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BOONE PRAIRIE
, TEXASAKA Hayes,
Texas
Robertson County
South of FM 979
8 miles N of Franklin
Population: unk
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History
in a Pecan shell
(An informal history of Boone Prairie)
Settled in 1872, A. A. Hayes, storekeeper and first postmaster submitted
his name to the postal authorities in 1880 for the new post office.
In 1885 the tow had 30 residents, a school and combination gristmill
/ cotton gin. Six years later the population had 20 more people and
the gristmill / cotton gin had enough customers to allow the opening
of another gin and gristmill. Boone Prairians loved their grist. In
1892 a third doctor joined the two that were already practicing there.
The name change occured around 1900. The post office closed in 1906.
Keeping with a tradition of duplication and confusion, they divided
the town into East Boone Prairie and West Boone Prairie, maintaining
separate schools. The distinction may well have been based on race.
At least one map continued to list the town as Hayes as late as 1942
when the town reportedly had 25 citizens, one store and two cemeteries.
Revised maps show the division of East and West Boone Prairie.
Today only the cemeteries, a few houses and the Hayes Church are all
that remain of Hayes. |
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