Borden, Texas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Borden, Texas
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Gail Borden, the namesake of the community
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 Borden, Texas
Location in Texas
Borden, Texas
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Colorado |
| Elevation | 328 ft (100 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| Area code(s) | 979 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1378033 |
Borden is a small, unincorporated community in southwestern Colorado County, Texas, United States. This means it's a place where people live, but it doesn't have its own local government like a city or town. It was named after Gail Borden, who was famous for inventing condensed milk. In 2000, about 60 people lived there.
Contents
History of Borden, Texas
How Borden Got Its Name
Before the American Civil War, this area was known as Harvey's Creek Settlement. After the war, Gail Borden, Jr., who founded the Borden Milk Company, returned to Texas. He named the community Bordenville after himself, his sons, and his brother, John P. Borden. They built their homes on the hills near the creek.
Railroad and Meat Company
The Galveston, Harrisburg, and San Antonio Railway finished building its tracks through the area in 1872. That same year, Gail Borden invested $125,000 in the Borden Meat Preserving Company. In 1873, the company built a slaughterhouse that could process 25 animals a day. It also had equipment to make "extract of beef," roast beef, and beef hash.
Growth and Changes Over Time
The new railroad, available jobs, and affordable land (which sold for $5 to $57 per acre) attracted many people to Borden. A post office opened on January 19, 1874, with John P. Borden as the postmaster. It stayed open until 1905, when mail was sent to Weimar instead.
The meat processing plant eventually closed. This happened because it cost more to ship processed meat by train than live cattle. However, by then, Borden had grown a lot. It had a train station, a hotel, a cotton gin, and many shops. More than 100 people lived there. In 1878, people described it as a "snug little town" surrounded by fields of corn, cotton, and cane.
In the 1930s, the main road was moved about half a mile south of the community. Some businesses moved to the new location. However, most homes and railroad offices stayed at the old site. The highway department also created Borden Lake, a 2-acre pond, and added picnic tables along the new U.S. 90 highway.
By 1948, almost all of Borden's businesses had closed. When I-10 was built in the late 1950s, even more traffic was diverted away. The Old San Antonio Road became Colorado County 217. By the 1980s, fewer than 50 people lived there, and only one business remained. Most of the land had returned to pasture. In 2000, the population was 60.
Geography of Borden
Borden is located in southwestern Colorado County, Texas. It sits between Interstate 10 and U.S. Highway 90, along the Southern Pacific Railroad. It is about 8 miles (13 km) west of Columbus, 4 miles (6 km) northeast of Weimar, and 80 miles (129 km) west of Houston.
Education in Borden
Gail Borden was also involved in education. In 1874, he built a school for white children and a separate school for black children, known as a freedmen's school. Both schools continued to operate. In 1948, the schools in the Borden area joined together to become part of the Weimar Independent School District.
