Lone Star is a ghost town in Cherokee County, Texas, United States. It was located at the junction of Farm Roads 235 and 2274, approximately thirteen miles northeast of Rusk, the county seat, in eastern Cherokee County.
History
The settlement was founded in the early 1880s by Henry L. Reeves, who established a store on the border of the G. Chisholm and F. S. Manchaca surveys. Reeves quickly became known for his hard-dealing tactics, and local farmers initially dubbed the place "Skin Tight." In 1883, a post office was granted, and the name of the community was officially changed to Lone Star.
By 1885, the settlement had a steam gristmill and cotton gin, a district school, a sawmill, a general store, and a population of 160. In 1893, a fire destroyed much of the town's business district, but most buildings were quickly rebuilt, and by the mid-1890s the population had grown to 300.
Decline
After 1900, Lone Star began to decline. When the Texas and New Orleans Railroad bypassed the town in 1903, many merchants and residents moved to the newly established community of Ponta on the railroad line. By 1915, the population had fallen to 200, and the post office was closed the following year.
Oil was discovered nearby in 1939, but the field was never very productive and was abandoned in 1960. As late as 1940, the small town still had three businesses and seventy-five residents, but after World War II, most of the remaining inhabitants moved away.
Present Day
In the early 1990s, only a badly weathered blacksmith shop remained at the site. A state historical marker was placed at the location in the 1980s. As of 2000, the population was reported as twenty. The site is listed in the U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System (GNIS feature ID 1378602) and is classified as a ghost town.
Geography
- Coordinates: 31°57′13″N 95°02′17″W
- Elevation: 509 ft (155 m)
- Time zone: Central (CST/UTC-6, CDT/UTC-5)
- Area codes: 430 & 903
