|
|
 |
History in
a Pecan Shell
The town was named after Capt. J. G. C. Arthur as a stop on the St.
Louis-San Francisco Railroad in 1886. Captain Arthur had donated the
railroad right-of-way and platted a town of twelve blocks. 1886 also
saw the opening of the post office with Mr. Arthur serving as postmaster.
The population reached 300 by 1890. Timber was the base of the towns
early economy but as the timber was cut the population moved on
many to the opportunities offered by Dallas.
By 1914 only the most basic businesses remained in operation and the
population was reduced by half. It grew to 200 residents through the
20s and 30s but during WWII
it was reduced to around 100.
It reached bedrock in the late 1950s with a mere 60 people. The development
of Pat Mayse Lake gave the town a boost in the 1960s and 1970s. By
1961 the population was back to 300 but it again declined to around
200. By 1989 Arthur City reported a population of 200 the same number
given on the 2008 state map. |
|
|
