Davis Reynolds
New York, Henderson County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Henderson County pioneer Davis Reynolds (1800-1869) came to Texas in 1856 with his wife Catherine (1802-1871), their unmarried children, James, Julia, Catherine, and John H.; and several slaves. Traveling by wagon and foot, they journeyed from Gordon County, Georgia. Three married children, Almira Otts, Eliza Forester and George W., came later. Reynolds named his settlement New York as a sign of his hopes for its growth and prosperity. Reynolds donated land for the first community cemetery which came to be used by all neighboring families. The first marked grave is that of Reynolds' daughter Almira Otts (1838-1863). Davis and Catherine are among the many other members of the Reynolds family buried there. A combination school and church, used for many years by both Baptists and Methodists, was built on land given by the Reynolds' son John Harrison (1843-1903) in 1873. Reynolds' hopes for a big city were dashed when the railroad bypassed New York in 1901 and the town lost its post office. The village now consists of the Baptist church, cemetery, and the store at this site. Owned by Reynolds descendants, the store continues to serve the New York community and its neighbors in the same spirit in which it was founded.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
In 1856, Davis Reynolds hauled his family — and several enslaved people — by wagon and on foot from Gordon County, Georgia, to Henderson County, Texas. Optimistic about its future, he named his settlement New York and donated land for the community's first cemetery, where his daughter's 1863 burial was the first marked grave. His hopes for a great city faded when the railroad bypassed New York in 1901, but the church, cemetery, and family store still endure.
Why it matters
The story of New York, Texas, captures both the ambition of Southern migration into antebellum Texas — built partly on enslaved labor — and the humbling power of the railroad to make or unmake a town.
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Related people
- · Davis Reynolds
- · Catherine Reynolds
- · John Harrison Reynolds
- · Almira Otts
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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