Deadwood, Texas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Deadwood, Texas
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Deadwood Cemetery was created when Christeena LaGrone was buried there in 1847. She and her husband were the first Anglos to live west of the Sabine River in Panola County, Texas.
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 Deadwood, Texas
Location in Texas
Deadwood, Texas
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Panola |
| Elevation | 266 ft (81 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| Area code(s) | 430 & 903 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1379642 |
Deadwood, once known as Linus, is a small community in Panola County, Texas, United States. It is an unincorporated community, meaning it doesn't have its own city government. You can find Deadwood where Farm to Market Road 31 and Farm to Market Road 2517 meet, about 10 miles (16 km) east of Carthage.
Contents
The Story of Deadwood: A Texas Community
Deadwood has a long and interesting history, starting with its first settlers and growing into the community it is today.
Early Settlers and Family Roots
The Deadwood area was first settled in 1837 by Adam LaGrone and his family. They built their home near Socogee Creek after receiving a large land grant from the Mexican government. Deadwood was the very first community east of the Sabine River in Panola County.
Members of the LaGrone family played a part in important historical events. They fought in the Texas Revolution, the Regulator-Moderator War, and the Civil War. After the Civil War ended, Hiram Clark LaGrone, a grandson of Adam and a veteran, built a mill and a cotton gin. These businesses became the center of what would later become the town.
How Deadwood Got Its Name
The small settlement was first called Linus. However, when residents wanted to open a post office in 1882, they found out another town already had that name. So, at a town meeting, they chose the new name: Deadwood.
The LaGrone Family's Lasting Impact
The LaGrone family still owns much of the original land granted to them. Many family members are part of Deadwood's two churches: the Deadwood Methodist Church and the Deadwood Pentecostal Church. The Rev. Charlie and Clara Alexander LaGrone Family Community Center is located next to the Deadwood Methodist Church. Today, two LaGrone men, who are direct descendants of the town's founder, serve on the Commissioners' Court of Panola County.
Deadwood Cemetery: A Place of History
A family burial ground was started on the LaGrone farm in 1847 when Adam LaGrone's wife, Christeena, passed away. Adam was buried next to her nine years later. Even though the land wasn't officially recorded as a public cemetery until 1859, other community members were buried there before that time. The Deadwood Cemetery is still used today and is cared for by the descendants of the early pioneer families. It serves as an important reminder of Panola County's early history.
Growth and Changes Over Time
By 1885, Deadwood had about 50 people living there. It had two churches, a local school, and a steam-powered cotton gin and gristmill (a mill for grinding grain). Around 1900, a hotel was built, but it closed down a few years later. The local post office also closed in 1917.
In the mid-1930s, Deadwood had a church, a school, and two stores. Its population was reported to be 125 people in 1936. After World War II, the community's school joined with the Carthage school district, and the remaining businesses in Deadwood closed.
In 1990, Deadwood was a spread-out rural community with a population of 106. The population stayed the same in 2000.
American actor Powers Boothe is buried in Deadwood Cemetery.
