Site of Town of Spivey, 1870s-1900
Paxton, Shelby County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Founded by Civil War veteran James Jackson Spivey; brothers Elisha P. and George W. Spivey lived nearby. In early days mail arrived by wagon. Houston East & West Texas Railroad crossed the founder's land, building Spivey Station, 1886. During late 1880s Hicks Lumber Mill and workers' houses were erected. U. S. Post Office was established in 1891, with Isaac W. Spivey, postmaster. Friendship Baptist Church was organized in 1890s with James M. Spivey, pastor. After 1900, town gradually moved over to Paxton Switch. Friendship Cemetery, with 33 graves, marks the old site.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Founded by Civil War veteran James Jackson Spivey, the town of Spivey grew up around a station on the Houston East & West Texas Railroad built across his land in 1886. A lumber mill, post office, and Baptist church followed, but after 1900 the community drifted over to nearby Paxton Switch, leaving only the Friendship Cemetery and its thirty-three graves to mark the site.
Why it matters
Spivey's brief life and quiet disappearance capture how East Texas railroad towns rose and vanished with the shifting fortunes of rail lines and timber.
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Related people
- · James Jackson Spivey
Themes & tags
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