Jewett, Texas

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Music in Jewett

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T
Texas Alexander
blues Pop: 6

Rivers & Roads in Song near Jewett

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

Interstate 45 2 songs Trinity River 8 songs Brazos River 16 songs

History of Jewett

Buffalo, TX RoadyGoat

Buffalo sits nestled in a landscape shaped by time and tenacity. The gently rolling terrain, a mere 374 feet above sea level, is a testament to the ancient forces that formed this part of Texas. Imagine this land blanketed in post oak and blackjack oak trees, their roots reaching deep into the sandy soil. This wasn't always a place of quiet farms and small-town charm. A reminder of cosmic events lies hidden in the earth—a large meteorite fragment discovered in 1936, a visitor from the stars that landed here long ago. The land fostered a way of life. When herds of buffalo roamed these plains, they gave the town its name. Even after the buffalo were gone, the land remained a source of sustenance, shaping the community around agriculture, particularly cattle ranching. The Great Depression tested this resilience, bringing hardship, but the land and its people endured. This place, small in size but large in spirit, with its warm, neighborly atmosphere, has always been a testament to the enduring power of community and the connection between people and the land they call home.

8.3 mi away

Buffalo, TX RoadyGoat

Buffalo, Texas, might seem like just another dot on the map between Dallas and Houston, but there’s a reason this particular spot became what it is. The gently rolling hills, covered in post oak and blackjack oak, provided excellent grazing land. Long before the town was formally established in 1872, this area was prime territory for cattle ranching. That agricultural focus, born of the land itself, has remained a constant through booms and busts, even surviving the hard times of the Great Depression. You can still see it today in the Friday night lights at Leon High School, where folks rally around the football team like they always have, and in the neighborly wave you get driving down Main Street. Of course, there are quirks that make Buffalo unique. Some come to see the fragment of that meteorite discovered back in '36, a reminder of cosmic events far beyond our small town. But if you ask a local why people truly stay, or why they eventually come back, it’s not just the history or the geography. It’s the feeling of community, that slow and steady rhythm of life where folks look out for each other. It’s a place where the past isn't just remembered, it's lived.

8.3 mi away

Buffalo, TX RoadyGoat

Folks around here know Buffalo as a friendly place, a real Texas small town. Drive in and you’ll see those gently rolling hills, covered in post oaks and blackjack oaks, just like they were back in 1872 when the town was officially established. Of course, people were here before that, drawn by the promise of good ranchland. Even though we’re not talking about herds of buffalo roaming anymore, cattle ranching is still the backbone of many families. But Buffalo’s got more to it than just cows and quiet.

8.3 mi away

Alexander, Alger [Texas]

1927

Blues singer Alger "Texas" Alexander was born in Jewett, Texas, on September 12, 1900, the son of Sam "Ernie" Alexander and Jennie Brooks. He was raised by his grandmother, Sally Beavers, in Richards. He spent most of his life working as a railroad section hand or on farms in East Texas. He was a short, stocky man who sang with a deep, booming voice. He often shouted out his lyrics in the tradition of field slaves, although this sometimes made his words difficult to understand. He always carried a guitar with him but could not play it. When he sang in migrant work camps, in honkytonks, or on the streets, he sought out a guitar player to accompany him. His accompanists included Blind Lemon Jefferson , John T. (Funny Papa) Smith , George (Little Hat) Jones , and Alexander's cousin Lightnin' Hopkins . Pianist Sammy Price discovered Alexander in the early 1920s and arranged a recording session for him. Alexander recorded extensively after that, collaborating with other blues legends, including Lonnie Johnson, the Mississippi Sheiks, Lightnin' Hopkins, and Little Hat Jones. Between 1927 and 1934 he recorded more than sixty sides on the OKeh and Vocalion labels. His extensive recording helped him become one of the most popular blues singers of that era. He also served at least two prison terms, including a stint in Paris, Texas, for allegedly killing his wife. Alexander's songs reflected his prison and work experiences. After his release from jail in the mid-1940s he and Hopkins performed for tips on Houston street corners and buses. After moving back to Richards in 1951 he spent the last years of his life in poor health. He died of syphilis on April 16, 1954, in Richards, and is buried in Longstreet Cemetery in Grimes County.

