The History of Hallsville, Texas
Hallsville sits on U.S. Highway 80 in southwestern Harrison County, roughly midway between Longview and Marshall in the East Texas Piney Woods. Its story runs from a frontier fort to a railroad townsite to one of the fastest-growing bedroom communities in the region — a tale of forts, rails, and steady reinvention.
Here's how Hallsville came to be.
Fort Crawford and First Settlement
The area was first settled in 1839, when W. C. Crawford built Fort Crawford about a mile west of present-day Hallsville as protection against Indian raids on the East Texas frontier. The fort became the nucleus of early community life: by 1849 it is reported to have had a post office and a two-story building that served as church, Masonic hall, and school — the only school in western Harrison County until 1868.
For its first three decades the settlement was a rural frontier locale in the wooded country between the Sabine and the Big Cypress. That changed when the railroad arrived nearby, pulling the community off the old fort site and onto the rails.
The Railroad and the Hall Name
In 1869 an independent Southern Pacific Railway built a line a mile north of Fort Crawford, and the settlers moved to meet it, establishing a new townsite along the tracks. The community was named for two Kentuckians, Elijah and Volney Hall — Volney Hall served as a vice president of the old Southern Pacific, which was soon rechartered as the Texas and Pacific. The town received its charter on August 13, 1870.
A post office opened in 1869 under the spelling 'Hallville,' and the first business in the new community was a saloon. In the early 1870s Hallsville boomed into a trade center of some fifty businesses, shipping cotton, wool, and hides out to market on the rails.
Ups, Downs, and Modern Growth
The boom did not last unchallenged. The Texas and Pacific reached Longview in 1872 and shifted its operations to Marshall in 1873, draining away much of Hallsville's western trade and population. The town settled into a quieter rhythm as a farming and railroad community, its name finally re-spelled from 'Hallville' to 'Hallsville' in the 1920s; it reincorporated in 1935.
The modern chapter has been one of remarkable growth. After the mid-1960s, Hallsville grew steadily, reaching about 2,096 residents by 1988, 2,772 by 2000, and roughly 4,500 today. Its location on U.S. 80 and Interstate 20 between Longview and Marshall, paired with a sought-after school district, turned the old railroad town into a thriving Harrison County bedroom community.
Timeline
1839
W. C. Crawford builds Fort Crawford about a mile west of present Hallsville as frontier protection.
1849
The fort site has a post office and a two-story building used as church, Masonic hall, and school.
1869
The Southern Pacific Railway builds a mile north; settlers move to the rails and a 'Hallville' post office opens.
1870
The town, named for Elijah and Volney Hall, receives its charter on August 13.
1872–1873
The Texas and Pacific reaches Longview and shifts operations to Marshall, slowing Hallsville's trade.
1920s
The town's name is re-spelled from 'Hallville' to 'Hallsville'; it reincorporates in 1935.
Notable People
W. C. Crawford
Built Fort Crawford about a mile west of present Hallsville in 1839; the fort was the first settlement and the seed of the community.
Elijah & Volney Hall
The Kentucky brothers for whom Hallsville is named when the railroad townsite was platted in 1869–1870; Volney Hall was a vice president of the old Southern Pacific Railway.
FAQ: History of Hallsville
Hallsville is named for two Kentuckians, Elijah and Volney Hall. Volney Hall was a vice president of the old Southern Pacific Railway that built through the area in 1869, and when settlers moved to the new railroad townsite, the community took the Hall name.
Fort Crawford was built in 1839 by W. C. Crawford about a mile west of present Hallsville for protection on the frontier. By 1849 it had a post office and a two-story building used as church, Masonic hall, and school — the only school in western Harrison County until 1868.
Hallsville was chartered on August 13, 1870, after the Southern Pacific Railway built through in 1869 and settlers relocated from Fort Crawford to the rails. It boomed early to about fifty businesses, shipping cotton, wool, and hides.
After the mid-1960s Hallsville grew steadily, from about 2,096 residents in 1988 to roughly 4,500 today. Its spot on U.S. 80 and Interstate 20 between Longview and Marshall, plus a sought-after school district, made it a popular bedroom community.
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