Francitas, Texas facts for kids
Francitas is a small community in Jackson County, Texas, in the United States. It's called an "unincorporated community" because it doesn't have its own local government like a city does. In the year 2000, about 760 people lived there.
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Where is Francitas?
Francitas is located in the southeastern part of Jackson County. You can find it along a road called FM 616. It's about 28 miles south of a town called El Campo. It's also about 30 miles east of Victoria.
A Look at Francitas's History
Early Settlers and Naming
In the late 1890s, a small group of French families moved to this area and started a community. Because of these French families, railroad workers later named the place Francitas.
Growing the Community
In 1909, a company called Valley Fruit Farm and Garden Company started selling land lots to encourage more people to move there. The next year, more land was bought from a local rancher named Lafayette Ward. This land was divided into more lots for new settlers.
Post Office and Railroad
The Francitas post office opened in 1911. C.O. Hardy was the first postmaster, which is the person in charge of the post office. In 1914, Francitas became a stop on the St. Louis, Brownsville and Mexico Railway line. This meant trains would stop there, helping the community grow.
Population Changes Over Time
The number of people living in Francitas changed a lot over the years. In 1940, the population reached its highest point with about 300 residents. There were also three businesses operating in the community at that time.
After the 1940s, the population went up and down. In the 1950s, about 100 people lived there. By the early 1960s, it grew to 200 residents. However, by 1990, the population dropped to only 30 people. Then, it started to grow again, reaching 143 residents in the year 2000.
Francitas still has its own post office today. Its ZIP code is 77961.
Education in Francitas
Students living in Francitas attend public schools run by the Industrial Independent School District.