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Smith, Manaen Turnbull

1835

(1802-1886) Georgia native Manaen T. Smith arrived in present Shelby County, Texas in 1822. He became active in civic affairs, and served in the Texas Army from October 1835 to January 1836. He was a participant in the Siege of Bexar in December 1835. He lived in Harris and Houston counties before moving his family to Leon County about 1848-49. He farmed, ranched, and was involved in the buying and selling of land in the county. He later lived in Jewett, where he operated a hotel. Twice married and the father of nine children, Smith died in Jewett in 1886. Texas Sesquicentennial 1836 - 1986

Historical Marker →

Jewett, TX

1871

Jewett is on State Highway 79, Farm Road 39, and the Missouri Pacific line near its intersection with that of the Burlington Northern, some twelve miles northwest of Centerville in northwestern Leon County. The town was laid out in 1871 by the International Railroad Company and named for Henry J. Jewett, a prominent judge and politician who helped organize Leon County. During the community's first year a store and a post office were opened, and the town's first newspaper, the Advance , dates from this period. The Jewett Methodist Church was built in 1873, a Baptist church was organized in 1876, and a Cumberland Presbyterian church was organized in 1884. In 1875 citizens opened a private academy, which eventually merged with the public schools. The Grange opened a store in Jewett in 1880. By 1884 the community had an estimated population of 500, five general stores, three saloons, three churches, a steam cotton gin and gristmill, and the weekly Independent Farmer . The Independent Farmer in 1885 became the Jewett Messenger , which was still in operation in the 1980s. A bank was opened at Jewett in 1890, and that same year the town incorporated. By 1900 Jewett had a population of 433. In 1905 the Houston and Texas Central Railway built through the community, as did the Trinity and Brazos Railway in 1907. The town was served by three railroads until the Houston and Texas Central was abandoned in 1933. Several motels served the passengers who transferred lines there. By 1910 the community had 586 inhabitants, and in 1914 it had seven general stores, two drugstores, and a cotton gin. In the 1920s Jewett had the only accredited high school in the county, and in 1930 the Jewett schools served 179 White and eighty Black pupils. Jewett's population declined to 515 by 1930, rose to 589 by 1950, dropped to 445 by 1960, and began to rise again in the 1970s. Nucor Steel-Texas opened a plant in Jewett in 1974 and by the next year employed 280 workers. By 1980 the town's population had risen to 597. A public library was started there in 1983, and in 1990 Jewett reported 668 residents and thirty-two businesses. The population grew to 861 with 100 businesses by 2000.

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Purcell, Mabelle Agnes Umland

1892

Mabelle Agnes Purcell, author, educator, and historian of Texas education, was born to Edwin Charles and Mattie (Carroll) Umland on January 15, 1892, in Waller, Texas. As a child she attended South Texas Baptist College in Waller, which offered lower-level classes in addition to college courses. After the Galveston hurricane of 1900 the family moved to the East Texas town of Jewett, where Mabelle graduated from high school. Soon thereafter she took the state teachers' examination and received temporary certification. After a brief teaching job near Walburg and some coursework at Southwestern University in Georgetown, she enrolled at Southwest Texas Normal School in San Marcos and graduated in 1910 with a permanent teachers' certificate. She then moved with her family to Edinburg, where she taught school for two years before entering the University of Texas. From 1912 to 1916 she alternately taught in the Austin public schools and attended the university, planning to graduate in 1917. However, because the university discontinued its German department during World War I , her classwork was disrupted and she did not complete her degree. On June 12, 1917, Mabelle married Stuart McLeod Purcell, a student she met while attending the University of Texas. The Purcells soon moved to Robstown, where they farmed and raised their three children. She and her husband worked as freelance reporters during the Great Depression , while Mrs. Purcell commuted to Kingsville to continue her college work. In 1936 she received her bachelor's degree from Texas College of Arts and Industries (now Texas A&I University). Two years later the family, still recovering financially, moved to Austin, where their children could attend the University of Texas, and began rehabilitating the Red-Purcell House, a family estate, which they later purchased. Mabelle Purcell continued her own education in the 1940s. In 1951 she received a master's degree in educational psychology from the University of Texas. Her thesis for this degree, directed by Frederick Eby , was a history of two nineteenth-century female schools in Texas, Live Oak Female Seminary near Gay Hill and Stuart Seminary in Austin. The thesis was published in book form as Two Texas Female Seminaries . During this time Mrs. Purcell also taught at the Texas School for the Deaf in Austin and commuted to Anahuac for six years to teach special education. In 1960 she retired from teaching but remained active working on her collection of historic memorabilia and traveling with her husband and grandchildren. In the 1970s she and her husband compiled a collection of biographical sketches of about eighty Texans and their educational endeavors; these were published in 1977 as This Is Texas . In 1974 the Purcells received a certificate of commendation from the city of Austin for their efforts in preserving the historic Red-Purcell House. Mabelle Purcell died in Austin on December 11, 1978, and was survived by her husband, one son, two daughters, and numerous grandchildren. Her funeral was held at the University Presbyterian Church in Austin.

