Mercury, Texas facts for kids

Mercury is a small, quiet place in McCulloch County, Texas, in the United States. It's not a big city with its own government, but more like a neighborhood. Back in 2000, about 166 people lived there.

You can find Mercury along a road called FM 502. It's in the northeast part of McCulloch County. It's also special because it's the community closest to the very center of Texas!

History of Mercury

Mercury was started in 1904. This happened soon after the Fort Worth and Rio Grande Railroad arrived. The railroad helped Mercury become a place where farmers could send their animals to market.

By 1914, Mercury was growing. About 550 people lived there then. But the town faced some tough times. Two big fires, one in 1919 and another in 1929, caused a lot of damage.

In 1938, a new highway was built. This highway went around Mercury, not through it. This made it harder for the town to grow. The number of people living in Mercury started to go down. By 1949, there were 360 residents. By 2000, the population was 166.

The Old Bank Building

Today, only one original building from Mercury's early days is still standing. This is the old Bank of Mercury building. Thomas Jefferson Beasley built it in 1903. It was used as both a bank and a general store.

Over the years, the building was owned by different people. But in 2012, Thomas Lee Beasley bought it. He is the grandson of the original builder! He is working to save what's left of the building.

Only the four outer walls and the strong vault remain. It's said that the vault has a special dome filled with sand. Thomas Jefferson Beasley had a clever idea. He thought if someone tried to blow up the safe, the sand would fall and cover everything. This would give people in town time to see what was happening!

Education

Students in Mercury go to school through the Rochelle Independent School District.