Tag: Tennessee Colony
Tennessee Colony is an unincorporated community in western Anderson County, Texas, United States. It lies just off U.S. Highway 287 northwest of the city of Palestine, the county seat of Anderson County. Its elevation is 364 feet (111 m).
It is about 170 miles (270 km) south of Hugo, Oklahoma.
Tennessee Colony was established in 1847 by settlers from Tennessee and Alabama, who named their settlement for one of their home states. Cotton plantations were established, including the Jackson Plantation, which was at one time among the largest plantations in East Texas.
As of 1884 Tennessee Colony boasted a population of 200 and three churches, a school, a steam-powered gristmill, and a cotton gin. Population declined to just 100 people by 1914, rose again to 300 in 1927, but again declined during the 1930s. In 1941 there were 150 people in Tennessee Colony. Beginning in 1965 when the Coffield Unit was started, the construction and operation of state prisons have increased the local…
