POER, TEXAS

Bowie County, East Texas

Population: 0

Book Hotel Here › Texarkana Hotels

History in a Pecan Shell

First settled during the 1830s around a plantation of the same name, the community held a post office from 1897 through 1904. There had been a school which merged with the ones in Maud in 1900.

Other than this, there seems to be no additional history or population figures. The town was dropped from maps long ago and according to the Handbook of Texas, it had “ceased to exist as a named community” by the 1980s.

Poer, Texas Forum

Subject: Poer, Texas

I would like to add information about the community of Poer, Texas that once had a school and a post office and a store about two miles east of Simms, Texas on highway 67.

My father was born in Poer, Texas in 1905. His name was Clarence V. Poer and he was delivered by his father, Dr. John Franklin Poer. That is written on his birth certificate. The original plantation was owned by Martin A. Poer who received the land grant of 1280 acres in 1837 from the Republic of Texas.

The post office existed until Dr. John Franklin Poer died in 1918. Poer, Texas is now called Old Union Community and receives rural mail delivery from Simms, Texas in Bowie County. A letter that was post marked "Poer, Texas" could be put on the train at Carbondale, Texas about a mile east and arrive in New Orleans in two days for 2 cents.

The school existed until it was consolidated with James Bowie High School in the Simms Independent School District in 1939. The school in Poer had only 6 grades.

There were two churches, the Primitive Baptist Church and the Missionary Baptist Church. There is a large, well-kept cemetery next to those churches where the original settlers are buried. The members of the community still have an annual reunion picnic every Memorial Day with a business meeting in the old Primitive Baptist Church and a military memorial service by the veteran's monument. Descendants bring their lunch and eat in the large pavilion under the oak trees.

The Primitive Baptist Church was organized in August of 1850. There is a monument in front of the old building with the names of the charter members which includes two slaves. We think it is probably the first integrated church in Bowie County. The secretary of the church was Martin A. Poer. We have the minutes that he wrote at each meeting until he retired. - Frances Poer Fox, March 18, 2013

Poer, Texas

by David Knape

Eyes
tear up
remembering
lore

The times
they had
in little
Poer

It was
a place
now is
no more

In the scope
of things
it was
pretty Poer.

© d.knape
January 16, 2013

1907 Bowie County Texas Postal Map showing Poer
(South of Boston. Below "OW" in "BOWIE")
Courtesy Texas General Land Office

Take a road trip

East Texas

Poer, Texas Nearby Towns:
New Boston the county seat
Texarkana

See Bowie County

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.