 Mantua,
a Ghost Town, flourished for 25 years five miles northwest of Anna. It
was conceived and founded as a site for a college, Mantua
Seminary. Founders, William C. McKinney, James W. Throckmorton
and Joe H. Wilcox, purchased 200 acres of land from William C. McKinney
and donated it to the trustees of the new seminary. Some of the land
was divided into lots and sold to help finance the school with
restrictions:
The seminary was for male and female students. The cost of classes was $10 to $20 per class each session. The first lot was sold to Horatio Walcott for $60 who became the owner of the first store. In 1857, Dr. W. D. Lair bought a lot and practiced medicine. Others who purchased losts were James B. McBride, N. H. Walcott, Wm. C. McKinney, Y. S. McKinney, James L. Leslie and James Enloe. Dr. James Leslie and Dr. Rollins put in the first drug store. J. M. Douthitt owned the dry good store. Oscar Riddle opened a saloon just outside the town boundaries. The Civil War brought further town growth to a standstill. At the end of the Civil War, the Masons built a large building for the Seminary. The population of Mantua was 300. A post office was established in 1856 with E. B. Rollins serving as postmaster. In 1866, a Methodist church was organized. Desert post office was established January 8. 1893. Miss A. Webster was the first post master. The post office was discontinued in 1910. Desert had beem settled in 1890. Graybill post office was establisted June 14, 1881. Garland P. Jones was the first postmaster. Graybill, eventually, was merged with Westminster. Mantua post office was established June 29, 1858. Elizabeth B. Rollins was the first postmaster. It was discontinued January 23, 1867. The post office was re-established July 22, 1870. Eliphalet B. Rollins was the postmaster. It was, again, discontinued July 11, 1873. Mantua History Susan Hawkins © 2024 If you find any of Grayson County TXGenWeb links inoperable, please send me a message. |