Shiloh

Shiloh, also known as Lo and Luther, is on Farm Road 1953 six miles south of Mexia in northern Limestone County. The town was named for the Civil War battle at Shiloh, and the name Lo may have been an abbreviation of Shiloh. The area was first settled in 1865, when J. E. Tooke planted the first cotton. A post office named Lo was established in 1894. In 1897 the name was changed to Luther, after Luther Jernigan, an early merchant. After protests it was changed back to Shiloh. By 1890 the community had a school for Black students and a school for White students; the latter had 112 pupils and one teacher. In 1940 Shiloh had a population of forty and two businesses. In 1946 the community had two churches and a cemetery. Shiloh School was consolidated with the Mexia district in 1968. The churches were still in existence in 1982. From 1975 to 1990 the population was 110. The population more than doubled to 250 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.