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Harrold water
tower
Photo Courtesy Ken
Rudine 2006 |
History in
a Pecan Shell
Like many of the
small towns along highway 287, Harrold was born with the arrival of
the Fort Worth and Denver City Railway in 1884. Previously the community
had been known as Cottonwood. The town was renamed after local
rancher Ephraim Harrold. Harrold (the town) became the western terminus
for the railroad and prospered as a result. The town was granted a
post office in 1885. Promotion was vibrant and within a year the town
had 1,500 new citizens - making it a boom town and acquiring the reputation
that came along with it. At one time the town boasted (quietly) that
it had 16 saloons.
But nothing lasts and when the railroad extended to Vernon,
Harrold shrank back into a typical railroad shipping point town of
several hundred citizens. A second (minor) boom occured in 1924 when
oil was discovered just outside of town.
The population of Harrold actually increased during the Great Depression
- from 349 in 1929 to 375 by WWII.
The population remained there into the 1950s and started a decline
as people left for larger cities. It has since grown back - returning
to 320 people for the 2000 census. |
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Grain elevators
in Harrold
Photo Courtesy Ken
Rudine 2006 |
| 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. |
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