The History of Arp, Texas
Arp is a small farming town in southeastern Smith County, about 18 miles from Tyler, with a history rooted in the railroad and the East Texas tomato trade — and one of the more unusual names in the region. Known first as Jarvis Switch and briefly as Strawberry before it took the pen name of a famous Southern humorist, Arp grew up as a shipping point for the produce of the surrounding farms.
Here's how Arp came to be.
Settlement and the Railroad
European-American settlement in the Arp area began in 1868, when John G. and Eliza Sartain purchased six acres of land from Henry Moore, marking the start of organized development. The community's fortunes changed in 1872, when the International–Great Northern Railroad pushed through and made the settlement a rail stop. The junction took the name Jarvis Switch, a nod to its function as a railroad switching point.
The railroad gave the area what every East Texas farm town needed: a way to get crops to market. That connection would shape Arp's identity for decades, turning the little stop into a shipping center for the produce grown across the surrounding countryside.
Tomato Country
Arp came of age in the heart of East Texas tomato country. Commercial agriculture took off around 1897, when local farmer J. W. Melton became the first citizen of the community to ship tomatoes to northern markets — tapping into the booming trade that made nearby Jacksonville famous as a tomato capital. The fertile sandy soils of southeastern Smith County proved ideal for tomatoes and other truck crops, and Arp's rail connection let growers ship their harvests far and wide.
The post office was established in 1898 under the name Strawberry, with Charles P. Orr as postmaster — another nod to the area's fruit-and-produce economy. Farming, and the shipping of its bounty by rail, anchored the town's early years.
Naming the Town for 'Bill Arp'
In 1899 the town was renamed Arp — not for a local figure, but for one of the most popular newspaper writers of the era. 'Bill Arp' was the pen name of Charles Henry Smith, a Georgia lawyer turned satirist whose humorous, folksy columns were widely read across the post-Civil War South. Honoring a beloved columnist with a town name was a distinctive choice, and it gave the little Smith County community its lasting identity.
Through the 20th century Arp remained a small, close-knit farming town, its rhythms tied to the land, the railroad, and its schools. Today it's a quiet rural community of around 1,000 residents that holds onto its agricultural roots while sitting within easy reach of Tyler's jobs and amenities.
Timeline
1868
John G. and Eliza Sartain purchase six acres from Henry Moore, beginning organized settlement of the area.
1872
The International–Great Northern Railroad arrives; the rail stop is named Jarvis Switch.
1897
Farmer J. W. Melton becomes the first local citizen to ship tomatoes to northern markets.
1898
A post office is established under the name Strawberry, with Charles P. Orr as postmaster.
1899
The town is renamed Arp, after 'Bill Arp,' the pen name of popular Southern newspaper humorist Charles Henry Smith.
Notable People
'Bill Arp' (Charles Henry Smith)
The Georgia lawyer and satirist whose folksy, widely read post-Civil War newspaper columns were so popular that the town of Arp, Texas was named for his pen name in 1899.
FAQ: History of Arp
Arp was named in 1899 for 'Bill Arp,' the pen name of Charles Henry Smith, a Georgia lawyer and satirist whose humorous newspaper columns were hugely popular across the post-Civil War South. The town honored the beloved columnist rather than a local figure.
The community was first known as Jarvis Switch after the International–Great Northern Railroad made it a rail stop in 1872. Its post office, established in 1898, was briefly named Strawberry before the town was renamed Arp in 1899.
Arp sits in the heart of East Texas tomato country. The fertile sandy soils were ideal for tomatoes and truck crops, and in 1897 local farmer J. W. Melton became the first citizen to ship tomatoes to northern markets, helping anchor the town's farming economy.
European-American settlement began in 1868, when John G. and Eliza Sartain bought six acres from Henry Moore. The arrival of the International–Great Northern Railroad in 1872 turned the settlement into a rail stop and shipping point for area farms.
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