Editing Crockett, Texas (section)

== History ==
[[Image:Warfield House in Crockett, TX IMG 0992.jpg|200px|left|thumb|Warfield House in Crockett]]
The town was named after [[Davy Crockett]],<ref>{{cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ | title=The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States | publisher=Govt. Pr Off. | author=Gannett, Henry | year=1905 | pages=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ/page/n95 96]}}</ref> who had camped nearby on his way to the [[Alamo]]; the site was very near the [[Old San Antonio Road]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=TSHA {{!}} Gossett, Andrew Edwards|url=https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/gossett-andrew-edwards|access-date=2021-04-29|website=www.tshaonline.org}}</ref> Andrew Edwards Gossett, a Texas Revolution soldier from Maury, [[Tennessee]], along with his father and brother, donated the land for the town in 1836, and named it after Crockett, whom they had previously known.<ref name=":0" /> The town was incorporated in 1837, and a post office was granted the following year. Crockett was connected to [[Nacogdoches, Texas|Nacogdoches]] by stage service. In 1839 raids by the Alabama-Coushatta and Cherokee Indians forced the town's residents to take shelter in the fortified log courthouse. Crockett was a training center for [[Confederate States Army|Confederate]] conscripts during the [[American Civil War|Civil War]].

The railroad came through in 1872, enabling Crockett to exploit the county's timber resources. By 1885 the town was thriving with a population of 1,200, and the following year a school was opened for black girls. It evolved into [[Mary Allen Seminary|Mary Allen Junior College]], which operated into the 1970s. In 1904 [[lignite]] mining started, peaking about 1910. The stands of timber were seriously depleted by the 1920s. The population was over 3,000 in the mid-1920s, and by 1936 it was nearly 4,500. The population of Crockett increased while most of [[East Texas]] declined after [[World War II]]. It had reached 5,000 by the 1960 census.<ref>[http://www.texasescapes.com/EastTexasTowns/CrockettTexas.htm Crockett Texas and Crockett Texas Hotels Motels<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

During this time, one of the first loop roads in the nation ([[Texas State Highway Loop 304|Loop 304]]) was built around the city. This traffic reliever was procured through the works of heavyweight politicians who called Crockett home. [[Blues]] singer [[Lightnin' Hopkins]] was once arrested in Crockett. In recent years, the economy of Crockett has expanded with the construction of new retail space on Loop 304. Several historic buildings in downtown have been renovated to accommodate new office and service space. Renewed interest in reserves of [[natural gas]] in the surrounding area has led to construction of energy infrastructure and receipt of royalty revenues for land.

In 2023, the local [[Walmart]] commissioned a mural for their store.   When a photo of the completed mural was published in the newspaper, [[African-Americans]] were outraged that it included cotton plants.   Walmart later removed the mural.  <ref>[https://messenger-news.com/2023/10/23/walmart-mural-sparks-controversy/  Walmart Mural Sparks Controversy]</ref>