Cuney is a town located in northwestern Cherokee County,

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

, United States. With a population of 116 at the 2020 U.S. census, Cuney was the only "wet" town in Cherokee County from the mid-1980s until 2009, when voters in

Rusk A rusk is a hard, dry Biscuit#Biscuits in British usage, biscuit or a twice-baked bread. It is sometimes used as a teether for babies. In some cultures, rusk is made of cake rather than bread: this is sometimes referred to as cake rusk. In the ...

came out in favor of beer/wine sales. After that result, voters in

Jacksonville Jacksonville ( ) is the most populous city proper in the U.S. state of Florida, located on the Atlantic coast of North Florida, northeastern Florida. It is the county seat of Duval County, Florida, Duval County, with which the City of Jacksonv ...

and Frankston have since voted in favor of beer/wine sales, and Rusk voters returned to the polls to vote in favor of liquor sales.

History

The site was first settled by freed slaves just after the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

. The settlement was initially known as Andy, after Andrew "Andy" Bragg, one of the area's first black homeowners, who arrived in 1870. A community did not develop until 1902, when the site became a flag stop on the

Texas and New Orleans Railroad The Texas and New Orleans Railroad (TNO) was an American rail company in Texas and Louisiana. It operated of railroad in 1934; by 1961, remained when it merged with parent company Southern Pacific Railroad, Southern Pacific. Morgan's Louisian ...

, which became part of the

Southern Pacific The Southern Pacific (or Espee from the railroad initials) was an American Class I railroad network that existed from 1865 to 1996 and operated largely in the Western United States. The system was operated by various companies under the names ...

system in 1961. Around 1914,

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cashier H.L. Price and several local investors formed a company and platted a town site. They named the town Cuney, after Price's son, Cuney Price, who in turn had been named for

Norris Wright Cuney Norris Wright Cuney (May 12, 1846March 3, 1898) was an American politician, businessman, union leader, and advocate for the rights of African-Americans in Texas. Following the American Civil War, he became active in Galveston politics, serving ...

, a prominent black politician and head of the state's Republican Party. A post office was established in 1917 and a number of businesses were operating in the community by the early 1920s. With the paving of State Highway 40 in 1929, which would eventually become U.S. Highway 175, most of the businesses moved a mile north of the railroad to take advantage of the increased traffic. The population was estimated at 100 in 1929, but declined to only 25 by the mid-1930s. A number of businesses closed after

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

as agricultural prices decreased and residents moved to other cities with greater employment opportunities. Cuney had a population of 75 in the early 1950s. From that period, the community steadily grew, and Cuney was incorporated in November 1983. In the 1990 census, the town had 170 residents. That number had fallen to 145 by 2000.

Geography

Cuney is located just west of the junction of U.S. Highway 175 and FM 855 in northwestern Cherokee County, approximately northwest of Jacksonville, northwest of Rusk, and southeast of

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According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the town has a total area of , all land. 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 ...

forms the northwest border of the town and the Cherokee/ Anderson County line.

Demographics

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 116 people, 37 households, and 31 families residing in the town. At the 2000 U.S. census, 145 people, 59 households, and 36 families resided in the town. The population density was . The 78 housing units averaged 47.7 per square mile (18.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town at the 2000 census was 11.03% White, 83.45% African American, 0.69% Native American, 0.69% Asian, 0.69% from other races, and 3.45% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 0.69% of the population. Of the 59 households in 2000, 27.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 28.8% were married couples living together, 23.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.3% were not families. About 27.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.11. In the town, the population was distributed as 32.4% under the age of 18, 2.1% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 24.8% from 45 to 64, and 14.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.5 males. At the 2000 census, the median income for a household in the town was $18,333, and for a family was $17,500. Males had a median income of $18,438 versus $22,083 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the town was $7,612. There were 35.0% of families and 37.1% of the population living below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 43.4% of under eighteens and 44.8% of those over 64. The 2020 American Community Survey reported a median household income of $22,404.

Education

For many years, Cuney had its own school, but is now served by the

Jacksonville Independent School District Jacksonville Independent School District is a public school district based in Jacksonville, Texas, United States. Brad Stewart is currently the superintendent of JISD. In addition to Jacksonville, the district serves the towns of Cuney and ...

References

External links

*
Cuney historical marker
from Texas Historic Sites Atlas (Texas Historical Commission) {{authority control Towns in Cherokee County, Texas Towns in Texas U.S. Route 175