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History
in a Pecan Shell
Named after the nearby mountain of the same name, Sugar Loaf, Texas was settled
in the early 1850s. A post office was granted in 1874 but the community's hopes
of permanence were dashed in 1882 when it was bypassed by the railroad (the Gulf,
Colorado and Santa Fe). The 1890 census reported a mere 30 residents there, supported
by a single store, gin and gristmill. Finally, in 1899 there weren't enough people
to justify the post office and mail was rerouted through Brookhaven (Bell County).
With the establishment of Camp
(now Fort) Hood during WWII,
the remaining residents were forced to move and the former village is now a part
of the giant base.
See Killeen, Texas -
Home of Fort Hood Army Base
FORUM:
Subject: Sugar Loaf
I
was stationed at Fort
Hood from April 1954 to September 9, 1955. I was from Holland, MI, so I made
my home away from home in Killeen. I was the first
Explorer Advisor (Boy Scouts) at the First Baptist Church in 1954.
I talked
with an old-timer near the USO which had a nice bench out front. He told me the
history of Killeen without any dates. A community
was formed on the east side of Sugar Loaf Mountain as soon as the Comanches would
allow. Just how big it got, he didn't say, but it was big enough for a graveyard.
When the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway built through the area of
the current city, he stated that the crew chief painted his name on the storage
building. As the railroad was near the South Nolan Creek, the citizens of Sugar
Loaf moved to that location and the railroad named the town as being the name
on the shed. The grave yard was moved when Fort
Hood was expanded as the that location was within the firing range.
How
much of his story was true, I don't know, but he honestly passed on the history
to me in hopes it would be passed on. - Clifford J. Vander Yacht, PFC, US55440178,
Hq & Hq Btry, Div Arty, First Armored Division, January 16, 2011 |
| Texas
Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing
Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history, stories, and vintage/historic
photos of their town, please contact
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