Levita is an unincorporated community in Coryell County, in the U.S. state of Texas.[1] According to the Handbook of Texas, the community had a population of 70 in 2000. It is located within the Killeen-Temple-Fort Hood metropolitan area.
History
Mont Simpson founded the town by donating property for public buildings and naming the townsite Simpsonville, but when the post office was built, the name had to be altered because there was already a Simpsonville in Texas. The town of Levita had three shops and 75 residents when the post office first opened in 1886. By 1914, the population had increased to 100. Levita was reportedly the third-largest consumer of products in the county, behind Gatesville and Copperas Cove, in 1909; this was likely accurate given its remote location. In 1911, the railroad arrived in Levita. Two churches, a Woodmen of the World lodge, a sizable flour mill, a gristmill, a gin, a barbershop, several physicians, a justice of the peace, a constable, several shops, a blacksmith shop, and the railroad were all present in the hamlet. Every month, there was a court. Better transportation made it simpler for locals to buy in Gatesville, which contributed to the town's demise. Then, in 1932, a fire nearly destroyed Levita. In 1941, the railroad stopped running local trains. A new post office had just been completed, a store was still open at that time, and there were two or three gas stations. Levita recorded 200 people living there for the majority of the 1930s and 1940s. By the late 1980s, Levita's population had dropped to 70 and remained at that level through 2000.[2]
Geography
Levita is located on Farm to Market Road 930 and 2412, 10 mi (16 km) northwest of Gatesville in Coryell County.[2]
Education
Early schools were housed in two-story wooden structures that were painted white and had exterior steps leading to the second floor. The youngest students were located downstairs near a play stage. Classes upstairs were attended by the older students. A rock schoolhouse was built afterward.[2] Today, the community is served by the Gatesville Independent School District.
References
- ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Levita, Texas
- ^ a b c Coward, Doris A. "Levita, TX". tshaonline.org. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
Municipalities and communities of Coryell County, Texas, United States | ||
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| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
This page was last edited on 22 October 2023, at 20:50