Neylandville

Neylandville is on Farm Road 2874 ten miles northeast of Greenville in northeastern Hunt County. The settlement, originally an all-black community, began when James (Jim) Brigham bought his and his family's freedom from Robert Neyland, a planter who had owned land in the area. In the 1880s the residents formed a farmers co-op, which built a general store and a cotton gin and purchased a wheat drill and a wheat-harvesting machine. During the early 1880s St. Paul's School at Neylandville became the educational center for local black children. In 1886 the tracks of the St. Louis and Southwestern reached the town, and a post office operated in the community from 1888 to 1924. The St. Paul school district consolidated with the Commerce Independent School District in the late 1960s. Before 1940 it had been one of only a few black schools in the area to offer vocational courses. The trustees and superintendent were all African Americans. In 1954 and 1964 the population of Neylandville was estimated at 200. Neylandville incorporated in 1970, and in 1990 it reported ninety-four residents. By 2000 the population dropped to fifty-six.

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.