Alexander, Texas facts for kids

Alexander is a small, unincorporated community located in the southern part of Erath County, in Central Texas, United States. An unincorporated community means it's a place where people live, but it doesn't have its own local government like a city or town. Alexander is situated along Texas State Highway 6 and Fm-914.

History of Alexander, Texas

Alexander started out with a different name. Around the 1870s, when a post office was first approved, it was called "Harper's Mill." The name changed in the 1880s. This happened when the Katy Railroad, a famous historic railway line, built its tracks through the area.

The Arrival of the Katy Railroad

The Katy Railroad line was built from east to west. It connected places like Waco to Stamford. There was also a branch line that went to Cross Plains from De Leon. The railway made Alexander an important stop for people and goods.

The Cotton Belt Route and Town Growth

In 1907, another railway, the Stephenville North and South Texas Railway, also known as the Cotton Belt Route, was built. This line ran from north to south. It crossed paths with the Katy Railroad's line right in Alexander. This meeting point of two major railways made Alexander a very important place for business in the area. The Cotton Belt Route connected Stephenville to nearby Carlton.

Changes and Decline

Over time, railway lines sometimes close down. On October 17, 1934, the Cotton Belt Route stopped running from Stephenville to Hamilton. The Katy Railroad continued to operate through Alexander for several more decades. However, it was eventually abandoned in the late 1960s. The Alexander post office closed its doors in 1970. Since then, the population of Alexander has stayed around 40 people from the 1970s all the way through the year 2000.