Centre Spring

Chicota, near the Red River one mile north of Pat Mayse Lake and fifteen miles north of Paris in northern Lamar County, was established in 1879, when it received a post office. Capt. Robert Draper started a store at the site called Center Springs. From Indians trading at the store he heard of Checotah in Indian territory and chose the name for the post. In 1884 Chicota had a post office, four churches, and a district school with 100 White pupils and two teachers. The population was forty-five. The town grew to 225 residents in 1892. In 1914 Chicota had a population estimated at 100 and seven businesses. By 1936 it had a church, a cemetery, a couple of businesses, and a number of scattered dwellings. Throughout the 1940s and 1950s the population was estimated at 212. In 1980 Chicota had a cemetery, a school, four businesses, one church, three surrounding churches, and a number of scattered dwellings. In 1990 the population was estimated at 125. The population remained the same in 2000.

Adapted from the official Handbook of Texas, a state encyclopedia developed by the Texas State Historical Association (TSHA). It is an authoritative source of trusted historical records.