Eliasville 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 ...

in Young County,

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 ...

. Eliasville is located near the Clear Fork of the

Brazos River The Brazos River ( , ), called the ''Río de los Brazos de Dios'' (translated as "The River of the Arms of God") by early Spanish explorers, is the 11th-longest river in the United States at from its headwater source at the head of Blackwater Dr ...

at the intersection of Texas Farm Roads 1974, 3109, and 701, close to the Stephens County line in southwest Young County, approximately 20 miles from Graham. Eliasville Dam and Mill

History

During the 1850s there was a river crossing near the present location of the town that was part of the Austin to Fort Belknap Military Road that was used by the 2nd U.S. Cavalry under command of

Albert Sidney Johnston Albert Sidney Johnston (February 2, 1803 – April 6, 1862) served as a general in three different armies: the Texian Army, the United States Army, and the Confederate States Army. He saw extensive combat during his 34-year military career, figh ...

and

Robert E. Lee Robert Edward Lee (January 19, 1807 – October 12, 1870) was a Confederate general during the American Civil War, towards the end of which he was appointed the overall commander of the Confederate States Army. He led the Army of Nort ...

. The first settlers arrived in the 1870s and Eliasville was founded on land owned by J. L. Dobbs. The town was officially named in 1878. The town is named for Elias DeLong who opened the first store and was the grandson of James Horton DeLong who served in the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

. Other early store owners include Joseph Henry Nelson who ran an early drugstore. Former

Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...

linebacker

Mike Dowdle Don Michael Dowdle (December 6, 1937December 5, 1993) was an American football fullback and linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers. He played college football at the University of Texas. ...

was born in Eliasville as were two University of Texas presidents,

Harry Yandell Benedict Harry Yandell Benedict (November 14, 1869 – May 10, 1937) was an American astronomer and mathematician. He was born in Louisville, Kentucky, to Joseph and Adele (Peters) Benedict on November 14, 1869. In 1877, Benedict's brother, Carl, mother, a ...

and

Homer Rainey Homer Price Rainey (January 19, 1896 – December 19, 1985) was an American college professor, administrator, minister, and politician. He served as the president of several universities, most notably the University of Texas at Austin from 19 ...

. During the boom years of the 1920s, Eliasville grew quickly and was incorporated in 1921. W. T. Donnell was the town's first mayor. The areas minerals and oil led to this growth. During this time the town was served by the Wichita Falls and Southern

Railway Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...

. By the 1940s the population started to drop and many moved to

Fort Worth, Texas Fort Worth is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Texas and the 13th-largest city in the United States. It is the county seat of Tarrant County, covering nearly into four other counties: Denton, Johnson, Parker, and Wise. According ...

and other areas for defense work. The population was 400 in 1940, and had declined to 116 by 1980. A city lake was completed in 1952. Eliasville is no longer incorporated. As of the 2000 Census, the population was estimated to be 60. The community is best known today for the remains of the dam and historic mill.

The mill

Two early residents were the Donnell brothers, William and Thomas, who established a grist mill on the Brazos River on the west side of town. The bed of the clear fork is sandstone in this area and made for a sturdy foundation on which to build a mill. The first mill was destroyed and then rebuilt in 1879 with help from a U.S. Government Engineer. The mill was destroyed in by fire in 1927. The remains of the mill and dam continue to be a popular stop for photographers and those looking for a glimpse of the past.

Education

During the boom years Eliasville's students were served by the DeLong Ward school. Today, students are served by the

Graham Independent School District Graham Independent School District is a public school district based in Graham, Texas, United States. Located in Young County, a very small portion of the district lies in Stephens County. In 2009, the school district was rated "academically ...

References

External links

* http://www.purpleheartaustin.org/davis.htm * https://web.archive.org/web/20120302203726/http://blog.masonmccoy.com/?p=176 * https://web.archive.org/web/20110725200713/http://cowtowntreasurehunters.org/OtherImages/CTTHfeb07NL.pdf * http://www.texasescapes.com/TexasBridges/Clear-Fork-of-Brazos-River-Suspension-Bridge.htm * https://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9902E3DD143AE532A25757C1A9669D946095D6CF * http://freepages.history.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~dav4is/people/BENE499.htm {{authority control Populated coastal places in Texas Unincorporated communities in Young County, Texas Unincorporated communities in Texas Ghost towns in North Texas