The History of Eustace, Texas
Eustace is a small Henderson County town between Cedar Creek Lake and Athens with a history typical of the railroad era — and a naming story all its own. Laid out at the turn of the 20th century and built up around a new rail line, the town went through two names before settling on the one it carries today, honoring a popular Confederate veteran.
Here's how Eustace came to be.
A Town Built by the Railroad
Eustace grew up around 1900, when the Texas and New Orleans Railroad extended its line eastward from Kemp to Athens and W. L. Moseley sold town lots along the tracks.
As so often happened in frontier Texas, the railroad drew the community to it: businessmen from nearby settlements packed up and moved to be closer to the new line, and a town quickly took shape along the tracks. The promise of reliable shipping and trade made the new rail town the place to be in that corner of Henderson County.
Three Names in One Year
The young town went through a remarkable series of names. It was first called Moseley, after W. L. Moseley, who had sold the railroad right-of-way across the Beltram survey and sold the first lots in the new town. It was also known as Jolo, in honor of Joe L. Pickle, the town blacksmith, and a Jolo post office was established in 1900.
But that same year the name changed again — this time for good. The town and its post office were renamed Eustace, after Capt. W. T. Eustace, a popular Confederate Civil War veteran. By 1904 the town had three churches, two general stores, a grocery store, a blacksmith, a restaurant, a saloon, and a cotton gin.
Schools and the Modern Town
Eustace was incorporated in 1926, and by 1989 the town had twenty-six small businesses, five churches, and a school with some 1,000 students.
Through the 20th century Eustace settled into life as a small farming and railroad town. The building of Cedar Creek Lake to the west in the 1960s added a recreational dimension to the area, and today Eustace is a quiet community between the lake and Athens, anchored by its schools and its location in the lake-and-woods country of Henderson County.
Timeline
1900
The Texas and New Orleans Railroad extends east from Kemp to Athens; businessmen move to the new rail town.
1900
First called Moseley and then Jolo, the town and post office are renamed Eustace for Confederate veteran Capt. W. T. Eustace.
1900
The 1900 census reports a population of 150 at the new community.
Notable People
Capt. W. T. Eustace
A popular Confederate Civil War veteran for whom the town was renamed in 1900, after it had briefly been called Moseley and Jolo.
FAQ: History of Eustace
The town was renamed Eustace in 1900 for Capt. W. T. Eustace, a popular Confederate Civil War veteran. Before that, in the same year, it had been called Moseley (after W. L. Moseley, who sold the first lots) and Jolo (after blacksmith Joe L. Pickle).
Before settling on Eustace, the town was first called Moseley, after W. L. Moseley, who sold the railroad right-of-way and the first lots, and then Jolo, in honor of town blacksmith Joe L. Pickle. Both names were used in 1900 before it became Eustace.
The town developed around 1900, when the Texas and New Orleans Railroad extended its line from Kemp to Athens, drawing businessmen to the new rail town. Its first post office dates to 1900.
Eustace grew up along the Texas and New Orleans Railroad, which extended east from Kemp to Athens in 1900. As was common in frontier Texas, businessmen from nearby communities moved to be closer to the new rail line, and a town quickly formed along the tracks.
East Texas guides
Region-wide guides that put Eustace in context — where to go, what things cost, and how people actually live here.
A Brief History of East Texas
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