Leverett's Chapel, Texas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Leverett's Chapel
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 Leverett's Chapel
Location in Texas
Leverett's Chapel
Location in the United States
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Texas |
| County | Rusk |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP codes |
75684
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| Area code(s) | area codes 903 and 430\903, 430 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1339841 |
Leverett's Chapel is a small place in Rusk County, Texas, United States. It is called an unincorporated community. This means it is a settlement that is not part of an official city or town. Instead, it is governed by the county.
In the year 2000, about 450 people lived there. Leverett's Chapel is also part of the larger Longview, Texas metropolitan area.
Contents
Discovering Leverett's Chapel's Past
Early Settlers and Their Journey
Long ago, a Cherokee village was located near Leverett's Chapel. Later, in the 1850s, the Leverett family arrived. They traveled a long way from Savannah, Georgia by oxcart.
The family first lived in a log house. In 1937, they moved into a larger, more grand home. When they came from Georgia, they brought along people who were enslaved. They also brought cattle and supplies. These supplies helped them build their farms. Other families, like the Christians and Russells, also joined them.
The Oil Boom Changes Everything
Life in Leverett's Chapel changed a lot in December 1932. This was when oil was discovered there. Before this, the community mostly focused on growing cotton and farming.
The oil discovery brought many new people to the area. These new settlers needed places to live. They often stayed in garages, tents, or other temporary homes. From 1987 to 2000, the population stayed steady at about 450 people.
Where is Leverett's Chapel?
Leverett's Chapel is located in the northwestern part of Rusk County. You can find it along Texas State Highway 42. It is about 4 miles (6.4 km) from Overton. It is also about 7 miles (11.3 km) south of Kilgore.
Learning in Leverett's Chapel
Schools Through the Years
Education has always been important in Leverett's Chapel. Before 1890, E. A. Leverett and her family gave some land. This land was used for a building that served as both a school and a church.
The school grew over time. In 1933, it became the Leverett's Chapel Independent School District. During the 1933–1934 school year, it had as many as 600 students.
A Unified School System
For a while, there was a separate school for African American students. This was called the Starr-Bailey School. In 1966, the Starr-Bailey School joined with the Leverett's Chapel School. This created one unified school system. By the 1970s, the school had a good student-teacher ratio. There was about one teacher for every 13 students.
