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Fishing in China
Photo courtesy
John Wayne Cope |
History in
a Pecan Shell
As the Texas and
New Orleans Railroad built through Eastern Texas even as war clouds
were darkening, in 1860 they came to a grove of Chinaberry trees and
decided to put in a well to fill their locomotives. With few options
for a name, someone suggest China Grove, the motion was seconded,
and the rest is history.
By 1887 there were enough people here to request a post office and
China Grove, Texas came into being. This facility was discontinued
within a few months. They townsfolk were trying to sort out what had
gone wrong - and by 1893 they figured the name had been too long.
They reapplied as just plain China, Texas and Washington approved
it.
Two men (Chas Nash and Howard Land) had been selling lots in a community
called Nashland two miles east of China. Nashland had a larger population
and its own post office (est 1900). When the China depot burned in
1906, Nashlanders sought to lure the railroad to their community.
The move was competed, but the railroad insisted that the name remain
the same. This left a depot with a conflictingly named post office.
The conflict ended when the post office agreed to become China and
Nashland became a local historical footnote.
China became a center for rice production and in the mid-1920s it
supported an estimated 350 people. In the late 1930s, oil exploration
discovered vast reserves.
The community got around to incorporation in the early 1970s and by
the mid-1980s, it had acquired a population over 1,300. The 2000 census
counted 1,112 residents who may (or may not) be considered "Chinese."
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China
water towers and flying ducks
Photo courtesy
John Wayne Cope, February 2019 |
China City Limit
and Population Sign
Photo courtesy
John Wayne Cope, 2019 |
| Photo
courtesy
John Wayne Cope, 2019 |
| Photo
courtesy
John Wayne Cope, 2019 |
Bald Eagle in
China
Photo courtesy
John Wayne Cope, 2019
More Texas
Birds |
Tractor
Photo courtesy
John Wayne Cope, January 2019 |
Gas Pump
Photo courtesy John Wayne Cope, February 2019 |
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China,
Texas Water Tower
TE Photo, 2003 |
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Welcome
to China
TE Photo, May 2003 |
See
Unique Town Names
by Bob Bowman
"China in Jefferson County was named China Grove for a grove
of Chinaberry trees, but the name was later shortened." more |
| Texas
Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing
Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history, stories,
landmarks and vintage/historic photos, please contact
us. |
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