Tabor

Tabor is on Farm Road 974 nine miles north of Bryan in northwestern Brazos County. Maj. M. J. Tabor settled at the site in 1873, and by 1876 twelve families lived in the community. In 1884 a general store was built nearby, and in 1888 John Tabor opened a post office in the general store, giving his name to the post office and the community. The second floor of the general store was used for Woodmen of the World meetings and eventually as a dance hall and recreation center. Private-tuition schools operated in the community before 1889, when four school districts were organized in the Tabor area. By 1896 Tabor had two general stores and a flour mill and gin. Tabor served as a postal and business center for several dispersed school or church communities, including Blanton, Alexander, Cottonwood, and Walker. The original settlers of Tabor were Bohemian, German, Anglo, and Black; around 1900, Italian immigrants arrived at the community. A cotton gin was operating in Tabor in 1908. Several local schools were consolidated with those of Tabor in 1915. In 1935 a five-room consolidated school in town served 126 White students, and four one-teacher schools outside of town served 159 Black students. In 1940 the community reported thirty residents and four businesses; it also had a number of dwellings, a church, and a cemetery. In 1946 the Tabor School was consolidated with that of Kurten, and the school building was then used as a community center. The population of Tabor grew to 60 in 1950, 90 in 1965, and 150 in 1970. It was still reported at 150 through 2000.