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History in
a Pecan Shell
J. K. Walling,
a Tennessean is considered to be the first resident in the vicinity.
He arrived in 1884 and was joined a few years later by Mississippian
A.L. Coleman. It was on Coleman’s property that the town formed. But
neither Coleman or Walling were honored by having the place named
for them. That honor went to William Mertens, a well-known investor
who had a stake in the St. Louis, Arkansas & Texas Railway that arrived
in 1887. (See corrections
below.)
Walling opened a general store and it was here the first post office
opened in 1888.
The population had grown to 75 and the town supported both a gin and
a gristmill. The 20th Century dawned and with it came the town’s first
bank (1902). A second railroad line crossed the tracks of the first
in 1902-03 — and the town incorporated in 1914.
Mertens was given electrical service in 1915 and other infrastructure
such as sidewalks and curbing appeared. The town had a weekly paper
and the population reached 342 residents for the 1920 Census.
A water system was installed in the 30s, but with the construction
of State Highway 22, the outside world beckoned — and the town
entered a decline.
The railroads stopped running and over the years businesses and people
left. By the 1980s there was only a single brick building to mark
where downtown once was.
The 1990 census showed 104 residents which increased to 146 for the
year 2000. |
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Mertens, Texas
Namesake
Subject: Mertens,
Texas correction
The town of Mertens was not named for the wife of the engineer of
the first train. "That honor went to William Mertens, a well-known
investor who had a stake in the St. Louis, Arkansas & Texas Railway
that arrived in 1887." - Jim King, Webmaster, Texas Railroad History
Website, October 6, 2022 |
| Texas
Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing
Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history, stories,
landmarks and recent or vintage photos, please contact
us. |
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