Malakoff

Malakoff is at the junction of State highways 31 and 198 and Farm roads 2636, 3062, and 3441, eight miles west of Athens in western Henderson County. The area was first settled by Jane Irvine, a widow from Alabama, who immigrated with her family to the area before 1835 and built a gristmill on Caney Creek 1½ miles north of the site of the present town. A small community, known as Caney Creek, grew up around the mill. In 1852 the name was changed to Mitcham Chapel after a Methodist church of the same name organized by the Rev. Hezekiah Mitcham. Around 1854 the town applied for a post office under the suggested name of Mitcham or Purdon. Both names had previously been used, so postal officials in Washington suggested the name Malakoff, after a Russian fortification where the battle of Malakoff took place during the Crimean War. The town's residents accepted the idea, and in 1885 a post office was granted. On the eve of the Civil War Malakoff was a thriving community with a church, several mercantile stores, a blacksmith's shop, a saloon, two cotton gins, and a subscription school. Cotton, the town's most important product, was hauled by ox wagon to the Trinity River and shipped downstream.

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.

Belongs to

Malakoff is part of or belongs to the following places.

Adopt a Town

The Texas Almanac's Land Rush program lets you adopt the town, county, or lake of your choice and share your message with the world. 100% of the proceeds benefit education in Texas.

Currently Exists

Yes

Place type

Malakoff is classified as a Town

Associated Names

  • (Caney Creek)
  • (Mitcham)
  • (Purdon)

Locations

  • Latitude
    32.17236100
    Longitude
    -96.01635700

Has Post Office

Yes

Is Incorporated

Yes

Proud to call Texas home?

Put your name on the town, county, or lake of your choice.


Search Places »

Malakoff by the Numbers

This is some placeholder text that we should either remove or replace with a brief summary about this particular metric. For example, "We update population counts once per year..."

Population Counts

Malakoff
Pop. Year Source
2,179 2020 United States Census Bureau
2,442 2019 Texas Demographic Center
2,324 2010 United States Census Bureau
2,257 2000 United States Census Bureau
2,038 1990 United States Census Bureau