Huckabay, Texas facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Huckabay, Texas
Unincorporated community Census designated place
Huckabay Park
Huckabay, Texas Location in Texas Show map of Texas Huckabay, Texas Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	Texas
County	Erath
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)

Huckabay is a small community in Erath County, Texas. It is not a city, but an unincorporated community. This means it doesn't have its own local government like a city does. It's also a census designated place (CDP), which is an area the U.S. Census Bureau defines for collecting population data.

Huckabay is located about ten miles northwest of Stephenville. You can find it where State Highway 108 and Farm to Market Road 219 meet. In the year 2000, about 150 people lived there.

Huckabay's History

The community of Huckabay began in the late 1800s. Families from Arkansas and Tennessee moved west to settle the area. Some of these early settlers included John A. Huckabay, Ben Fincher, John and W.C. Copeland, John Gentry, Abe Metsgar, and John W. Jones.

They settled near the head of the Bosque River. This area was first called "Flatwoods." The name changed to Huckabay when John Huckabay started a post office there. Each family claimed about 160 acres of land to build their homes. After digging wells and building houses, they started building churches, schools, and other public buildings. Today, Ryan Patrick Huckabay is the mayor of Huckabay.

Businesses in Huckabay's Past

The first settlers in Huckabay worked hard to build their community. The very first buildings they made were a smokehouse and a storm cellar. A smokehouse was used to cure fresh meat, helping it last longer. The storm cellar was a cool place to store fruits and vegetables. It also offered protection during bad weather.

In the late 1870s, Huckabay started to grow. In 1879, Bill Rigsby bought a gin. This machine helped separate cotton fibers from their seeds. For a while, cotton was the main crop that supported the town. Later, peanut farming became important. When peanut production slowed down, the dairy industry took over. Producing milk is still a big part of the community's economy today.

The first store in Huckabay opened in 1878, owned by G.W. Glenn. Over time, Huckabay had many different types of businesses. There were general stores, drug stores, grocery stores, and blacksmith shops. The town even had a well-equipped cotton gin. These businesses were mostly located along Huckabay's main street. At one point, the town tried to start the West Texas State Bank, but it did not last.

Today, Huckabay is much smaller than it used to be. It now has only a school, two churches, and a few old houses. To remember its history, a historical marker was placed on FM 219 in 1975.

Churches of Huckabay

Huckabay, being a small community, had a few churches. The Church of Christ was one of the first, built in 1876. Two other churches, the Baptist Church and the Methodist Church, were both started in 1881. John Haven organized the Methodist Church, and Joe Lockhart organized the Baptist Church.

In 1910, the community bought three acres of land for one hundred dollars. They used this land to build a tabernacle. A tabernacle is a large building used for community and religious events. Even though it is over ninety years old, this old building is still standing today. It is used for annual Huckabay Homecoming Reunions. It also hosts many other school and community events.

Today, Huckabay still has two churches that hold regular services. The Huckabay Baptist Church is located near the tabernacle. The Huckabay Church of Christ is also located close by, up the hill from the tabernacle.

Population Information

Education in Huckabay

The Huckabay Independent School District serves students in the area. It is home to the Huckabay High School Indians.

Climate in Huckabay

Huckabay has a climate with fairly high temperatures. Rain is spread out evenly throughout the year. The Köppen Climate System calls this a humid subtropical climate. This type of climate is often shown with the abbreviation Cfa.

Images for kids

• 

  Huckabay, Texas

• 

  Huckabay Cemetery

• 

  Huckabay Baptist Church