Fentress, Texas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Fentress, Texas
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 Fentress, Texas
Location in Texas
Fentress, Texas
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Caldwell |
| Elevation | 446 ft (136 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
78622
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| Area code(s) | 512 & 737 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1357289 |
Fentress is a small community in Caldwell County, Texas, United States. It is an unincorporated community, meaning it does not have its own local government like a city. In 2000, about 291 people lived there. Fentress is part of the larger Austin–Round Rock metropolitan area. The community was even featured in the novel The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate.
Contents
History of Fentress
Fentress started as a settlement called Riverside in 1869. A church was built there in the same year. Around 1870, Cullen R. Smith and Joseph D. Smith built a machine called a cotton gin. This machine used horses to separate cotton fibers from their seeds. Later, it was moved to the river and used water power instead. The Smith family continued to operate it until 1968.
In 1892, the community changed its name to Fentress. This was to honor James Fentress, a local doctor and landowner. He also took part in the Battle of Plum Creek. A post office opened in 1893 inside a general store. W.A. Wilson owned the store and became the first postmaster. Mail was sent between Luling and San Marcos.
By 1896, about 150 people lived in Fentress. The town had a doctor and a blacksmith. Fentress Waterworks started in 1898, providing water to the community. Four years later, in 1902, Fentress got electricity. A telephone company was set up in 1900. Around 1904, a local newspaper called the Fentress Indicator began. A Methodist church was organized in 1905, and its building was finished four years later.
Growth and Changes
By 1915, the number of residents grew to 300. Fentress had three general stores, a mercantile company, a meat market, a candy shop, a pharmacy, a gin, and a blacksmith shop. That same year, Josh Merritt and C.E. Tolhurst created a resort. It had swimming and camping areas, a waterslide, bathhouses, and screened tents with wooden floors.
The resort was sold within two years and became even bigger. In 1918, a water tower fell onto the community's bank. The cashier quickly ran into a vault and was safe. Some people thought this event was a sign.
Later Years
The population of Fentress reached its highest point around 500 people in the late 1920s. This was because of oilfield activity nearby, which lasted for 40 years. The Great Depression greatly affected Fentress. By 1940, the community had lost half its population, dropping to 250 residents.
Fentress continued to get smaller in the second half of the 1900s. Most businesses closed in the 1990s. By 1990, only 85 people lived there. The community had two businesses, two churches, a post office, a place for campers and people who float down the river, and a landing strip for skydivers. The population went up to 291 by 2000, but then dropped to 86 in 2010.
After President George H. W. Bush passed away, skydivers above Fentress formed the number 41 in the sky. This was a special way to honor him.
Geography
Fentress is located where State Highway 80 and FM 20 meet. This is in the southwestern part of Caldwell County. It is about eight miles northwest of Luling and 15 miles southeast of San Marcos. The closest big city is Austin, which is 42 miles to the north. Lockhart is also nearby, about 11 miles northwest along the San Marcos River.
Education
A one-room school building opened in Fentress in 1895. It offered classes for three months each year. In 1922, a new, two-story building with five classrooms and an auditorium was built. This new school replaced the old one. However, it closed in the 1940s. Students from Fentress then began attending schools in the Prairie Lea Independent School District, which still serves the community today.
Notable person
- Scott H. Biram, musician
Gallery
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Texas Historical Commission marker at Fentress United Methodist Church
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Fentress United Methodist Church
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US Post Office in Fentress
