Doole 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 ...

McCulloch County, Texas McCulloch County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. At the 2020 census, its population was 7,630. Its county seat is Brady. The county was created in 1856 and later organized in 1876. It is named for Benjamin ...

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 ...

. 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 74 in 1990.

Rodeo Rodeo () is a competitive equestrian sport that arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain and Mexico, expanding throughout the Americas and to other nations. It was originally based on the skills required of the working va ...

performer and promoter Dan Collins Taylor was born in Doole in 1923, and died there in 2010.

Geography

Doole is situated at the junction of Farm Roads

503 __NOTOC__ Year 503 ( DIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Volusianus and Dixicrates (or, less frequently, year 125 ...

and

765 __NOTOC__ Year 765 (Roman numerals, DCCLXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. The denomination 765 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domi ...

in northwestern McCulloch County, about 12 miles north of

U.S. Highway 87 U.S. Highway 87 (US 87) is a north–south United States highway (though it is signed east–west in New Mexico) that runs for 1,998 miles (3,215 km) from northern Montana to southern Texas, making it the longest north-south roa ...

and 28 miles northwest of Brady. The nearest large city is San Angelo, 55 miles west of Doole.

History

A ranching community called Gansel, after a prominent local family, was the area's first settlement. It developed around Crossroads School, which had moved to the area from

Fort Concho Fort Concho is a former United States Army installation and National Historic Landmark District located in San Angelo, Texas. It was established in November 1867 at the confluence of the North and South Concho Rivers, on the routes of the But ...

in 1908. Around 1911, residents decided to establish a post office and asked Brady's postmaster – David Doole, Jr. - for advice. The postal service in

Washington, DC ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan ...

, rejected the name Gansel. In appreciation of Mr. Doole's assistance, local residents decided to name the community after him. By 1914, Doole had an estimated population of 25. In 1936, East Gansel School closed and students were transferred to Doole. That year, another community, Stacy, began sending students to Doole, as well. Doole was home to 250 people by the 1940s. At this time, students attended elementary school through the sixth grade in Doole, while secondary students were bused to Melvin. The community began to decline after

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, mainly because of the consolidation of small family farms. A drought in the 1950s caused many farmers to leave the area in search of greater job opportunities. During the mid-1960s, Doole's population had fallen to 40. That figure had risen to around 74 in 1970 and remained at that level throughout the rest of the 20th century. Although Doole is unincorporated, it has a post office, with the ZIP code 76836.Zip Code Lookup

Education

Public education in the community of Doole is provided by the

Brady Independent School District Brady Independent School District is a public school district based in Brady, Texas (USA). In addition to Brady, the district also serves the town of Melvin. Located in McCulloch County, a small portion of Brady ISD extends into eastern Concho ...

References

External links

* * {{authority control Unincorporated communities in McCulloch County, Texas Unincorporated communities in Texas Ghost towns in Central Texas