Purley 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 Franklin 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. 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 81 in 2000.

History

Purley was first settled in the 1850s. A post office opened in Purley in 1879 and had several stores, four

sawmill A sawmill (saw mill, saw-mill) or lumber mill is a facility where logs are cut into lumber. Modern sawmills use a motorized saw to cut logs lengthwise to make long pieces, and crosswise to length depending on standard or custom sizes (dimensi ...

s and

gristmill A gristmill (also: grist mill, corn mill, flour mill, feed mill or feedmill) grinds cereal grain into flour and Wheat middlings, middlings. The term can refer to either the Mill (grinding), grinding mechanism or the building that holds it. Grist i ...

s, and 150 residents. A

mattress A mattress is a large, usually rectangular pad for supporting a lying person. It is designed to be used as a bed, or on a bed frame as part of a bed. Mattresses may consist of a quilted or similarly fastened case, usually of heavy cloth, conta ...

manufacturer was in the community in 1896. The community diminished in the 1900s, falling to a population of twenty with no businesses by 1966. The population of Purley grew to 81 by 1972, where it remained through 2000; a business opened in the community in 1988.

Geography

Purley is located at the junction of

Texas State Highway 37 State Highway 37 is a state highway that runs from the Oklahoma border near Albion to Mineola in the northeast corner of the state. History SH 37 was designated as a route on April 13, 1918 from Clarksville to Lufkin. On August 21, 1923, i ...

and Farm to Market Road 900, south of Mount Vernon.

Education

Purley had a school with one teacher and 66 students in 1896. Today, the community is served by the Mount Vernon Independent School District.

References

Unincorporated communities in Franklin County, Texas Unincorporated communities in Texas {{FranklinCountyTX-geo-stub