Grapeland, Texas

Everything Grapeland is known for

1 song mention this city 2 artists from here

Music in Grapeland

Songs About Grapeland

Houston County Sky
Whiskey Myers
3%
"You was a Peanut Queen"

Artists From Grapeland

A
Almost Legal Band
country Pop: 10
D
D.Millz
hip-hop Pop: 2

Rivers & Roads in Song near Grapeland

Songs written about the waterways and highways that run near Grapeland.

Trinity River 8 songs Interstate 45 2 songs U.S. Route 59 3 songs

History of Grapeland

Grapeland, TX RoadyGoat

Grapeland, Texas. Folks might drive right through on Highway 287, headed somewhere else. But this little town tucked in Houston County has a story to tell, especially if you know where to look. It's a place that punches above its weight, particularly when it comes to football.

Yarbrough, Joseph Randolph

1836

(Jan. 31, 1817 -- Mar. 26, 1867) A native of Louisiana, Joseph Randolph Yarbrough served in the Texas War for Independence from Mexico and was assigned to guard the camp opposite Harrisburg during the Battle of San Jacinto. He and his father, John Swanson Yarbrough, signed the petition requesting the creation of Houston county in 1837. In 1840, he married Phebe Clementine Crawford (1823-1907). They eventually settled in north Houston County near Grapeland and had a family of 11 children.

Historical Marker →

Lively, Jane Dotson

1822

(July 25, 1822 -- October 10, 1922) A native of Alabama, Jane Dotson Lively came to Houston County in 1850 with her husband Thomas Lively, for whom the surrounding community was named. An active leader of the settlement, she assisted in setting up a church and school on the family land. She was also known for her courage as a pioneer settler, her religious dedication and her influence in the development of Livelyville. Twice married, she was the mother of thirteen children.

Historical Marker → · 4.3 mi away

Wilson, Harding [Hop]

1921

Harding "Hop" Wilson, blues singer, guitarist, and harmonica player, was born in Grapeland, Texas, on April 27, 1921. (Some sources, including All Music Guide, list his birth year as 1927.) He was one of thirteen children of Charlie Watson and Alma B. Johnson. Wilson grew up in Crockett, Texas, where his family moved while he was very young. When he was a child, he was strongly influenced by recordings of Blind Lemon Jefferson , which inspired him to learn the guitar and harmonica. Wilson's nickname was derived from his ability to play the harmonica, or "harp," which he pronounced "hop." He played in local venues around Crockett when he was a teenager and worked at other odd jobs throughout the 1930s and early 1940s. He was drafted in 1942 and served with the United States Army until he was discharged in 1946. After returning to Crockett, he played local gigs while working in non-music-related jobs until the early 1950s. In the mid-1950s he joined drummer "King" Ivory Lee Semien, and for the next several years they worked clubs in East Texas and Louisiana. Wilson had a short recording career. He cut several tracks with Semien on the Goldband label in 1958. In 1960 he switched to the Ivory label, which Semien owned. Wilson recorded several tracks during 1960 and 1961. From 1961, the year in which he made his final recordings, until the mid-1970s, he also performed in Houston clubs, bars, and restaurants. Although he was virtually unknown outside of Houston, he was a local sensation who influenced numerous modern guitarists. Wilson is best known for his work on the eight-string Hawaiian steel guitar, which he helped popularize throughout the South during the 1940s and 1950s. He played the instrument in the country-and-western style on a stand or in his lap. His unique slide stylings had a significant influence on a variety of guitar players, including L. C. "Good Rockin" Robinson, Sonny Rhodes, Jimmie Vaughan, and Johnny Winter. Wilson was married to a woman named Glendora. He died of brain disease in Houston on August 27, 1975, and was buried in Mount Zion Cemetery, Grapeland.

Tsha Handbook →

Woodard, Franklin Columbus

1850

(April 1, 1847 -- January 31, 1911) Alabama native Franklin Columbus Woodard settled in this area with his parents about 1850. After being educated as a teacher, Woodard graduated from medical school in 1887 and later moved his family to Grapeland to start his medical practice. In 1898 Woodard was ordained a Baptist minister. A prominent civic leader and mason, he served terms as mayor and school board president. Twice married, he was the father of fifteen children.

Historical Marker →

Latexo, TX

1900

Latexo, previously known as Stark's Switch, is an incorporated rural community five miles north of Crockett on U.S. Highway 287 and State Highway 19 in north central Houston County. It was established in 1872, when the International and Great Northern Railroad was constructed through the area. The railroad built a small siding to serve nearby Stark's Sawmill, and a community, known as Stark's Switch, developed. Just after 1900 the Louisiana Texas Orchard Company purchased 3,000 acres surrounding the settlement and platted a town named Latexo, an acronym of the company's name. A post office opened in 1907, and by 1914 the town had a lumberyard, a sawmill, two general stores, two physicians, and an estimated population of 200. Most area farmers made their living from fruit, cotton, and lumber. A school was established shortly after the town was platted, and in 1915 it became the first Houston County school to offer courses in agriculture. The town prospered from 1910 into the 1920s, and by the early 1930s it had a population of 400 and three businesses. In the mid-1930s Latexo had several churches, a sawmill, and a number of houses. After World War II many of its residents moved away, and by 1950 its population had dwindled to 100. The town continued to decline during the 1960s and early 1970s, reaching a population of ninety-three, served by two businesses, by 1975. During the 1980s, spurred by the growth of nearby Crockett, Latexo began to grow again, and in 1990 it reported a population of 329 and four businesses. In 2000 the population was 272. The town still had Baptist and Methodist churches. A new city hall, a fire station, and a school complex were constructed during the 1980s.

Tsha Handbook → · 6.9 mi away

Things to Do in Grapeland

food 20.8 mi away
Pint and Barrel Drafthouse

Gastropub in Old Town Palestine at 302 East Crawford Street. Craft beer, outdoor picnic seating, sandwiches and famously good fries. Closed Sundays.

Everything Near Grapeland

207 stories, landmarks & places within ~20 miles — the same local lore RoadyGoat plays as you drive through.

Explore Grapeland on the Map
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