Patonia

Patonia is on Farm Road 3152 ninety miles north of Houston in west central Polk County. The earliest permanent settlers moved into the area during the 1840s and established a cluster of small rural communities known collectively as the Louisiana Settlement. Patonia was named for Brantley M. Pate, who secured a post office for one of the little communities in 1912. In addition to his duties as postmaster, Pate also operated a turpentine distillery in the area, one of many such lumber-related industries present in Polk County during the era. Although the post office was closed by 1941, a few scattered residences remained as of 1984.