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History
in a Pecan Shell
Little was happening
in this part of Kaufman
County prior to the arrival of the railroad in 1880 (the Texas
Trunk Line). The namesake for the community was the Reverend C. F.
Crandall who donated part of his land to allow the railroad to go
through.
It instantly became a shipping point and in 1881 the town had its
own post office. By the mid 1880s, the town had a population of fifty
souls, it’s economic welfare fed by a gin and gristmill. When the
population wasn’t eating grist, they attended church or school (one
of each).
By 1890 the town was straining its seams with a population of 150
which grew to 251 by 1904. By the mid-1920s Crandall had fifty businesses
to tend to the needs of its population of 750.
The Depression depleted the population somewhat and then WWII
and the postwar era lured more people to the cities in search of higher
paying jobs. The 1943 population was given as 500 residents which
increased to over 1,600 by the 1990 census.
The 2000 census was 2,774. |
Texas
Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing
Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history
and vintage/historic photos, please contact
us. |
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