Stella, Fayette County, Texas facts for kids

Stella is what we call a ghost town in western Fayette County, Texas. A ghost town is a place where people used to live and work, but now very few or no one lives there anymore. Stella was located about eight miles southwest of a place called West Point.

What Was Stella?

Stella was once a small community in Texas. It was a place where people lived and tried to build a life. Over time, things changed, and the town became empty, earning it the name "ghost town."

How Stella Began

People started settling in the area of Stella during the 1870s. This was a time when many new communities were forming in Texas. By the 1880s, a post office opened there, but it was called "Stellar."

Around the year 1900, Stella had grown a bit. It had a store where people could buy supplies. There was also a voting precinct, which meant people living nearby could come to Stella to vote in elections. This shows it was an important spot for the scattered families in the area.

Why Stella Disappeared

The small community of Stella started to fade away in the early 1900s. The store, which was a central part of the town, closed down. When the store closed, the post office also shut its doors in 1909.

Another big reason for Stella's decline was the land itself. The soil in the area was rocky and sandy. Over time, farming used up the good parts of the soil, making it hard to grow crops. The farmland turned into pasture, mostly covered with post oak trees, and was no longer used for farming.

Stella Today

Even though Stella is a ghost town, the area still sees some activity. In the 1980s, people explored the area for oil. There was also some oil drilling happening. The land around Stella has also been used as a source for rock and gravel, which are important materials for building roads and other structures.