City of Appleby

CITY OF APPLEBY

LOCATED NINE MILES NORTHEAST OF DOWNTOWN NACOGDOCHES, APPLEBY WAS A COMMON RURAL COMMUNITY IN EAST TEXAS. THE HISTORY OF APPLEBY PROVIDES A BACKGROUND FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE AREA NORTHEAST OF NACOGDOCHES. IN 1840, PIONEERS BEGAN TO MOVE INTO THE AREA AND A MAN NAMED HERRAN BUILT A LOG HUT AND A TAR KILN THERE. SOON, MORE PIONEER FAMILIES BEGAN TO MOVE TO THE AREA AND A LOCAL SCHOOL WAS NEEDED.

APPLEBY GREW WHEN THE HOUSTON EAST AND WEST TEXAS (HE&WT) RAILWAY CAME TO THE AREA. THIS BROUGHT A SHIFT IN POPULATION AS THE CENTER OF THE COMMUNITY MOVED FROM THE SOUTH TO AN AREA ADJACENT TO THE NORTH OF THE RAILROAD. THIS MOVE WAS COMMON IN SMALL COMMUNITIES AS LIFE STARTED TO CENTER AROUND THE RAILROADS. IN 1889, W.T. SKEETERS OPENED THE FIRST STORE IN THE COMMUNITY ON THE NORTHEAST SIDE OF THE TRAIN TRACKS. IN 1889, THE HE&WT RAILWAY ACQUIRED PROPERTY FROM JOHN H. RICHARDSON, W.A. HUNT AND D.M. HANEY, WHICH WAS TO BE LAID OFF INTO A TOWN WITH A DEPOT STATION.

THE COMMUNITY WAS OFFICIALLY NAMED APPLEBY AFTER JAMES APPLEBY, AUDITOR OF THE HE&WT RAILWAY. AT ITS HEIGHT, APPLEBY HAD THREE CHURCHES, COTTON GINS, FIVE GENERAL STORES, A GRIST MILL, BOARDING SCHOOL, POST OFFICE, RAILWAY DEPOT, TELEPHONE EXCHANGE, BANK, BLACKSMITH SHOP, HARDWARE STORE, BARBER SHOP AND TWO DRUG STORES. APPLEBY DEVELOPED AS A DISTRIBUTION CENTER FOR THE AGRICULTURAL ECONOMY WITH COTTON AS THE CHIEF CROP. AS OTHER COMMUNITIES DEVELOPED, APPLEBY WAS UNABLE TO COMPETE WITH LARGER TOWNS. IT IS SIGNIFICANT FOR ITS EARLY GROWTH IN THE AREA AS A FOCAL POINT FOR LUMBER AND AGRICULTURAL ENTERPRISES.

(2014)

MARKER IS PROPERTY OF THE STATE OF TEXAS.