The Grove, Texas
Encyclopedia
The Grove is an unincorporated community
in Coryell County, Texas
, United States. It is located some sixteen miles southeast of Gatesville, Texas
in the eastern portion of the county.
The Grove is located on Texas State Highway 36.
The area is known for its abundance of Texas Bluebonnet flowers during the spring months.
trees nearby.
By the late 1860s the community had two general stores, a mill and a cotton gin.
In 1870 a group of Wendish
settlers from Weigersdorf, Germany arrived. They established St. Paul Lutheran Church (which exists to this day). By this time, there were also Baptist, Methodist, Disciples of Christ and Presbyterian churches in the community.
In 1874 the post office was established. J. B. Coleman was the first postmaster.
Between 1880 and 1900, the community continued to grow with three general stores, two grocery stores and a population of 150. By the first decade of the 1900s the community had a two-teacher public school (with 60 students) and a Lutheran private school.
During the 1940s the community began to decline when it was bypassed by Highway 36. In the late 1940s several local farmers were forced to relocate due to the construction of the North Fort Hood training center of Fort Hood. Due to population declines, the public school in The Grove was closed in 1948, while the Lutheran school continued to operate until 1962.
The population of The Grove has varied over the years from a peak of 400 around the turn of the century to about 65 in 2000.
Today the St. Paul Lutheran Church is still active in the community. The old church cemetery is a few miles away on Highway 36. Many of the town's original buildings are still standing on Main Street, and several have been restored to their former glory. On many weekends, local bands perform on Main Street.
Though The Grove, Texas Museum is now closed, it is still deemed an historical Texas town by The Smithsonian Institute and was the cover story in the 11 August 2008 issue of Forbes
magazine.
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 Coryell County, Texas
Coryell County, Texas
Coryell County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2000, its population was 74,978. The county seat is Gatesville. Coryell County forms part of the Killeen–Temple–Fort Hood Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, United States. It is located some sixteen miles southeast of Gatesville, Texas
Gatesville, Texas
Gatesville is a city in and the county seat of Coryell County in Central Texas, United States of America. The population was 15,591 at the 2000 census...
in the eastern portion of the county.
The Grove is located on Texas State Highway 36.
The area is known for its abundance of Texas Bluebonnet flowers during the spring months.
History
The Grove was established around 1859 and was named for a grove of Texas Live OakTexas live oak
Quercus fusiformis , commonly known as Texas live oak, escarpment live oak, or plateau live oak, is an evergreen or nearly evergreen tree native to south-central North America...
trees nearby.
By the late 1860s the community had two general stores, a mill and a cotton gin.
In 1870 a group of Wendish
Wends
Wends is a historic name for West Slavs living near Germanic settlement areas. It does not refer to a homogeneous people, but to various peoples, tribes or groups depending on where and when it is used...
settlers from Weigersdorf, Germany arrived. They established St. Paul Lutheran Church (which exists to this day). By this time, there were also Baptist, Methodist, Disciples of Christ and Presbyterian churches in the community.
In 1874 the post office was established. J. B. Coleman was the first postmaster.
Between 1880 and 1900, the community continued to grow with three general stores, two grocery stores and a population of 150. By the first decade of the 1900s the community had a two-teacher public school (with 60 students) and a Lutheran private school.
During the 1940s the community began to decline when it was bypassed by Highway 36. In the late 1940s several local farmers were forced to relocate due to the construction of the North Fort Hood training center of Fort Hood. Due to population declines, the public school in The Grove was closed in 1948, while the Lutheran school continued to operate until 1962.
The population of The Grove has varied over the years from a peak of 400 around the turn of the century to about 65 in 2000.
Today the St. Paul Lutheran Church is still active in the community. The old church cemetery is a few miles away on Highway 36. Many of the town's original buildings are still standing on Main Street, and several have been restored to their former glory. On many weekends, local bands perform on Main Street.
Though The Grove, Texas Museum is now closed, it is still deemed an historical Texas town by The Smithsonian Institute and was the cover story in the 11 August 2008 issue of Forbes
Forbes
Forbes is an American publishing and media company. Its flagship publication, the Forbes magazine, is published biweekly. Its primary competitors in the national business magazine category are Fortune, which is also published biweekly, and Business Week...
magazine.