one room school house served the community.
The outbreak of World War I
had an adverse impact on New Brandenburg. The rise in Anti-German sentiment in the United States and Texas caused residents to petition the U.S. Postal Service
to change the community's name from New Brandenburg to Old Glory. They wanted to demonstrate their patriotism and pride in their adopted country. The name change became official on August 9, 1918. By 1929, Old Glory had an estimated population of 275. A school building erected in 1930 following the consolidation of five local schools had an enrollment of nearly 300 students by the late 1930s. The Great Depression
caused a brief decline in Old Glory's population, but had rebounded to around 250 by the late 1940s. That number had fallen to 175 in the late 1940s. A drought in the 1950s forced many people out of work. The development of oil resources in Stonewall County during the late 1950s and early 1960s caused a brief economic Boom in Old Glory. In 1965, there were approximately 250 people living in the community. Old Glory's population fell to 125 in the 1970s and remained at that level through the 1990s. The present-day number of Old Glory residents stands at around 100.
Although Old Glory is unincorporated, it does have a post office with the zip code of 79540.
. The district's campuses are located in the town of Aspermont
.
The Old Glory Independent School District once served the community, but rapidly declining enrollment caused the district and its schools to close. On July 1, 1985, the areas once served by Old Glory ISD were annexed into the Aspermont Independent School District.
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 Stonewall County, 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...
. The community has an estimated population of 100.
Geography
Old Glory is located at 33°07′47"N 100°03′21"W (33.1298221, -100.0559333). It is situated immediately south of the junction of U.S. Highway 380U.S. Route 380
U.S. Route 380 is an east–west United States highway. The highway's eastern terminus is in Greenville, Texas at an intersection with Interstate 30, of which the easternmost 3–4 miles are co-located with US 69 in a loop around the west and south sides of Greenville. Its western terminus is at...
and FM 1835 in eastern Stonewall County, between the Double Mountain Fork
Double Mountain Fork Brazos River
The Double Mountain Fork Brazos River is an ephemeral, sandy-braided stream about long, heading on the Llano Estacado of West Texas about southeast of Tahoka, Texas, flowing east-northeast across the western Rolling Plains to join the Salt Fork, forming the Brazos River about west-northwest of...
and Salt Fork of the Brazos River
Brazos River
The Brazos River, called the Rio de los Brazos de Dios by early Spanish explorers , is the longest river in Texas and the 11th longest river in the United States at from its source at the head of Blackwater Draw, Curry County, New Mexico to its mouth at the Gulf of Mexico with a drainage...
.
Old Glory lies nine miles east of Aspermont
Aspermont, Texas
Aspermont is a town in and the county seat of Stonewall County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,021 at the 2000 census. Aspermont means "rough mountain" in Latin....
and sixty-two miles northwest of 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...
.
History
Development of the area began in the late 1880s with a few ranches and scattered farms. Around 1900, a number of German families from southeast Texas moved to the vicinity and settled along the Double Mountain Fork Brazos RiverDouble Mountain Fork Brazos River
The Double Mountain Fork Brazos River is an ephemeral, sandy-braided stream about long, heading on the Llano Estacado of West Texas about southeast of Tahoka, Texas, flowing east-northeast across the western Rolling Plains to join the Salt Fork, forming the Brazos River about west-northwest of...
. In 1903, G.R. Spielhagen laid out a town site two miles southeast of the present-day location and named it Brandenburg. Only a school house and a general store were constructed there. The Stamford and Northwestern Railway Company was chartered to build a railroad from Stamford
Stamford, Texas
Stamford is a small city located on the border of Jones and Haskell counties in the western part of the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 3,111 in 2008. H. McHarg, president of the Texas Central Railroad, named the site in 1900 for his hometown in Connecticut...
to Spur
Spur, Texas
Spur is a city in Dickens County, Texas, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 1,088.On October 9, 2009, Spur celebrated its centennial with the dedication of a Giant Spur sculpture. The Giant Spur was built by local welder John Grusendorf. The event, sponsored...
in 1909. The Swenson Land and Cattle Company provided a town site two miles northwest of the Brandenburg settlement. The new town became known as New Brandenburg, with the originally referred to as Old Brandenburg, which soon died out. New Brandenburg, or simply Brandenburg, continued to grow. A mercantile store, a gin, post office, and a one room school house served the community.
The outbreak of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
had an adverse impact on New Brandenburg. The rise in Anti-German sentiment in the United States and Texas caused residents to petition the U.S. Postal Service
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
to change the community's name from New Brandenburg to Old Glory. They wanted to demonstrate their patriotism and pride in their adopted country. The name change became official on August 9, 1918. By 1929, Old Glory had an estimated population of 275. A school building erected in 1930 following the consolidation of five local schools had an enrollment of nearly 300 students by the late 1930s. The Great Depression
Great Depression in the United States
The Great Depression began with the Wall Street Crash of October, 1929 and rapidly spread worldwide. The market crash marked the beginning of a decade of high unemployment, poverty, low profits, deflation, plunging farm incomes, and lost opportunities for economic growth and personal advancement...
caused a brief decline in Old Glory's population, but had rebounded to around 250 by the late 1940s. That number had fallen to 175 in the late 1940s. A drought in the 1950s forced many people out of work. The development of oil resources in Stonewall County during the late 1950s and early 1960s caused a brief economic Boom in Old Glory. In 1965, there were approximately 250 people living in the community. Old Glory's population fell to 125 in the 1970s and remained at that level through the 1990s. The present-day number of Old Glory residents stands at around 100.
Although Old Glory is unincorporated, it does have a post office with the zip code of 79540.
Public education
Public education in the community of Old Glory is provided by the Aspermont Independent School DistrictAspermont Independent School District
Aspermont Independent School District is a public school district based in Aspermont, Texas .Located in Stonewall County, a small portion of the district extends into Haskell County.Aspermont ISD has two campuses...
. The district's campuses are located in the town of Aspermont
Aspermont, Texas
Aspermont is a town in and the county seat of Stonewall County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,021 at the 2000 census. Aspermont means "rough mountain" in Latin....
.
The Old Glory Independent School District once served the community, but rapidly declining enrollment caused the district and its schools to close. On July 1, 1985, the areas once served by Old Glory ISD were annexed into the Aspermont Independent School District.