Buffalo Springs is an
unincorporated community
An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...
on
Farm to Market Road 174 15 miles southeast of
Henrietta Henrietta may refer to:
* Henrietta (given name), a feminine given name, derived from the male name Henry
Places
* Henrietta Island in the Arctic Ocean
* Henrietta, Mauritius
* Henrietta, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
United States
* Henrie ...
in south central
Clay County Clay County is the name of 18 counties in the United States. Most are named for Henry Clay, U.S. Senator and statesman:
* Clay County, Alabama
* Clay County, Arkansas (named for John Clayton, and originally named Clayton County)
* Clay County, Flor ...
,
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
,
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. Two other towns by the same name exist in Texas, one in
Lubbock County
Lubbock County is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Texas. The 2020 United States Census, 2020 census placed the population at 310,639. Its county seat and largest city is Lubbock, Texas, Lubbock. The county was cre ...
and the other in
Comal County
Comal County ( ) is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 161,501. Comal County is known for its rich German-Texan and European history. Its county seat is New Braunfels.
...
(now abandoned).
History
Settlement of the area began in 1864, when 25 families constructed an outpost and farming community. The settlers were under constant threat from marauding
Native Americans, the same threat that had driven many Anglo settlers east back into
Montague and
Cooke
Cooke is a surname derived from the occupation of cook. Notable people with the surname include:
* Alexander Cooke (died 1614), English actor
* Alfred Tyrone Cooke, of the Indo-Pakistani wars
* Alistair Cooke KBE (1908–2004), British-American j ...
counties. In 1867, two companies of the Sixth United States Cavalry deployed from
Jacksboro to establish an outpost and protect settlers from the raiding Indians.
The lack of vegetation, timber, and water made the outpost difficult to maintain and the cavalry returned to Jacksboro and established
Fort Richardson later that year. Settlers finally returned in 1878, this time to stay. That same year, Burnett family settlers petitioned for a post office called Buffalo Springs, named after the Buffalo Creek. Buffalo Springs became a farming hub for the area and reached a population zenith of 200 in 1890. Bypassed by every major thoroughfare and railroad through the county, the town declined and its school, post office, and all of its businesses eventually closed.
Education
The Buffalo Springs area is served by the
Midway Independent School District and the
Bellevue Independent School District
Bellevue Independent School District is a public school district based in Bellevue, Texas ( USA).
Finances
As of the 2010–2011 school year, the appraised valuation of property in the district was $48,481,000. The maintenance tax rate was $0. ...
.
References
Unincorporated communities in Texas
Unincorporated communities in Clay County, Texas
Wichita Falls metropolitan area
{{ClayCountyTX-geo-stub