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History in
a Pecan Shell
The area had been settled prior to 1850 but no development occured until
the arrival of the railroad
in the early 1870s when the Houston and Great Northern appeared. The town was
platted where the railroad's
mainline continued to Longview
while a branch extended to Tyler.
A post office under the name of Zavala opened in 1873 but was changed to
Troup in 1877. The 1892 population was 600 with all essential businesses including
several millinery stores. It doubled by 1902 to 1,200 citizens. By the end of
the 1920s, Troup had 1,800 people. The town was spared the brunt of the Great
Depression by becoming an important location for the East
Texas oil boom.
Troup had 75 businesses in the mid 1930s and ended
that decade with a population of 3,000. Increased mobility after WWII
reduced the population by half.
New Hope, Salem, and Prairie Lee schools
merged with the Troup ISD in the early 50s. The 1981 population was given as 1,911
and for the 2000 population it was 1,949. |
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First Presbyterian Church | |
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