Hufsmith

Hufsmith, on Farm Road 2978 and the International-Great Northern railroad north of Tomball in extreme northern Harris County, was founded in 1872 as a station stop midway on the line from Spring to Navasota. It was named for Frank Huffsmith, a railroad superintendent. Local farmers grew cotton and potato crops. Early residents were Blacks who came after the Civil War, among them Anderson King, a former slave who gave land for a school. In 1905 the school had fifty Black students and one teacher. A Hufsmith post office operated from 1902 until the 1980s. In 1914 Hufsmith had a population of 150, four general stores, and a cotton gin. In 1936 the community had two churches, a school, and a sawmill. In 1940 the population was 250. In 1963 the community had a tavern, a liquor store, a laundry, a cafe, and two gas stations; by the 1980s only a cemetery, an abandoned railroad station, and scattered dwellings remained, but the population of the community was still reported at 250 in 2000.