Fincastle
Poynor, Henderson County, Texas
Marker Inscription
One of the earliest settlements in Henderson County, Fincastle developed during the early 1850s. At that time, this part of the state was a center of economic activity with a growing number of plantations and farms. In 1851 John Tindel (1796-1864) purchased 1091 acres in the Juan Jose Martinez survey and later platted the community townsite. He laid out fourteen lots, measuring 60 feet long and 70 yards deep. The community attracted farmers, tradesmen, professional people, and other settlers who came to Texas. Fincastle was the scene of much activity during the Civil War, as Capt. William H. ("Howdy") Martin came in 1861 to raise troops. In addition, a quartermaster and commissary department was established here. By 1880 Fincastle had several stores, a blacksmith shop, cotton gins, saloons, a combination drugstore and doctor's office, several churches, and a school. Farmers from surrounding areas came here to sell their cotton and produce and to buy supplies for their homes and farms. About 1900, most of the members of the settlement moved to the county seat of Athens, and Fincastle declined. A church, the Pioneer Cemetery, and the nearby home of John Tindel are all that remain of this early trade center.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Fincastle grew up in the early 1850s as one of Henderson County's first settlements, when the area bustled with new plantations and farms. John Tindel bought more than a thousand acres in 1851 and platted the townsite, drawing farmers, tradesmen, and professionals. The town saw brisk activity during the Civil War as Captain William H. "Howdy" Martin raised troops and a Confederate commissary operated here, but by around 1900 most residents had drifted to the county seat at Athens, leaving a church, a pioneer cemetery, and Tindel's home as its only remnants.
Why it matters
Fincastle traces the full life cycle of an antebellum Texas trade town—settlement, Civil War mobilization, and slow abandonment—now marked mainly by the graves of its founders.
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Related people
- · John Tindel
- · Capt. William H. "Howdy" Martin
Related events
- · Civil War
Themes & tags
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