Harwood is a

ghost town Ghost Town(s) or Ghosttown may refer to: * Ghost town, a town that has been abandoned Film and television * Ghost Town (1936 film), ''Ghost Town'' (1936 film), an American Western film by Harry L. Fraser * Ghost Town (1956 film), ''Ghost Town'' ...

Gonzales County Gonzales County is a county in the U.S. state of Texas, adjacent to Greater Austin-San Antonio. As of the 2020 census, its population was 19,653. The county is named for its county seat, the city of Gonzales. The county was created in 1836 a ...

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 ...

. According to the

Handbook of Texas The ''Handbook of Texas'' is a comprehensive encyclopedia of Texas geography, history, and historical persons published by the Texas State Historical Association (TSHA). History The original ''Handbook'' was the brainchild of TSHA President Wal ...

, the community had an estimated population of 112 in 2000.

Geography

Harwood is located at (29.6657863, −97.5052724). It is situated along

U.S. Highway 90 U.S. Route 90 or U.S. Highway 90 (US 90) is an east–west major United States highway in the Southern United States. Despite the "0" in its route number, US 90 never was a full coast-to-coast route. With the exception of a short-lived ...

in northern Gonzales County, approximately one mile north of

Interstate 10 Interstate 10 (I-10) is the southernmost cross-country highway in the American Interstate Highway System. I-10 is the fourth-longest Interstate in the United States at , following I-90, I-80, and I-40. This freeway is part of the originally pl ...

. The nearest major city is

San Antonio ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= U.S. state, State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , s ...

, located 60 miles to the west.

History

The community was founded in 1874 during the westward expansion of the

Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railway The Buffalo Bayou, Brazos, and Colorado Railway (B.B.B.C. or B.B.B. & C.), also called the Harrisburg Road or Harrisburg Railroad, was the first operating railroad in Texas. It completed its first segment of track between Harrisburg, Texas (now a ...

. It was named after Thomas Moore Harwood, a lawyer from nearby

Gonzales Gonzales may refer to: Places * Gonzales, California, U.S. * Gonzales, Louisiana, U.S. * Gonzales, Texas, U.S. * Gonzales County, Texas Other uses * Battle of Gonzales, 1835 * Gonzales (horse) (1977 – after 1996), an American-bred Thoroughbred ...

. At the time of its founding, a community known as Mule Creek was located one mile west of Harwood. A post office operated in Mule Creek from 1872 to 1874, when Harwood was granted a post office. By 1880, Harwood had an estimated population of 155. That figure had grown to 350 by the early 1890s. To prevent the opening of a saloon that was opposed by most local residents, Harwood was incorporated in 1913. The population was 200 at the 1920 census. After rising to 225 in 1930, Harwood slowly declined. Cotton production, which had been a major element of the local economy, decreased during the 1940s. The number of residents living in Harwood fell to 157 in 1950, 132 in 1960, and 112 in 1970. The town disincorporated during the 1970s. By 1990, Harwood had one large farm and ranch supply store, several businesses, and a community center with a collection of local memorabilia. Throughout the latter half of the twentieth century and into 2000, Harwood was home to approximately 112 residents. Harwood has a post office with the ZIP code 78632.USPS – Cities by ZIP Code
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Education

Public education in the community of Harwood is provided by the

Gonzales Independent School District Gonzales Independent School District is a public school district based in Gonzales, Texas ( USA). Located in Gonzales County, a small portion of the district extends into Caldwell County. The school district was recently engaged in a scandal o ...

References

External links

* * {{authority control Unincorporated communities in Gonzales County, Texas Unincorporated communities in Texas Former cities in Texas