Cashion

Cashion is located off State Highway 240 about eight miles north of Wichita Falls in northeastern Wichita County. Settlement began in the area about 1897, when Hi Willis purchased land. In 1902 a one-room schoolhouse was built on donated land and named for T. J. Cashion, a county commissioner. Twelve students attended class that year. The school burned in 1915 but was rebuilt the following year. Area farmers attended informal church services until a Baptist church was formally organized in 1913. They dedicated a new church building in 1918. The discovery of oil in the area in 1918 led to a significant influx of residents. One producing well was on the church property. In the 1920s the Cooper, Friberg, and Bacon schools consolidated with Cashion, and the school was enlarged to accommodate a three-year high school. Eventually a new brick building and gymnasium were built, and Cashion expanded to a four-year high school. In 1930–31 the scholastic population was 286. The Cashion School also served as a community center. As oil production declined in the 1930s, the population of Cashion dropped. In 1936 the high school closed, and by the early 1940s the school consolidated with Burkburnett. The school and its furnishings were auctioned in 1945. No population estimates were available for Cashion from the 1940s through the 1990s. By 2000 the town had incorporated and reported 550 residents. A Texas Historical Marker, erected in 1993, honors Cashion School.