Editing Maud, Texas (section)

==History==
Maud is situated by the [[St. Louis Southwestern Railway]], near [[U.S. Route 67 in Texas|U.S. Highway 67]] in southern Bowie County. The territory around Maud, known before the Republic of Texas era as the Red River Country, was among the earliest settled areas, but Spanish claims to the land, outlaws from the [[Neutral Ground (Louisiana)|Neutral Ground]], and general lawlessness discouraged extensive development. Before the city of Maud was established, the historic Trammel Trace road went just south of the city, where the crossing of the [[Sulphur River]] was made via [[Epperson's Ferry]].<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Pirtle|first1=Jack L.|last2=Pinkerton|first2=Gary|date=|title=Trammel's Trace|url=https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/trammels-trace|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=February 7, 2021|website=The Handbook of Texas}}</ref>

After the railroad reached the site in 1870, a community gradually began to emerge. The town was named for Maud Knapp, daughter of Samuel D. Knapp, the first postmaster and the donor of land for the townsite. A post office opened in 1881, closed the next year, then reopened in 1893. By 1910, the population of the town had reached 300, and by 1940 it had grown to 750. During [[World War II]], the [[Red River Army Depot]] and the [[Lone Star Army Ammunition Plant]] were built {{convert|6|mi|0}} north of the community. These two facilities provided jobs for many Maud citizens. In 1982, Maud had eleven rated businesses and an estimated population of 1,059. The two military installations remained the largest employers of Maud residents. In 1990, the community population was 1,049.{{cn|date=September 2024}}