The History of Troup, Texas
Troup straddles the line between southern Smith and northern Cherokee counties in the rolling hills near Tyler, and its history is the story of a true railroad town — one that was platted by a rail company, nearly burned to the ground, and then rebuilt and revived by East Texas oil. From its origins as a settlement called Zavalla to its heyday as a busy rail and oil town, Troup has shown a knack for renewal.
Here's how Troup came to be.
From Zavalla to a Railroad Town
The land around Troup was part of the Eason Gee survey and was settled as early as 1848 by Southerners — predominantly Virginians — though a real community didn't take shape until the railroad arrived. The first settlers came from the older communities of Old Knoxville and Old Canton, and the place was first known as Zavalla.
The turning point was 1872, when the International Railroad Company opened its Palestine-to-Troup line and surveyed and laid out the town's streets. Troup was platted in 1872–1873, taking its name — most accounts say — from a Georgia governor or county. Dr. James Rountree raised the first building in town that same year, a two-room structure moved over from Knoxville. A railroad town was born.
Fire and Rebirth
Troup's young life was nearly cut short on July 22, 1880, when a fire swept through and almost totally destroyed the town. For a frontier community built largely of wood, such fires were a constant danger and often a death sentence.
But Troup's townspeople refused to let the fire end their town. They immediately set about rebuilding, and the burned district was soon covered with even more substantial buildings than before — many of them brick. That determination to rebuild bigger and better became part of the town's character, and the new construction gave downtown Troup a sturdier, more permanent form that carried it into the next century.
The Oil Boom Era
Troup's greatest prosperity came with oil. The discovery and development of the vast East Texas Oil Field in the early 1930s — one of the largest oil fields in the world — transformed the whole region, and Troup, sitting on the rails amid the boom, became an important rail town for moving the field's enormous output.
The oil era brought jobs, business, and activity to Troup during the Depression years, cementing its role as a commercial center for the surrounding area. As the boom faded, Troup settled back into life as a small, close-knit town, but it kept the strong sense of history and community pride that those formative decades instilled. Today Troup remains a tight-knit town anchored by its 'Tiger' schools and its historic downtown.
Timeline
1848
Southerners, predominantly Virginians, settle the area, part of the Eason Gee survey; the place is first known as Zavalla.
1872
The International Railroad Company opens the Palestine–Troup line and surveys the town; Dr. James Rountree builds the first structure, moved from Knoxville.
1873
Troup is platted, taking its name from a Georgia governor or county.
1880
On July 22, fire nearly destroys Troup; townspeople rebuild with more substantial brick buildings.
1930s
The East Texas Oil Field boom makes Troup an important rail town and brings prosperity during the Depression.
Notable People
Dr. James Rountree
Raised the first building in Troup in 1872 — a two-room structure moved over from the older community of Knoxville — as the railroad town took shape.
FAQ: History of Troup
Troup grew up as a railroad town. Though the area was settled as early as 1848 (and first known as Zavalla), the community took shape in 1872 when the International Railroad Company opened the Palestine–Troup line and surveyed the town. Troup was platted in 1872–1873.
Most accounts say Troup was named for a Georgia governor — George Troup — or possibly a county in Georgia, when the railroad surveyed and laid out the town in 1872. The settlement had earlier been known as Zavalla.
Nearly. On July 22, 1880, a fire almost totally destroyed Troup. But the townspeople immediately rebuilt, and the burned district was soon covered with even more substantial buildings, many of brick — giving downtown a sturdier, more permanent form.
The East Texas Oil Field boom of the 1930s — one of the world's largest — transformed the region, and Troup, sitting on the rails amid the field, became an important rail town for moving oil. The boom brought jobs and prosperity during the Depression years.
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