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LIVINGSTON,
TEXAS
Polk County Seat,
East
Texas
Highways 59, 146 and 190
FM 1316
37 miles E of Huntsville
75 miles N of Houston
67 miles S of Nacogdoches
Population: 5,433 (2000) 5,019 (1990)
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History
in a Pecan Shell
Known
originally as Springfield in 1839, the town was renamed after
Livingston, Tennessee, hometown of Moses Choate, the man who donated
land for the townsite when Polk County was formed in 1846.
Livingston population estimates:
1880: 135
1900: 1,024
1925: 900
1960: 3,300
1980: 5,000
A brief timeline of selected Livingston events:
1902: Fire destroys much of downtown - town is incorporated
1917: Highway 35 (59) constructed
1932: Oil discovered 10 miles S of town
1936: City limits extended
1968: Lake Livingston is developed
Polk County
Courthouse |
Livingston
Carter Lumber Engine
Photo courtesy Barclay Gibson, April 2004 |
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Fain
Theater in Livingston
TE photo, 2001 |
Native Daughter
Tennessee
Williams' Texas Director
by Bob Bowman ("All Things Historical" column)
Without the interest of an East Texas woman, American theater icon
Tennessee Williams might still be writing high school plays in a
small town.... At the time of her death in 1955, Margo Jones and
Tennessee Williams had changed the face of theater not only in Texas,
but nationally as well. Margo was buried in her hometown cemetery
at Livingston and on April 26 the Texas Historical Commission and
Polk County Historical Commission placed a state marker on her grave.
more
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Livingston
Texas Forum
Subject:
Livingston Texas Election Night
Back in the early 50s' when I was quite young, I remember going
to the courthouse on election day, and watching them put the election
results on a large tote board. The reason for this was that not
everyone had access to a television back then - especially poorer
people. Election day (any election - local, state, or national)
was a big thing then. It seemed everyone in the entire county was
there discussing this and that about their favorite candidate, and
some would get in fairly heated arguments. The merchants there in
town loved it, as it was a time when the men would bring their wives,
and they would shop in the stores there in downtown Livingston.
During National elections, people would stay around the courthouse
'til quite late - waiting to find out who won the election. Respectfully,
Thomas R. McIntyre, March 10, 2006
There is one
interesting fact that seldom makes the rounds when people talk of
Livingston; and that is that the first golf course for Livingston
was on my grand father's farm which was just north of Livingston,
about 2 1/2 miles north on old Hwy. 35. Such early luminaries of
the city of Livingston such as Mr. Gerlac, Mr. H.B. Davis and various
and a sundry other folks would go there to play a round or two of
golf. My father A.J. McIntyre would caddy for them. This was some
time in the mid 1930s. Also if you can get some of the older generation
of indians to tell you about it, my grand father would hire them
and pay them what was then a decent wage to work on his farm. He
would send my uncle Thomas to the reservation to pick them up late
on Sunday, and had a place for them to stay the week. He then would
drive them back to the reservation on Friday night. This was a time
when no one would hire an Indian, but he did! - Thomas Mcintyre,
March 06, 2006
To
share history or photos of Livingston, Texas, please contact
us.
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