New Taiton, Texas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
New Taiton, Texas
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 New Taiton, Texas
Location in Texas
New Taiton, Texas
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Wharton |
| Elevation | 135 ft (41 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
77437
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| Area code(s) | 979 |
New Taiton is a small place in Wharton County, Texas, in the United States. It's called an "unincorporated community." This means it's not officially a town with its own local government.
You can find New Taiton in the northwestern part of Wharton County. It sits where two main roads meet: State Highway 71 (SH 71) and Farm to Market Road 961 (FM 961). This spot is north of El Campo, Texas. Signs on both SH 71 and FM 961 will show you where New Taiton is.
The land around New Taiton is mostly used for farming. Farmers grow many crops here. There are also several oil and gas wells nearby. These wells help to get energy from the ground.
History of New Taiton
The area where New Taiton is located was first settled by Americans in 1886. Later, in 1894, many new families arrived. These were Czech and German immigrants. They came looking for good farmland close to El Campo.
The community was first called Tait. But in 1896, it got a new name: Taiton. This happened when the first post office opened there. In 1901, a man named Ignace Jurasek gave land for a new school. This new school replaced an older one.
By 1903, a general store opened, run by B. E. Medina. A dance hall was also built for people to gather. Two years later, in 1905, the school had 75 students and one teacher. Besides raising cattle, farmers grew corn, cotton, rice, and watermelons.
In 1910, Taiton's population grew to 800 people. The town had a dry-goods store, a produce buyer, and several grocery stores. In 1912, the Saint John Nepomucene Catholic Church was built.
After 1915, Taiton's population started to get smaller. By 1926, the school had two teachers and 104 white students. It also had four Black students. But only about 20 people lived in the town itself. The post office closed in the 1930s.
Meanwhile, a new community called New Taiton appeared on a map in 1936. It had a church, a factory, and several homes. In the 1940s, the Taiton school joined with the Rancho Grande community school. They moved to a new place.
By 1947, the Taiton area had about 80 residents. It still had the church, school, and two stores. On a 1960 map, New Taiton and Jones Creek were shown. But the original Taiton was not marked anymore. The New Taiton Oil Field is located northeast of New Taiton, near the Colorado River.
By the 1960s, the Taiton area covered about 35 square miles. About 325 people lived there. New Taiton also had a cotton gin and three other businesses. By 1989, New Taiton had a church, a town hall, a factory, and four other businesses.
Geography of New Taiton
New Taiton is located on State Highway 71 (SH 71). It is about 8.9 miles (14.3 km) north of El Campo. It is also about 10.2 miles (16.4 km) south of Garwood. You can reach New Taiton from Wharton by traveling about 17.0 miles (27.4 km) west. You would take FM 961 and Business U.S. Route 59.
West Mustang Creek flows south, about one or two miles west of the community. The Taiton Community Center is at the corner of SH 71 and FM 961. County Road 370 goes west from this intersection. The Saint John Nepomucene Catholic Church and its cemetery are a short distance east on FM 961.
Images for kids
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Taiton Community Center is at Hwy 71 and FM 961.
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St John Nepomucene Catholic Church is on FM 961.
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Community sign is on Hwy 71 looking north-northwest.
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St John's Catholic Church cemetery is on FM 961.
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Crops are next to FM 1160 north of New Taiton. The four distant white tanks are on an oil lease.
