Stoneham, Texas
Encyclopedia
Stoneham is an unincorporated community
in Grimes County, Texas
, United States
. The town was once a part of a colony operated by Stephen F. Austin
and by 1900, the population grew to 250. Although a ghost town by 1970, the town has since grown in population.
, a Baptist church was built. These buildings were the only public buildings until railroads were built in the town in 1879.
Later, farm families in the vicinity of Hurricane Creek began migrating onto a projected line of the Central and Montgomery Railway in 1879. In that same year, John H. Stoneham gave land for a railroad commission and the town was named "Stonehamville" after him in his honor. The name was later changed to "Stoneham" at an unknown date. In 1890, a total of thirty people lived in the town and by 1900, the town grew to 250 residents, most of which were of Polish descent. In 1932, however, the population dropped by about fifty residents after the town's business district was destroyed in a fire. After World War II
, the town's population dropped to 100. During this time, three white and three black schools were operated by the Stoneham Common School District.
It now serves as the location of the Navasota Independent School District
's High Point Elementary School, which is located on the northeastern-most edge of the town's jurisdiction.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
in Grimes County, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The town was once a part of a colony operated by Stephen F. Austin
Stephen F. Austin
Stephen Fuller Austin was born in Virginia and raised in southeastern Missouri. He was known as the Father of Texas, led the second, but first legal and ultimately successful colonization of the region by bringing 300 families from the United States. The capital of Texas, Austin in Travis County,...
and by 1900, the population grew to 250. Although a ghost town by 1970, the town has since grown in population.
History
The site occupied by present-day Stoneham was first settled by members of Austin's colony. In the 1840s, a Methodist meeting house was constructed and later, after the American Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, a Baptist church was built. These buildings were the only public buildings until railroads were built in the town in 1879.
Later, farm families in the vicinity of Hurricane Creek began migrating onto a projected line of the Central and Montgomery Railway in 1879. In that same year, John H. Stoneham gave land for a railroad commission and the town was named "Stonehamville" after him in his honor. The name was later changed to "Stoneham" at an unknown date. In 1890, a total of thirty people lived in the town and by 1900, the town grew to 250 residents, most of which were of Polish descent. In 1932, however, the population dropped by about fifty residents after the town's business district was destroyed in a fire. After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the town's population dropped to 100. During this time, three white and three black schools were operated by the Stoneham Common School District.
It now serves as the location of the Navasota Independent School District
Navasota Independent School District
Navasota Independent School District is a public school district based in Navasota, Texas that enrolls approximately 3,000 students.The district encompasses in southern Grimes and Brazos counties and includes the City of Navasota along with the rural communities of Millican, Courtney, White Hall,...
's High Point Elementary School, which is located on the northeastern-most edge of the town's jurisdiction.