Kelbow (See Sion)
Sion, Formerly Kelbow, on U.S. Highway 75 seventeen miles northwest of Huntsville in
Walker County, was established by a group of Mississippi settlers who
arrived after the Civil War.
In the late nineteenth century the community had a blacksmith shop, a
gristmill, a general store, a drugstore, and a post office that operated
from 1889 until 1914. In 1890 Sion had a population of 150, two
churches, a general store, three livestock agents, and two sawmills
nearby. In 1914 the population was still 150, but the only businesses
were a sawmill and a general store. The community school met in the
Harmony Church building until it burned in 1899. After the fire, a new
school building was constructed, and six grades were taught there.
Classes continued to be held in the Sion school until 1940. In 1937 the
settlement had two sawmills, one store, a factory, a school, and
numerous scattered dwellings. In 1990 the Texas Almanac listed Sion but offered no additional information. TSHA
Texas State Historical Association
https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/sion-tx
TX Almanac
https://www.texasalmanac.com/places/sion
Sion (also historically spelled Scion) is a small, unincorporated
historical community in northwestern Walker County, Texas, located on
State Highway 75 (formerly U.S. Highway 75), approximately 17 miles
northwest of Huntsville, the county seat. It is situated in a rural
area characterized by wooded terrain, sandy-loam soils, and proximity
to the Sam Houston National Forest to the east, with a humid
subtropical climate featuring hot summers and mild winters. The
community remains dispersed without formal incorporation, a post office
(which closed in 1914), or major commercial infrastructure. Utilities
like electricity are available along SH 75, and students attend schools
in nearby Huntsville ISD. No current population data is recorded, but
it has persisted as a rural enclave with minimal growth, listed in the
1990 Texas Almanac without additional details.
Historically, Sion was established shortly after the Civil War by a
group of settlers from Mississippi. The community school initially met
in the Harmony Church building until it burned in 1899, after which a
new school was constructed where six grades were taught until 1940. By
the late 19th century, it included a blacksmith shop, gristmill,
general store, drugstore, and a post office that operated from 1889 to
1914. In 1890, the population was 150, with two churches, a general
store, three livestock agents, and two nearby sawmills. The population
remained at 150 in 1914, when the only businesses were a sawmill and a
general store. By 1937, the settlement featured two sawmills, one
store, a factory, a school, and numerous scattered dwellings. The
community declined after the railroad bypassed it, shifting economic
activity elsewhere, but it avoided complete abandonment unlike nearby
ghost towns such as Cincinnati or Elmina.
No dedicated Sion Cemetery exists in Walker County. The community's
historical association with Harmony Church suggests burials may have
occurred at nearby Harmony Cemetery, located about 10-15 miles
southeast near Huntsville, which dates to the 1860s and includes graves
of early settlers like the Murray and Goolsby families (once known as
Herlock Cemetery). Comprehensive Walker County cemetery lists confirm
Harmony but note other nearby sites in the northwest, such as
Billingsley Cemetery or Mount Zion Cemetery (in Galilee, with over
1,000 interments from the 19th century, including Civil War veterans).
These sites contain graves of early settlers and local families, but
none are exclusively tied to Sion.
Sion in Walker County should not be confused with other Texas places
like Scion in Denton County or unrelated sites. No recent social media
discussions or news events specific to Sion were identified, beyond
occasional regional weather alerts for northwestern.
