Kirtley, Texas facts for kids
Kirtley is a small area in central Fayette County, Texas, in the United States. It's not an official town, but it's a place where people live. Long ago, this area was known by a different name: Primm.
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Where is Kirtley Located?
Kirtley is easy to find because it's right on Highway 71. It's also near the old tracks of the Missouri, Kansas, and Texas Railroad, which was often called the MK&T.
Early Days of Kirtley
Kirtley was first settled by a man named Dr. William Primm. He was an early settler from Virginia and owned a very large piece of land. This land included a big farm, or plantation, with many acres where crops were grown. After slavery ended, about 80 workers helped keep the farm running. They grew a lot of cotton, sometimes harvesting hundreds of bales each year.
What Was the Original Town Like?
In the early 1900s, Kirtley was a busy little community. It had its own post office from 1902 to 1927. There were also two schools for grades one through seven. In the 1934-1935 school year, about 35 white students and 38 African American students attended these schools.
Farming was the main job in Kirtley back then. Farmers grew crops like cotton, corn, and sugarcane. Later in the 20th century, mining for sand and gravel became more common.
There were a few businesses in the old town. Mr. Inge owned a grocery store. Anton Elias had a cotton gin, which was a machine that separated cotton fibers from their seeds. He also owned a saloon. These businesses were located across the railroad tracks from the main road. This road connected the towns of La Grange and Smithville.
Some of the first families to settle in Kirtley were the Mikulenkas, Richards, Millers, and Taneckas. They were mostly farmers.
The Old Cemetery
The community was centered around a cemetery. This land originally belonged to Dr. Primm. Some of his family members, like his wife Seelia and son St. John, were buried there. In the 1950s and 1960s, people checked the cemetery and found only six graves. By 1986, the area had become a large gravel pit, and the cemetery was no longer visible.
Why the Name Changed to Kirtley
The area was first called Primm after Dr. William Primm. But in 1912, something happened that caused the name to change.
On April 7, 1912, two trains from the MK&T railroad were supposed to meet. Train #5 was traveling from Smithville, and Train #6 was coming from Houston. Train #5 was told to wait at Primm for Train #6. However, the engineer on Train #5 misread the order. He thought "Prim" (the railroad's name for Primm) said "Plum."
Because of this mistake, the two trains crashed into each other near West Point Hill. Luckily, no one was hurt. But because the names "Prim" and "Plum" sounded so much alike, it was decided that the town needed a new name to avoid future confusion. So, Primm was renamed Kirtley, after the person who was the postmaster of the town at that time.
Kirtley Today
Today, many people who live nearby don't even know that Kirtley was once a busy community. The area is now mostly known for sand and gravel mining. If you drive along the highway near Kirtley Road, you'll see many construction companies and places that sell sand or gravel.
