Weldon is an unincorporated community in Houston County, Texas, United States. According to the Handbook of Texas, the community had a population of 131 in 2000.
History
The Weldon area was settled sometime after the Civil War. A post office was established at Weldon in 1869. The community became a lumber town when the Waco, Beaumont, Trinity and Sabine Railway built a track through the settlement in the 1880s. With 150 residents in 1885, the community's businesses consisted of saw and gristmills, a cotton gin, two general stores, a drugstore, and a meat market. It continued to be a successful community in the 1910s and 1920s and by the 1930s, the population grew to 200 and still had several businesses. It plunged to 80 by 1950, then grew to 131 from 1990 through 2000.[1]
On May 11, 2021, an EF0 tornado struck Weldon.[2]
The Beaumont and Great Northern Railroad operated an orphan line from Livingston to Weldon.[3]
Geography
Weldon is located on Farm to Market Road 230, 21 mi (34 km) south of Crockett in southern Houston County.[1]
Education
The community's first school opened in either the 1870s or 1880s.[1] Weldon is served by the Lovelady Independent School District.
USAAF TB-25C Plane Crash
On July 14, 1945, a USAAF North American TB-25C (trainer variant) suffering apparent engine trouble crashed one mile northwest of Weldon, killing 11 passengers and crew. The airplane exploded into flames upon impact with the ground, scattering wreckage over an area of 400 yards.[4]
Notable people
- M. B. Etheredge: Born in Weldon, was awarded the Texas Legislative Medal of Honor by the Texas Legislature for his actions during battle in World War II.
- Quentin P. Smith, airman who served as a B-25 bombardier with the Tuskegee Airmen during World War II.[5]
References
- ^ a b c Weldon, TX from the Handbook of Texas Online
- ^ Storm Events Database May 11, 2021 (Report). National Centers for Environmental Information. National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved August 27, 2021.
- ^ "BEAUMONT AND GREAT NORTHERN RAILROAD". Retrieved March 10, 2020.
- ^ Mireles, Anthony J (2006). Fatal Army Air Forces Aviation Accidents in the United States, 1941-1945 (Volume 3: August 1944 – December 1945). McFarland and Co.
- ^ "Front and Center with John Callaway: Tuskegee Airmen". Pritzkermilitary.org. 2008. Retrieved February 5, 2015.
Municipalities and communities of Houston County, Texas, United States | ||
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| Unincorporated communities |
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| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
This page was last edited on 31 October 2023, at 22:12