Leary

Leary is on Interstate Highway 30 and the St. Louis Southwestern Railway of Texas, ten miles west of Texarkana in eastern Bowie County. It was named for an early settler, Daniel T. Leary. A post office was established there in 1894 with James T. Wiggins as postmaster and remained in operation until the 1960s. By 1914 the town reported a population of seventy-five. After that, population began to decline, reaching a low of twenty-five by 1925. During World War II two military installations, the Red River Army Depot and the Lone Star Army Ammunition Plant, were built just south of the town, and Leary began to grow again. By 1945 the town had a population of 100 and two rated businesses. By 1954 it had grown to 350. The town was incorporated in 1964. In 1982 Leary had a population of 253 and no rated businesses. Most of its residents were employed at the two military installations. In 1990 the population was 395. That figure increased to 555 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.