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CENTER,
TEXAS
Suggested slogan:
"Our courthouse is so beautiful, we don't need a slogan."
Shelby County Seat, East
Texas
32 NE of Nacogdoches
At the intersection of Hwy 7 & 87
Just E of Hwy 96 in the middle of Shelby County
17 miles W of Louisiana's
state line
Population:
5,678 (2000)
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Like
the town of Centerville
(Leon County), Center was named for its location at the center of
Shelby County.
History in a Pecan Shell
Margaret Wilson and Jesse Amason donated the townsite in 1856 or 1857.
In an 1866 election Center became the county seat, in one of Texas'
county seat disputes. In August 1866 the county records were stolen
and brought to Center, putting an end to the dispute. A post office
opened there the same year - further cementing the permanence of seat
of county government.
In 1882 the courthouse burned. It was replaced by the current courthouse
which is usually regarded as one of the handsomest in Texas.
In 1904, The Gulf, Beaumont and Great Northern Railway came through.
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The 1885 Romanesque
Rivival courthouse is worth driving out of the way to see. Inspired
by the castles in his native Ireland, architect John Gibson also
included a fenced cupola in this handsome and unusual brick building.
See Shelby
County Courthouse by Lou Ann Herda
The courthouse and matching (former) jail make Center an
East Texas weekend destination in itself.
The spacious square shows the two buildings to their best
advantage, however there's more. Right in the Center of the Piney
Woods, the city took the time to plant a wide variety of trees on
the courthouse lawn. In addition, the trees complement the courthouse,
rather than obscure it. A long row of hitching-rings are set into
the curb on the West side of the square.
Center
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L
- Hitching Rings on Center's Courthouse Square
R - The Old Jail Now Center Chamber of Commerce
TE photos |
More Center
Attractions
Sabine National
Forest - Entrance 11 miles SE on Hwy.87
Shelby County
Museum is one block off the square on the corner of Pecan and
Thomas Streets.
Tel. 936-598-3613
http://www.panola.cc.tx.us/~schs/
Scenic Drives
Hwy 87, FM
417 and FM 2694 to Boles Field Recreational Area, and other Forest
Services Roads in Sabine National Forest
Center
Tourist Information
Shelby
County Chamber of Commerce - In the former jail.
100 Courthouse Square A-101, Center Texas 75935.
936-598-8163
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Center Featured
Articles
The
Legend Of Bone Hill by Bob Bowman
Bone Hill, a landmark standing about four miles northeast of Center,
reportedly got its name from a herd of cattle who died atop the
mill, leaving their bones to whiten in the East Texas sun. But,
as with all legends, there’s more to the story...
Hanging
Tree: The Haunted Tree of Shelby County's Square by James
L. Choron
"There are too many people still around who remember the last
time someone tried to cut it down."
School
Days - A Ghost Story by James L. Choron
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