Tazewell

Tazewell (Tasewell) a farming community on Farm Road 2297 six miles south of Sulphur Springs in south central Hopkins County, was first settled in the mid-1870s. Dr. Granville G. Kemper opened a store there in 1887 and secured a post office under the name Tazewell. The name is said to have come from a story involving a man named Tase. Reportedly, his wife asked him what they should name the town, and after much discussion, she suggested the name "Tase." Supposedly the husband replied, "Well," and the town was thus named Tasewell. The post office authorities accepted the name but changed the spelling to Tazewell. In 1890 the community had an estimated twenty-five residents, a gristmill and gin, a general store, and a shoemaker. Around 1900 a two-story building was constructed, and a Woodmen of the World Lodge occupied the upper floor. In 1904 the post office was closed, and local mail was sent to Sulphur Springs. The stores later closed, and by the mid-1930s the community had only a few widely scattered houses. No recent population estimates were available.

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.