Magnet 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 southeastern

Wharton County, Texas Wharton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 41,570. Its county seat is Wharton. The county was named for brothers William Harris Wharton and John Austin Wharton. Wharton County ...

, United States. The rural community is situated at the intersection of State Highway 60 (SH 60) and County Road 102, a short distance north of the

Matagorda County Matagorda County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 36,255. Its county seat is Bay City, not to be confused with the larger Baytown in Harris and Chambers Counties. Matagorda County is na ...

line. Magnet is identified by road signs on SH 60 and by a tall broadcasting tower. 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 a population of 42 in 2000. it is located within the

Greater Houston Greater Houston, designated by the United States Office of Management and Budget as Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land, is the fifth-most populous metropolitan statistical area in the United States, encompassing nine counties along the Gulf Co ...

metropolitan area.

History

''Circa'' 1907, the Taylor-Fowler Land Company of

Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...

laid out a town on the

Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway The Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway was a subsidiary of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway. From its starting point in Galveston, Texas, the railroad eventually extended northwestwards across the state to Sweetwater and northwards via ...

. In 1911, Frank D. and Fred Fowler began selling 12,000 acres, promoting the area's rich soil. The same year, a post office was opened. According to one story, the town was named Magnet because the good soil would draw potential farmers. Another account claimed it was because saloons there would attract drinkers from Bay City, which was dry. In 1912, the new town boasted a few grocery stores plus a drugstore, gristmill, hotel, and lumberyard. Within two years, there were forty persons living in Magnet alongside a blacksmith shop, canning factory, cotton gin, garage, two general stores, rice grower, and the Truck Growers Association. In 1925, the first producing oil well in Wharton County was drilled in the Boling Field near

Iago Iago () is a fictional character in Shakespeare's ''Othello'' (c. 1601–1604). Iago is the play's main antagonist, and Othello's standard-bearer. He is the husband of Emilia, who is in turn the attendant of Othello's wife Desdemona. Iago hates ...

. This started a 1920s oil drilling boom during which the Magnet Withers Field was first exploited. By the 1930s, there were 50 residents of Magnet. The discovery of additional nearby oil in 1937 did not increase the population. By 1943, the post office operated out of the sole remaining commercial establishment in the community. By 1949, there were only 20 persons in Magnet and the post office closed in 1954. Between 1968 and 2000, the population was 42. In the latter year, no businesses were reported in Magnet. In 2004, the

BNSF Railway BNSF Railway is one of the largest freight railroads in North America. One of seven North American Class I railroads, BNSF has 35,000 employees, of track in 28 states, and nearly 8,000 locomotives. It has three transcontinental routes that ...

applied to discontinue of the line from Bay City north to Cane Junction and then northeast to Newgulf, because there had been no rail traffic for two years. This stretch of track included Magnet. In 2012, Milagro Oil and Gas, Inc. drilled three successful wells in the Magnet Withers field.

Geography

Magnet is on the east side of SH 60 a distance of north of Bay City and southeast of

Wharton Wharton may refer to: Academic institutions * Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania * Wharton County Junior College * Paul R. Wharton High School * Wharton Center for Performing Arts, at Michigan State University Places * Wharton, Ch ...

. The Old Lane City Magnet Road runs parallel and east of SH 60; it goes northwest to Lane City. There are about two dozen homes clustered at Magnet and along Mauldin Road, which goes to the northeast. The Magnet Baptist Church is located on County Road 102 in the community. The community gives its name to the Magnet Withers oil field.

Education

By 1912 there was a school in Magnet. In 1926, the Magnet school employed three teachers to instruct 130 white and five black students. A 1936 map depicted two schools. The schools became part of the

Wharton Independent School District Wharton Independent School District is a public school district based in Wharton, Texas (USA). Wharton ISD's motto is "Preparing Today for a Competitive Tomorrow." Visit www.whartonisd.net for more information. In 2014, the Wharton Independent ...

in 1947. File:Magnet TX Sign.JPG, Magnet sign and broadcasting tower are on Highway 60. File:Magnet TX Baptist Church.JPG, Magnet Baptist Church is on County Road 102. File:Magnet TX Broadcast Tower.JPG, The broadcasting tower is a prominent landmark.

References

{{authority control Unincorporated communities in Wharton County, Texas Unincorporated communities in Texas