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Gould, Colonel Robert Simonton

1850

(1826-1904) Born in North Carolina. Educated at University of Alabama. Came to Texas in 1850. Practiced law in Centerville. Served as the first district attorney, then as judge in the Old 13th Judicial District. Represented Leon County as member of Secession Convention, 1861. Afterward, as this county voted 534 to 82 in favor of secession, raised locally troops which as Co. B, became nucleus for 6th Texas Cavalry (or Gould's) Battalion, in the Confederate Army. First as major, then as colonel, Gould led battalion for 4 years in Louisiana and Texas. Saw duty in Red River campaign to prevent invasions of Texas, fighting in the 1864 repulses of Federals at Mansfield and Pleasant Hill. At Jenkins Ferry, Ark., Col. Gould had his horse killed under him. After the war he was reelected judge of the Old 13th District, but was removed in 1867 by military authorities in charge of reconstruction in Texas. Appointed assistant justice of Texas Supreme Court in 1874, he was afterwards elected, and served until Dec. 31, 1882 (being chief justice in 1880-1882). Was named, along with Governor O. M. Roberts, as one of two first professors of law at the University of Texas, holding tenure 1883-1899. Died in Austin.

Historical Marker → · 6.6 mi away

Site of Worthy Store

1906

At this location in 1906, Alabama native Dillard Monroe Worthy opened a general merchandise store. He was later joined by his son, Roy, and the business became D.M. Worthy & Son. It provided residents with essential items and included farming materials, butcher and blacksmith shops, funeral supplies and lumber. D.M. Worthy had other interests as well, serving as first president of Guaranty State Bank (later Donie State Bank) and opening other businesses. He was also instrumental in bringing a spur track of the Trinity & Brazos Valley Railway near Donie. The store closed soon after he passed away in 1930, but Roy reopened it in 1939. Roy Worthy died in 1956, and the store remained in operation for several more years before it burned. (2007)

Historical Marker → · 9.1 mi away

Sports in Jewett

🏆 STATE CHAMPIONS Class 2A · Volleyball · 2025

Leon — 2025 UIL 2A Division 1 Volleyball State Champions

Most recent: 2025 2A Division 1

The community of Jewett, Texas, and Leon High School, a Class 2A powerhouse, have a proud history in volleyball. The Lady Cougars secured a UIL 2A Division 1 State Championship in 2025. This achievement highlights a period of excellence for the program.

Leon High School's athletic tradition, particularly in volleyball, reflects the spirit of competition found in the heart of Texas. The town rallies behind its teams, and this state title represents a significant milestone for the school and its dedicated athletes.

State titles
2025
Most recent
2025
Class
2A
The moment

The 2025 2A Division 1 State Championship for Leon High School volleyball stands as a peak achievement.

Sources: UIL State Championship Archives · SI High School (ScoreBook Live)

Everything Near Jewett

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

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