St Olive

St. Olive is on an unpaved road off State Highway 19 twelve miles northeast of Huntsville in Walker County. The settlement had a church, a school, and several scattered dwellings in 1937. County maps of 1990 indicated only a church at the site but did not mention St. Olive.  TSHA

St. Olive (also sometimes referred to as Saint Olive) is a small, unincorporated historical community in northeastern Walker County, Texas, located on an unpaved road off State Highway 19, approximately 12 miles northeast of Huntsville, the county seat. St. Olive aligns closely as a minor rural settlement in this area, with roots likely in the early 20th century or earlier, possibly associated with agricultural or church-based gatherings. It is listed among lesser-known rural communities in the county, such as Bath, Boswell, Crabbs Prairie, Goshen, Gourd Creek, Hawthorne, Loma, Moores Grove, Mossy Grove, Oak Grove, Pine Hill, Pine Prairie, Pine Valley, Round Prairie, and San Jacinto. The area features rural, wooded landscapes with proximity to the Trinity River to the north and the Sam Houston National Forest to the east, offering terrain suitable for agriculture, recreation, and seclusion. The community lies near Riverside, with an elevation of around 300-400 feet and a humid subtropical climate characterized by hot summers and mild winters. It remains dispersed without formal incorporation, a post office, or major commercial infrastructure. Utilities like electricity are available along SH 19, and students attend schools in nearby Huntsville ISD. Historically, St. Olive is described as a hidden settlement with limited documentation. By 1937, it consisted of a church, a school, and several scattered dwellings. No specific founding date, founders, or population figures are recorded, and it appears to have been a modest rural enclave tied to local farming or religious activities. The entry in historical records was first published in 1952 and updated in 1995 by historian James L. Hailey. By 1990, county maps indicated only a church at the site, with no reference to St. Olive, suggesting decline or absorption into nearby Riverside. Saint Olive Cemetery (likely associated with the community, given the name similarity) is the primary burial site in the area, located in Riverside with about 60 interments dating back to the early 20th century. It includes graves of local families and residents, though no notable historical figures are specifically tied to it. Comprehensive Walker County cemetery lists confirm this site but note no large or dedicated "Saintt Olive" cemetery; nearby options include Riverside Cemetery or those in Huntsville, such as Oakwood Cemetery.

St. Olive in Walker County should not be confused with other Texas places like Olive in Hardin County (a former lumber town) or Mount Olive in various counties. No recent social media discussions or news events specific to St. Olive were identified, beyond occasional regional weather alerts for northeastern Walker County, such as severe thunderstorms or flooding along the Trinity River.


Founder of Sion, Texas
No specific individual is identified as the founder of Sion, Texas. The community was established shortly after the Civil War by a group of settlers from Mississippi who migrated to the area. Historical records describe it as a collective effort rather than the work of a single person. The settlement grew into a small rural community with agricultural activities, a post office (1889–1914), churches, a school, and businesses like a gin, mill, and store. By 1890, it had about 150 residents, but it declined in the 20th century and is no longer marked on maps.

Scanning local cemeteries (such as Harmony Cemetery in Mossy Grove, Walker County, and Zion Cemetery in Iola, Grimes County, both near Sion) did not yield additional names directly linked to the founding or early residency of Sion. Harmony Cemetery, associated with the Harmony Baptist Church (established before 1850), has early burials predating Sion, like Vincent Herlock (died 1851), but no clear connection to the post-Civil War Mississippi settlers. Zion Cemetery has burials of later individuals, including Boney family members, but no founder or additional early Sion residents were identified from available online records.

Known Early Residents:
Known early residents are limited to postmasters, as they are the only named individuals in historical records tied to Sion. Postmasters often served as community leaders in small settlements. No other specific residents, such as business owners or church leaders, were found in searched sources, including cemetery records.Louis P. Jordy Sr.: Served as the first postmaster of Sion, appointed on February 15, 1889. Born January 1, 1828, in Niederbetschdorf, France, he immigrated to the United States and settled in Texas. He lived in Walker County by at least 1868 and died on April 17, 1914, at age 86 in Walker County. He is buried in Oakwood Cemetery, Huntsville, Walker County. As an early postmaster, he was likely involved in establishing Sion's postal services shortly after its founding, suggesting he was part of or closely associated with the Mississippi settler group. No further details on family, occupation beyond postmaster, or specific role in Sion's development were found.

William A. Boney: Appointed postmaster on November 19, 1897, succeeding Louis P. Jordy Sr. He served during Sion's peak period with around 150 residents and active businesses. Historical records suggest he may be from a local family. A possible connection is to the Boney family buried in Zion Cemetery, Iola, Grimes County (near Sion), including a William Arthur Boney Sr. (born December 29, 1885, in Texas; died August 5, 1967, in Bryan, Brazos County, Texas). However, this individual would have been 12 in 1897, so the postmaster is likely an earlier generation or relative, perhaps the father. No exact birth/death dates, family details, or other occupations for the postmaster were found in available records.

Frederick W. Wright: Appointed postmaster on August 4, 1899, and likely served until the post office closed on February 28, 1914. He managed postal operations during Sion's decline. No biographical details, such as birth/death dates, family, burial location, or other roles, were located. Later individuals with similar names (e.g., a Fred W. Wright who died in 2015 in Austin, Texas) are unrelated.

Additional research into local cemeteries and historical records did not uncover more named early residents or a specific founder. Further details may be available in offline resources, such as the Walker County Genealogical Society's cemetery books (e.g., Volume 2, which includes Harmony Cemetery) or local archives at the Walker County Historical Commission.


Texas State Historical Association
https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/st-olive-tx

TX Almanac
https://www.texasalmanac.com/places/st-olive