Hawthorne
Hawthorne, on Farm Road 2778 some sixteen miles southeast of Huntsville
in Walker County, was named for the hawthorn bushes that flourished in
the area. The community was served by a post office from 1902 to 1919;
J. L. Gustine was postmaster in 1914. By 1911 Hawthorne had a school
with classes through the seventh grade, and in 1914 the town had a
population estimated at twenty-five and a general store, drugstore, and
gin. In 1929 the Hawthorne school and two other area schools
consolidated with those of nearby New Waverly. Around 1936 Hawthorne had
a lodge, a community school, a seasonal industry, two gravel pits, two
churches, and numerous dwellings. By the 1940s the community comprised
two businesses and a school. A cluster of churches served the
surrounding rural area in 1990. TSHA
Hawthorne is a historical, unincorporated community in southeastern
Walker County, Texas, named for the abundant hawthorn bushes in the
area. It is located on Farm-to-Market Road 2778, approximately sixteen
miles
southeast of Huntsville, with coordinates around 30°32'05"N 95°23'43"W
and an elevation of about 220 feet. The area features gently rolling
terrain with sandy soils supporting pine forests and rural farmland.
A post office operated from 1902 to 1919, with J. L. Gustine serving as
postmaster in 1914. By 1911, the community had a school offering
classes through the seventh grade. In 1914, Hawthorne included a
general store, a drugstore, a cotton gin, and an estimated population
of twenty-five. The school consolidated with those of nearby New
Waverly and two other area schools in 1929.
Around 1936, the community featured a lodge, a community school, a
seasonal industry, two gravel pits, two churches, and scattered
dwellings. By the 1940s, it had two businesses and a school. No further population estimates are documented after 1914, and no
businesses or post office persisted beyond the mid-20th century.
The community included a significant African American presence, with an
Old African-American Burial Ground serving as the resting place for
many Black founders; burials there ceased in the late 1890s, after
which a new, larger site was established nearby in the early 1900s. The
old burial ground, now on private residential property with no
visible markers remaining, includes recorded interments such as Dave
Hill (b. 1834), Eady Hill, David Howard (1856–1882), Eliza Stanley
Spriggs (1820–1936), and William "Billy" Spriggs (1815–1903). By 1990,
a cluster of churches served the surrounding rural area, but
no other active institutions or structures are associated with
Hawthorne today, indicating it has largely dispersed into the broader
countryside.
Dave Hill (b. 1834)
Limited historical records are available for Dave
Hill born in 1834. He may have been part of the African American Hill
family residing in or associated with Hawthorne, Texas, a small
historic community in Walker County known for its post-emancipation
African American settlers. No specific details on his life, occupation,
or family ties beyond potential connections to the local founding
families were found in genealogical or historical sources.
No direct information on Eady Hill was located. She is likely a
relative or spouse of Dave Hill, potentially sharing ties to the
African American community in Hawthorne, Texas. Records from the area
highlight families involved in farming and community building after the
Civil War, but specific mentions of Eady are absent.
David Howard (1856–1882)
Information is sparse. Born in 1856 and
dying at age 26 in 1882, he may have lived in Walker County, Texas,
possibly connected to Hawthorne's African American residents. No burial
records or biographical details were identified, though the year 1856
aligns with other local figures, suggesting possible family links in
the region's history.
Eliza Stanley Spriggs (1820–1936)
No confirmed records for Eliza Stanley
Spriggs (1820–1936) were found. If accurate, her lifespan of 116 years
would make her a notable centenarian, potentially born into enslavement
and living through Reconstruction and into the 20th century. She may
have been part of the Spriggs family in Hawthorne, Texas, an African
American community in Walker County. Related records include Norah
“Noah” Spriggs (1856–1927), born in Walker County and died in
Hawthorne, who could be a descendant or relative. Norah is buried in
Jasper Memorial Cemetery, indicating Spriggs family presence in the
area.
Limited details on William "Billy" Spriggs (1815–1903)
He may have
been a patriarch of the Spriggs family in Hawthorne, Texas, living from
the antebellum period through post-emancipation times. As with Eliza,
potential ties to African American founders of the community, but no
specific life events or occupations documented.
Hawthorne, Texas, is an unincorporated community in Walker County,
historically significant as a settlement for African Americans after
emancipation. The Old African-American Burial Ground there served as
the resting place for many black founders of the community. This site
underscores the area's role in Texas African American history, with
families like Hill, Howard, and Spriggs possibly among the early
residents involved in agriculture and community development. An African
American Hawthorne Cemetery is also mentioned in regional histories,
potentially linked to these individuals. Interfamily connections (e.g.,
through marriage or shared community) are plausible but unconfirmed in
available records. Further genealogical research, such as census data
or local archives, may reveal more.
Limited historical records are available for Dave Hill born in 1834. He
may have been part of the African American Hill family residing in or
associated with Hawthorne, Texas, a small historic community in Walker
County known for its post-emancipation African American settlers. No
specific details on his life, occupation, or family ties beyond
potential connections to the local founding families were found in
genealogical or historical sources.Eady Hill
No direct information on Eady Hill was located. She is likely a
relative or spouse of Dave Hill, potentially sharing ties to the
African American community in Hawthorne, Texas. Records from the area
highlight families involved in farming and community building after the
Civil War, but specific mentions of Eady are absent.
Information on David Howard (1856–1882) is sparse. Born in 1856 and
dying at age 26 in 1882, he may have lived in Walker County, Texas,
possibly connected to Hawthorne's African American residents. No burial
records or biographical details were identified, though the year 1856
aligns with other local figures, suggesting possible family links in
the region's history.
No confirmed records for Eliza Stanley Spriggs (1820–1936) were found.
If accurate, her lifespan of 116 years would make her a notable
centenarian, potentially born into enslavement and living through
Reconstruction and into the 20th century. She may have been part of the
Spriggs family in Hawthorne, Texas, an African American community in
Walker County. Related records include Norah “Noah” Spriggs
(1856–1927), born in Walker County and died in Hawthorne, who could be
a descendant or relative. Norah is buried in Jasper Memorial Cemetery,
indicating Spriggs family presence in the area.
Limited details on William "Billy" Spriggs (1815–1903). He may have
been a patriarch of the Spriggs family in Hawthorne, Texas, living from
the antebellum period through post-emancipation times. As with Eliza,
potential ties to African American founders of the community, but no
specific life events or occupations documented.
The Old African-American Burial Ground there served as the resting
place for many black founders of the community. This site underscores
the area's role in Texas African American history, with families like
Hill, Howard, and Spriggs possibly among the early residents involved
in agriculture and community development. An African American Hawthorne
Cemetery is also mentioned in regional histories, potentially linked to
these individuals. Interfamily connections (e.g., through marriage or
shared community) are plausible but unconfirmed in available records.
Further genealogical research, such as census data or local archives,
may reveal more.
Texas State Historical Association
https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/hawthorne-tx