Colfax is an unincorporated populated place in

Van Zandt County, Texas Van Zandt County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas, in the northeastern part of the state. As of the 2020 census, its population was 59,541. Its county seat is Canton. The county is named for Isaac Van Zandt (1813–1847), a memb ...

, United States. It is located within the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex and had a population of 35 in 2000.

History

The settlement was originally named "Cold Water" and began as a log house that was used for religious services. An early settler, Elisha Tunnell, erected a church at that location known as "Tunnell's Chapel". The settlement was renamed "Colfax" in honor of United States Vice President

Schuyler Colfax Schuyler Colfax Jr. (; March 23, 1823 – January 13, 1885) was an American journalist, businessman, and politician who served as the 17th vice president of the United States from 1869 to 1873, and prior to that as the 25th speaker of the House ...

. The Colfax post office was located at the settlement in 1870 and remained in operation until 1905, after which mail was delivered from Canton. The donated land had also been the location of two local churches that hosted Methodist and

Cumberland Presbyterian The Cumberland Presbyterian Church is a Presbyterian denomination spawned by the Second Great Awakening.Matthew H. Gore, The History of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Kentucky to 1988, (Memphis, Tennessee: Joint Heritage Committee, 2000). ...

congregations in 1885. The location was also the site of revivals and summer camp meetings. Colfax had a population of 30 between 1885 to 1895 and grew to around 100 in the 1930s. Residents grew

fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particu ...

s and

vegetable Vegetables are parts of plants that are consumed by humans or other animals as food. The original meaning is still commonly used and is applied to plants collectively to refer to all edible plant matter, including the flowers, fruits, stems, ...

s and the community had three churches, a cemetery, and several businesses and houses at its peak. It declined to 28 in 1968 and grew to 35 from 1974 through 2000. It further grew to 44 in 2010. Another early settler named Kellam donated of land, and on part of it, a cemetery was established. The first burial, in 1884, was of Elisha Tunnell. Colfax had a

Masonic Lodge A Masonic lodge, often termed a private lodge or constituent lodge, is the basic organisational unit of Freemasonry. It is also commonly used as a term for a building in which such a unit meets. Every new lodge must be warranted or chartered ...

(number 904) in 1919. During the 1920s, Colfax had a boys basketball team which competed against local teams.

Geography

Colfax is located at the headspring of the

Neches River The Neches River () begins in Van Zandt County west of Rhine Lake and flows for through the piney woods of east Texas, defining the boundaries of 14 counties on its way to its mouth on Sabine Lake near the Rainbow Bridge. Two major reservoirs, ...

on Farm to Market Road 16, southeast of Canton in southeastern Van Zandt County.

Education

Colfax had a school located in Tunnell's Chapel in the late 1870s. The community then had a brick schoolhouse. The school hosted 122 students in 1906, and its local

Grange Grange may refer to: Buildings * Grange House, Scotland, built in 1564, and demolished in 1906 * Grange Estate, Pennsylvania, built in 1682 * Monastic grange, a farming estate belonging to a monastery Geography Australia * Grange, South Austral ...

and Masonic organizations met at the schoolhouse for revivals and church services. It was eventually razed when it joined the

Van Independent School District Van Independent School District is a public school district based in Van, Texas ( USA). In addition to Van, the district serves the city of Edom and the unincorporated community of Ben Wheeler. The district also serves a portion of western Smit ...

in 1929.

Notable people

* Vaneverie Bascom Cozby, mayor of

Grand Saline, Texas Grand Saline is a city in Van Zandt County, Texas, United States, located in East Texas. The population was 3,136 as of 2010. Grand Saline is the third largest city in Van Zandt County and is located roughly 75 miles (120 km) east of Dallas an ...

for 30 years. * Brady P. Gentry, United States Representative; born in Colfax in 1896.

References

{{authority control Unincorporated communities in Van Zandt County, Texas Unincorporated communities in Texas