You’ll find New Danville’s ghost town remains in Gregg County, Texas, where a once-prosperous trading center flourished from 1840-1870. The settlement peaked at 1,000 residents, boasting 14 businesses and massive cotton production that relied on enslaved labor. When the International-Great Northern Railroad bypassed New Danville for Kilgore in the 1870s, the town rapidly declined. Today, only the Old Danville Cemetery and scattered brick foundations hint at deeper stories waiting to be uncovered.
Key Takeaways
- New Danville was a thriving Texas trade center with 1,000 residents until the International-Great Northern Railroad bypassed it for Kilgore in 1870s.
- The town’s decline accelerated after residents migrated to Kilgore, culminating in the closure of its post office in 1873.
- Today, only the Old Danville Family Cemetery, scattered brick foundations, and ancient wells remain from the original settlement.
- At its peak, New Danville supported 14 businesses and produced over 8,000 bales of cotton annually by 1860.
- The ghost town’s modern legacy continues through a new community serving adults with disabilities that bears its name.
The Rise of a Thriving Trade Center (1840-1860)
While many Texas settlements struggled to gain economic footing in the 1840s, New Danville emerged as an essential trade center serving the plantation-rich areas of Gregg County.
Founded by Kentucky settlers, you’d find this bustling hub attracting wealthy plantation owners from across the Old South, including prominent figures like Judge Goldthwait from Alabama, who brought 200 slaves to establish cotton operations.
The town’s prosperity led to a surge in development, with businesses selling their goods at prices like land at $5.00 per acre. The thriving community grew to include fifteen businesses and multiple churches that served the local population.
Daily Life in Antebellum Danville
Life in antebellum New Danville centered around a rich tapestry of religious, social, and economic activities that defined this East Texas community. You’d find daily labor revolving around essential services like blacksmithing, cotton ginning, and mercantile trade, with three to four stores supplying the town’s provisions. The community’s mule-powered gin processed cotton using a hand-fed system.
Daily life in New Danville blended faith, commerce, and community, as blacksmiths and merchants served the needs of this bustling Texas town.
The Gum Springs Presbyterian Church and New Danville Masonic Lodge served as focal points for communal gatherings, providing structure and moral guidance. Cotton production became vital to the region’s economy, as enslaved African people provided the labor that made plantations prosperous.
In this settlement of roughly 200 people, you’d see wooden homes scattered around a modest town center, where saloons offered informal meeting spaces for men.
Family life intertwined with agricultural pursuits, while education typically occurred through church-based instruction and informal community networks, reflecting the self-sufficient nature of this rural society.
Economic Heartbeat and Social Structure
New Danville’s bustling economy in the mid-1800s painted a stark contrast to its eventual decline. You’d have found about 14 thriving businesses, from general stores to saddle shops, serving a population that peaked at 1,000 residents.
The town’s economic heartbeat centered on plantation agriculture, with slaves making up 60% of the population. Cotton production dominated the local economy, with farms producing over 8,000 cotton bales annually by 1860. Polish immigrants arrived to settle in the area following the Civil War.
Social stratification was clearly defined – wealthy plantation owners dominated the top tier while enslaved African Americans formed the underclass.
After the Civil War, this structure shifted as freed slaves became tenant farmers and sharecroppers.
The town’s fateful decision to reject the railroad in the 1870s triggered a devastating economic decline. As neighboring towns embraced rail connectivity, Danville’s businesses shuttered, farms failed, and residents fled to more prosperous communities like Willis.
The Fateful Railroad Decision
During the early 1870s, a pivotal decision by the International-Great Northern Railroad forever altered New Danville’s destiny. The railroad’s strategy to bypass the established town in favor of founding Kilgore dealt a crushing blow to New Danville’s future.
Like many vital lifelines during the pre-highway era, railroads determined which towns would thrive or disappear. You can trace the economic impact through the rapid exodus that followed – as the railroad company purchased 174 acres for Kilgore’s development, New Danville’s residents and businesses quickly abandoned their roots for rail-connected opportunities. Local farmers and landowners had invested time and money into bringing railroads to their communities, but New Danville missed this crucial opportunity.
The transformation was swift and absolute. With roughly 1,000 residents shifting to Kilgore, New Danville’s essential institutions crumbled.
The mass exodus decimated New Danville, as residents abandoned the fading town for Kilgore’s promise of prosperity and progress.
You’ll find the most telling sign of the town’s demise in the 1873 closure of its post office. While Kilgore flourished with new steam gristmills, cotton gins, and banks, New Danville faded into obscurity.
Modern-Day Remnants and Historical Legacy
Today’s visitors to New Danville will find only whispers of its once-thriving community, with the Old Danville Family Cemetery standing as the most prominent reminder of the town’s existence.
Like many ghost towns in Texas, the settlement fell victim to railroad expansion bypass, leading to its eventual decline.
If you venture along Old Danville Road, you’ll discover scattered brick foundations, a dilapidated shack, and two ancient wells where a bustling trade center once flourished.
Historical markers now guide you through what was once a vibrant settlement of 300-381 residents.
The town was originally founded in 1840 as a trade center by Samuel and Joseph Lindley.
Where hotels, stagecoach stops, and cotton gins once operated, you’ll now see open fields with grazing horses.
The Shepherd Hill Cemetery and its preservation efforts serve as the last official evidence to this lost community.
Many descendants of original settlers still live nearby, while the modern New Danville community carries on the historical name through its service to adults with disabilities.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Native American Tribes Originally Inhabited the Danville Area?
Like an ancient YouTube channel, your tribal history shows the Bidai people primarily inhabited your area, while Comanche influence held cultural significance. The Tonkawa and other Atakapan groups also frequented the region.
Were There Any Notable Civil War Battles or Skirmishes Near Danville?
You’ll find Palmer’s Union forces engaged Confederate troops near Jones Creek outside Danville on April 8, 1865, resulting in six deaths and marking one of the war’s final skirmishes before Lee’s surrender.
What Happened to the Buildings and Materials After Danville Was Abandoned?
Wooden buildings rotted away while you’d find locals dismantling others for lumber. They’d salvage materials for new construction in Willis, leaving only stone foundations, chimneys, and Sheperd Hill Cemetery as lasting remnants.
Did Any Famous Outlaws or Historical Figures Ever Visit Danville?
While there’s no record of outlaw encounters in Danville, you’ll find one significant historical connection: Jonathan Lindley, who died fighting at the Alamo in 1836, was born in this Texas town.
What Natural Disasters or Epidemics Affected Danville During Its Existence?
You might be surprised, but there’s no documented evidence of hurricane impact or disease outbreaks affecting Danville. Historical records don’t show any major natural disasters striking this Texas town during its existence.
References
- https://communityimpact.com/conroe-montgomery/history/2019/02/19/the-city-of-danville-how-a-once-lively-community-lost-its-chance-to-prosper-and-became-a-ghost-town/
- http://www.countygenweb.com/txmontgomery/town_danville.htm
- http://sites.rootsweb.com/~txgregg/ghosttowns.html
- https://www.yourconroenews.com/neighborhood/moco/news/article/ghost-town-history-fostoria-waukegan-danville-19835994.php
- https://www.texasescapes.com/EastTexasTowns/Danville-TX-Montgomery-Co.htm
- https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=155630
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ghost_towns_in_Texas
- https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/danville-tx-montgomery-county
- https://www.texasescapes.com/EastTexasTowns/Danville-Texas.htm
- https://npgallery.nps.gov/pdfhost/docs/NRHP/Text/64500443.pdf
