Reilly Springs

Reilly Springs (Reily Springs), a rural community nine miles southeast of Sulphur Springs at the junction of Farm roads 1567 and 2560 in southeastern Hopkins County, was named for James Reily, who in 1841 and 1842 bought up several tracts of land in the county that had been given to soldiers as pay for service in the Texas Revolution. One of the early wagon trails from Shreveport, Louisiana, passed through the land. A camping place at a group of springs grew into a village called Reily Springs. After the Civil War a number of businesses were established in the area, including two gins, a gristmill, a sawmill, and a brick kiln. In 1867 Steve Tucker built a store and gin, and a tanyard operated in the community for several years. A post office was granted in 1871, but the post office officials mistakenly changed the spelling to Reilly. In 1885 Reilly Springs had two steam gristmills and cotton gins, three churches, and an estimated population of 200. A school was built the same year on land donated by Col. J. A. Weaver. By the turn of the century the town had three schools, which during the 1905–06 school year had a combined enrollment of 189. At its height during the 1920s Reilly Springs had an estimated population of 300. The town began to decline in the early 1930s, and by 1939 the population had dwindled to sixty. In 1948 Reilly Springs was the site of a justice court, a voting precinct, two churches, a store, a gin, and a three-teacher school. The town's population continued to decline after World War II, falling to forty in 1952. The school and stores closed, and by the mid-1970s the town had only the Methodist and Baptist churches, a cemetery, and the old school building, which was used as a community center. In the late 1980s Reilly Springs was a dispersed rural community. The population in 1990 was forty-four. The population remained the same in 2000.

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J. E. Jennings | © TSHA

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Adapted from the official Handbook of Texas, a state encyclopedia developed by Texas State Historical Association (TSHA). It is an authoritative source of trusted historical records.

Belongs to

Reilly Springs is part of or belongs to the following places:

Currently Exists

Yes

Place type

Reilly Springs is classified as a Town

Associated Names

  • [Reily-]

Location

Latitude: 33.00595150
Longitude: -95.54523170

Has Post Office

No

Is Incorporated

No

Population Count, 2009

75