Oakville, Texas facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Oakville, Texas
Unincorporated community
Oakville with historic markers
Oakville, Texas Location in Texas Show map of Texas Oakville, Texas Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	Texas
County	Live Oak
Elevation	171 ft (52 m)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP codes	78060
GNIS feature ID	1343034

Oakville is a small community in Live Oak County, Texas, United States. It's not a city with its own government, but it's a recognized place. You can find it along Interstate 37, northeast of George West. Oakville is about 171 feet (52 meters) above sea level. Even though it's not an official city, Oakville has its own post office with the ZIP code 78060.

The Story of Oakville

Oakville started as a stop for stagecoaches. This was soon after the Texas Revolution. In 1856, a community officially began when a local landowner gave some land.

Becoming the County Seat

Oakville quickly became the main town, or county seat, for Live Oak County. Its post office was the first in the county, opening in 1857. The community was first called Sulphur Creek, named after a nearby creek. Later, an advertisement in a newspaper gave it the name Oakville.

Growth and Challenges

After the American Civil War, Oakville grew into an important business center. It got the county's first bank and public school. A local newspaper, the Live Oak County Leader, started in Oakville in 1891.

In December 1914, a difficult event happened in Oakville. Two men, Ysidro González and Francisco Sánchez, were taken into custody. A group of local Mexicans helped them escape from the jail. During this event, Harry Hinton, who was the jailer, died. His name is now on the Texas Peace Officers' Memorial in Austin.

Changes and Decline

Oakville began to shrink after 1913. This was because a new railroad line was built through a different part of the county. This meant fewer people and businesses came through Oakville. In 1919, Oakville lost its status as the county seat. A new courthouse was built in George West, which then became the main town.

Images for kids

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  Historic Oakville post office