Texas Almanac

 

 

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County Description from various years of the Texas Almanac

 

1904 Texas Almanac

Camp County is situated in northeast Texas, 70 miles south of Texarkana. Pittsburg is its county seat. Population in 1900, 9146. Property assessment 1903, 1, 538,085. The surface of the county is undulating, with a dark, interspersed with a lighter, sandy loam. It is made up of gently rolling hills, broken by beautiful spring branch bottoms, which are very fertile. The higher lands are a gray, sandy loam, easily cultivated and very productive. The county is well timbered in every section, furnishing ample fuel and material for fencing and building. The county is bounded on the north, the entire length, by Big Cypress, and on the south by Little Cypress creek, and feeding into both these streams are innumerable smaller spring branches, which water the county the entire year, making it an ideal stock country. The larger of these streams are Lillies, Prairie, Mill, Richland, Walkers and Puckett creeks,, which flow the year around. Moore's, Brushy, Lillies. Flannegan and Tittle's lakes, as well as the creeks, abound in fish, while the woods contain deer, turkeys, squirrels, opossums, raccoons and many other game animals. Bold springs of freestone water break from almost every hill, and good well water may be had at a depth of from 15 to 30 feet. One hundred and seventy feet below the surface is an inexhaustible supply of water; a well penetrating It can not be pumped dry. It Is not necessary to irrigate, as the moisture is entirely ample to make any kind of a crop. The principal crop is cotton, which yields one-half to one bale to the acre without fertilizers, and more when fertilized. Corn yields from 20 to 40 bushels per acre without fertilizer. In addition to these two principal crops, a tremendous quantity of fruits and truck are grown Irish potatoes make 150 bushels per acre; sweet potatoes. 200 to 400; ribbon cane, 400 to 600 gallons of the celebrated East. Texas syrup. In addition to the above, the Camp County truck growers annually ship solid cars of tomatoes, cantaloupes, peaches and cabbage. Large quantities of strawberries blackberries, dewberries, raspberries and plums are shipped by express. There are now nearly 1,000,000 peach trees growing in this county, due to bear next year. The farmers have constantly improved the breed of their live stock until they have the very best grades of fine cattle, hogs and poultry. The mineral resources of the county have never been developed. Inexhaustible quantities of fine iron ore exist in this county, huge quantities of it on the surface. There are large deposits of lignite, and outcroppings of lead, zinc and copper are found in many places. The prices of land vary from $3 to $30 per acre, according to location and improvements. There is now but one large body of land in the county. This, comprising ??'.? acres, has been in litigation for many years, but is now coming on the market. Good schools and churches are found in every community, with competent teachers and preachers. The scholastic population of the county in 1903 was over 2000. Two railroads traverse the county — the St. Louis Southwestern, from north to south, and the Missouri, Kansas & Texas, from east to west, affording ample shipping facilities. The junction point is at Pittsburg, the county seat, a thriving little city of 3000 inhabitants. Pittsburg has about 50 stores, which do an annual business of $1,750,000. It is the only town of any consequence in the county, it being a small county. Almost every farmer in the county and many from adjoining counties make it their trading point. It has a fine system of electric lights and telephones, a 60-ton ice plant, iron foundry and machine shops, cotton seed oil mill, furniture factory, crate factory, woolen mills, steam laundry, shingle mills and many smaller enterprises. The town has a $15,000 brick school building, a $10,000 Carnegie free library and many very handsome residences. They are now building a $20,000 Methodist church and a $15,000 Baptist church, while the Presbyterians have already a nice building. 

— J. P. LIGHTFOOT, Pittsburg.

- Texas Almanac and State Industrial Guide - 1904

 

 

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1910 Texas Almanac

Camp County was created out of a portion of Upshur County in 1874 and placed under organization that year; It was named In honor of J. L. Camp. The county claims a population of 15,000; Pittsburg, the county seat, has about 3,000. It is situated in Northeast Texas, 70 miles south of Texarkana. Big Cypress and Little Cypress Creeks are the principal streams; they are fed by innumerable small spring branches which water the entire county. The surface of the county Is undulating, with a dark, Interspersed with a lighter, sandy loam. It is made up of gently rolling hills, broken by spring branch bottoms, which are very fertile. The higher lands are a gray, sandy loam, easily cultivated and very productive. The county is well timbered In every section, furnishing ample fuel and material for fencing and building. Moore, Brushy, Lillies, Flannegan and Tittle Lakes, as well as the creeks, abound in fish, while the woods contain deer, turkeys, squirrels, opossums, raccoons and other game. Springs of freestone water break from almost every hill, and good well water may be had at a depth of 15 to 30 feet. It is not necessary to Irrigate, as the moisture is entirely ample to make any kind of a crop. The principal crop is cotton, which yields one-half to one bale to the acre without fertilizers, and more when fertilized. Corn yields from 20 to 40 bushels per acre. In addition to these two principal crops, a tremendous quantity of fruits and truck are grown. Irish potatoes make 150 bushels per acre, sweet potatoes 200 to 400, ribbon cane 400 to 600 gallons of the celebrated East Texas syrup. In addition to the above, the Camp County truck growers annually ship cars of tomatoes, cantaloupes, peaches and cabbage. Large quantities of strawberries, blackberries, dewberries, raspberries and plums are shipped by express. There are now about 1,000,000 bearing peach trees in the county. Grapes and figs are grown for home use. The farmers have constantly improved the breed of their live stock until they have the very best grades of fine cattle, hogs and poultry. The mineral resources of the county have never been developed. Large quantities of iron ore exist, much of it cropping out on the surface. There are immense deposits of lignite, and outcroppings of lead, zinc and copper are found in many places. Raw lands may be had for $5 to $20 per acre; cultivated lands for $10 to $30 per acre. The average annual rainfall is 45 inches. There were last year 3,731 cattle, 2,580 horses and mules, 2,229 hogs and a limited number of sheep and goats. The total assessed value of property last year was $2,626,470. It Is estimated that cattle shipments last year brought gross receipts of $25,000, and hogs $5,000. Dairying is carried on in a small way, the products sold last year amounting to about $10,000. It is estimated that the county has 50,000,000 feet of standing merchantable timber. Indications have been noted of both oil and gas, but there has been no development. The Missouri, Kansas and Texas and the Cotton Belt Railroads traverse the county, having 28.8 miles of track. It is understood that the Santa Fe will build a line from Long- view to Paris this year. The county has 20 cotton gins, one cotton seed oil mill, three saw mills, a box and crate factory, planing and finishing plant, and foundry and machine shops. The total investment In factories is about $350,000; the annual output of all amounting to about $750,000. There are 44 established free public schools, employing 39 teachers.

 

1911 Texas Almanac

Created from Upshur County in 1874 and organized the same year. Named for J. L. Camp. Area, 217 square miles. Situated In Northeast Texas In the center of a fine fruit region. Pears, plums, peaches, apricots and berries and all the smaller fruits are raised successfully. Soil and climate are admirably suited for garden truck and for the production of all staple crops. Water supply is ample and the drainage sufficient. There are also large deposits of iron and other minerals. Originally the county was heavily timbered, but much of the timber has been marketed and the lands put into cultivation. Pittsburg. the county seat, Is located on the Missouri. Kansas & Texas and the St. Louis & Southwestern Railroads. It has a cottonseed oil mill and other Industries, but receives its support and commercial prominence from the agricultural resources of adjacent territory. Lafayette Is another Important town In Camp County. 

- Texas Almanac and State Industrial Guide - 1910 -11

 

 

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