Pontotoc, Texas
Encyclopedia
Pontotoc is an unincorporated community
on Pontotoc Creek, in northeastern Mason County
, Texas
, United States
. The community is located at the juncture of Texas State Highway 71 and Farm to Market Road 501.
, is said to have given the community and the creek their names. In 1859, Benjamin J. Willis was one of the first settlers in this community that was historically a junction of roads leading to San Saba
from Fort Mason
and from Llano
. A small number of other families arrived in the same time period, establishing the community by 1878. Pontotoc included a hotel, general stores, mills, and businesses related to the horse industry. Agriculture products of cotton and pecans helped support a community economy that also included wool and cattle.
Pontotoc fell victim to a typhoid
epidemic in 1887, in such severity that it caused the establishment of a secondary cemetery to serve the needs.
In 1890 there was a move to found a new county called Mineral County out of parts of McCullouch
, Mason
, San Saba
, and Llano
counties, with Pontotoc as the county seat. Mason residents petitioned and were able to stop the movement. Various efforts to bring a railroad through Pontotoc also failed to come to fruition.
number 11294 was designated to acknowledge the 1883 establishment of the Pontotoc and San Fernando Academy. At its peak, the school had a student body enrollment of 200 for generalized education, or for achievement of teaching certificates. Principals were K. T. Hamilton and W. C. Roaten. With so much of the population decimated by the typhoid epidemic, the school went under in 1889. It was sold to the Pontotoc public school system, which used the academy as a public school until 1927. The closing of the academy impacted the local economy and was a factor in the decline of the population decline.
It was the birthplace of US Air Force Gen. Ira C. Eaker.
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...
on Pontotoc Creek, in northeastern Mason County
Mason County, Texas
Mason County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2010, its population was 4, 012. Its county seat is Mason...
, 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 is located at the juncture of Texas State Highway 71 and Farm to Market Road 501.
Settlement
M. Robert Kidd, proprietor of the first general store and originally from Pontotoc, MississippiPontotoc, Mississippi
Pontotoc is a city in Pontotoc County, Mississippi, United States. Pontotoc is west of the much larger city of Tupelo. The population was 5,625 at the 2010 census...
, is said to have given the community and the creek their names. In 1859, Benjamin J. Willis was one of the first settlers in this community that was historically a junction of roads leading to San Saba
San Saba, Texas
San Saba is a town located in Central Texas. It was settled in 1854 and named for its location on the San Saba River. The population was at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of San Saba County...
from Fort Mason
Fort Mason (Texas)
Fort Mason was established July 6, 1851 in what later became Mason County. It was named in honor of Lieut. George Thomson Mason, United States Army Second Lieutenant killed in the Thornton Affair during the Mexican–American War near Brownsville, April 25, 1846. At various times from 1856 to 1861...
and from Llano
Llano, Texas
-History:Llano County was established in compliance with a February 1, 1856, state legislative act. The Llano River location was chosen in an election held on June 14, 1856, under a live oak on the south bank of the river, near the present site of Roy Inks Bridge in Llano...
. A small number of other families arrived in the same time period, establishing the community by 1878. Pontotoc included a hotel, general stores, mills, and businesses related to the horse industry. Agriculture products of cotton and pecans helped support a community economy that also included wool and cattle.
Pontotoc fell victim to a typhoid
Typhoid fever
Typhoid fever, also known as Typhoid, is a common worldwide bacterial disease, transmitted by the ingestion of food or water contaminated with the feces of an infected person, which contain the bacterium Salmonella enterica, serovar Typhi...
epidemic in 1887, in such severity that it caused the establishment of a secondary cemetery to serve the needs.
In 1890 there was a move to found a new county called Mineral County out of parts of McCullouch
McCulloch County, Texas
McCulloch County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. The geographical center of Texas lies within the county. In 2000, its population was 8,205. Its county seat is Brady. McCulloch is named for Benjamin McCulloch, a famous Texas Ranger and Confederate...
, Mason
Mason County, Texas
Mason County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2010, its population was 4, 012. Its county seat is Mason...
, San Saba
San Saba County, Texas
San Saba County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in Western Central Texas. In 2010, its population was 6,131. Its county seat is San Saba. It is named for the San Saba River, which flows through the county.-History:...
, and Llano
Llano County, Texas
Llano County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2010, its population was 19, 301. Its county seat is Llano, and the county is named for the Llano River....
counties, with Pontotoc as the county seat. Mason residents petitioned and were able to stop the movement. Various efforts to bring a railroad through Pontotoc also failed to come to fruition.
Post office
Benjamin J Willis was appointed postmaster when Pontotoc received its post office on January 5, 1880.Pontotoc and San Fernando Academy
In 1972, Recorded Texas Historic LandmarkRecorded Texas Historic Landmark
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark is a designation awarded by the Texas Historical Commission for historically and architecturally significant properties in the state of Texas....
number 11294 was designated to acknowledge the 1883 establishment of the Pontotoc and San Fernando Academy. At its peak, the school had a student body enrollment of 200 for generalized education, or for achievement of teaching certificates. Principals were K. T. Hamilton and W. C. Roaten. With so much of the population decimated by the typhoid epidemic, the school went under in 1889. It was sold to the Pontotoc public school system, which used the academy as a public school until 1927. The closing of the academy impacted the local economy and was a factor in the decline of the population decline.
20th and 21st centuries
Pontotoc had a local newspaper in 1906, and received its first telephone in 1914. A mica mining operation was begun in 1924. In 1941, Pontotoc had seven businesses. In 1947, a fire that began in the local theater swept through the town. Some of the structures were re-built, but the burned out shells of the others stand today. Today, Pontotoc is a rural community with a small population.It was the birthplace of US Air Force Gen. Ira C. Eaker.