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Tarrant

Tarrant, Texas: The Forgotten First County Seat of Hopkins County

Tarrant, founded in 1842–43 by David Hopkins and named the first county seat of Hopkins County in 1846, was an early settlement that briefly flourished with a courthouse, jail, school, businesses, and even a newspaper. Its location near creeks made travel difficult, and after the county seat was moved to Sulphur Springs in 1870, the town rapidly declined. By 1871 Read more…
Sycamore

Exploring Sycamore, Texas: The Forgotten Town Near Decatur

Sycamore is a small unincorporated community in Wise County, Texas, about eight miles northeast of Decatur. Settled in the late 19th century and named for local sycamore trees, it once had stores, churches, a blacksmith shop, a cotton gin, and a post office opened in 1894. The post office closed in 1902, and the town declined as residents moved away. Read more…
Sweet Home

Explore Sweet Home, TX: A Forgotten Freedmen’s Ghost Town in Guadalupe County

Sweet Home is a historic African American community in southern Guadalupe County, located about eight miles southwest of Seguin along Elm Creek. It was established by formerly enslaved African Americans prior to 1877, making it one of the earliest Black settlements in the region. Freedmen families sought both independence and opportunity, creating a self-sustaining community with land, faith, and education Read more…
Sweden

Sweden, Texas: From Railway Stop to Ghost Town Mystery

Sweden, Texas, began in the late 19th century as a modest ranching and farming community in southwestern Duval County. Its location was strategic: the Texas–Mexican Railway, completed in 1881, passed nearby and provided access to trade routes connecting ranchers and farmers to larger markets. The settlement stood near Agua Poquita Creek, about four miles southwest of Benavides, in an area Read more…
Swastika

Swastika, Texas: The Forgotten Railroad Stop That Vanished from Maps

Swastika was a named location in Hale County, Texas, that appeared on maps from the 1920s through the 1940s. The site was situated in the Texas Panhandle, near Hale Center and south of Plainview. It no longer appears on modern maps, and there is little evidence that it ever developed into a permanent settlement. Historical Background Swastika is believed to Read more…
Shafter

Swartwout, Texas: Lost Riverport Town on the Trinity with Historic Marker

Swartwout, a now-vanished riverport in Polk County, Texas, was established in 1838. The townsite was laid out by James Morgan, Arthur Garner, and Thomas Bradley, who named it in honor of Samuel Swartwout, a New York financier. Swartwout was an important backer of Texas colonists and personally financed efforts that helped preserve the Texas Navy during the Republic era. His Read more…
Sutherland Springs

Discover Sutherland Springs: Texas Resort History and Outdoor Heritage

Sutherland Springs traces its beginnings to the late 1840s, when Dr. John Sutherland, Jr., a physician and early settler, built a plantation home overlooking the sulphur springs on Cibolo Creek. Known for their distinct mineral content, the springs were long valued by Indigenous peoples for their therapeutic qualities. In 1854, Sutherland formally platted the town, which quickly grew around the Read more…
Sunshine Hill

Sunshine Hill: Wichita County’s Highest Point and Forgotten Ghost Town

Sunshine Hill developed in the late 19th century as a small farming and ranching community in northwestern Wichita County, Texas. The settlement centered around the Sunshine Hill School, which was founded in 1889 on land donated by local settler C. P. Coble. Like many rural schools of the period, it was not only a place for education but also a Read more…
Sunnyside

Sunnyside, Texas: History of a Forgotten Ghost Town in Menard County

Sunnyside was a small rural settlement in Menard County, Texas, located on the rolling terrain of the Edwards Plateau. It emerged during the late 1800s and early 1900s as a community tied closely to local farming and ranching activity. Today, Sunnyside no longer functions as a community and is recognized as a ghost town. Early Settlement and Development The community Read more…
Sumpter

Sumpter, Texas Ghost Town – Trinity County’s Lost County Seat

Trinity County was created in February 1850, and Sumpter was chosen as its first county seat soon afterward. In the earliest years, county business and court sessions were conducted in the home of Solomon Adams, a local storekeeper and innkeeper who played a central role in the settlement. By November 20, 1855, the townsite was formally laid out, marking the Read more…