  Artwork by Natalie Bauman c2014 Artwork for sale at Kaboodles on Main Street, Denison, Texas The Denison Herald August 27, 1972 POST OFFICE ERROR CHANGE SPELLING OF POTTSBORO NAME Pottsboro - The small North Texas community became a legally incorporated city according to Texas law. Twice. Actually, the second incorporation was the legal one bur for 14 years residents here believed wrongly that they were living in an incorporated city. The legal mix-up that caused the confusion was discovered in 1894 after residents had voted to keep Pottsboro a "dry" territory. After prohibition went into effect, an attorney for a man accused of liquor violation uncovered a documentary error which made it necessary for a second city charter to be obtaineed. He also won his client's case. Because of a clerical error, the first charter did not legally include the town at all because it extended further east from Pottsboro's eastern boundary. So the Pottsboro originally granted incorporation was an open cow pasture and the town residents were living in an area without legal... The new charter was "loophole" proof but the liquor question had to be settled again. The second vote showed that the town sentiment had not changed: Pottsboro remained dry. NEW TOWN The founding of Pottsboro was due to the growth and expansion of the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad. After the Katy reached Denison and began to push westward the settlement was organized in 1878. Much of the surrounding area was once owned by J.G. Thompson, whose daughter married J.A. Potts, the town's namesake. Potts was instrumental in the town's creation and for many years was a prominent landowner and businessman. In early days the town's name was spelled "Pottsborough" but another clerical error cause the U.S. Post Office to list is as Pottsboro. The Katy Railroad had alread named the depot "Chambersville" and had that name up at the station. However, when the will of the people - and the U.S. Post Office - was for Pottsboro, the Katy went along with their wishes. W.C. Porter, who came with the railroad from Denison, was one of the earliest merchants in the days when Main street ran north and south. Billy Bennett also a pioneer businessman. The history of the city has included three major fires but building back "bigger and better" became a matter of course. In 1892 the east side of the main business district was destroyed. The same was badly damanged in 1904 and a year later fire almost totally demolished the town's west side. LUMBER YARD A branch of the Denison firm, the Lingo-Leeper Lumber Co., is the oldest business here in continuous existence. Churches serving the community include Baptist, Church of Christ, Presbyterian, and Methodist. Lake Texoma's coming kept Pottsboro from the fate of many other small towns. And it got a tremendous boost from nearby Perrin AFB. While the noise of the jet trainers may have caused some early rising on the part of Pottsboro residents, it also had a monetary sound as many Perrin based GIs and officers selected Pottsboro as their home. It was convenient to the base and the recreational advantages of Lake Texoma. The closing of the base didn't affect Pottsboro as much today as it did the first time the base closed its doors temporarily. This was because Texoma had come into its own and its 10 millions of visitors annually found many using Pottsboro as their hub to reaching the magic playground. LAKE ORIENTED Most of the businesses operating in Pottsboro today are resort or lake oriented. It probably is the smallest town in Texas with an active thriving lumber yard. And it has some of the finest sports and marine shores in the southwest, as well as a boat repair shop. The city dads are active and Pottsboro has a lively city council, and supports an excellent volunteer fire department. It has water and sewer, thanks to its city fathers. When the city of Denison started taxing Pottsboro parents for sending their children to Denison's public schools, the irate parents promptly pull out from Denison and voted a consolidation with Willow Springs and the Georgetown school in downtown Fink. In the five short years of its life, the school has become synonomous with the best in all kinds of competition. It was runnerup in State Class A basketball in 1971 and then won the title outright in 1972 with an undefeated season. Its students have won many district and regional titles and its school paper took first place in the state. Today, Pottsboro is a progressive growing town. It is thriving on Lake Texoma and the impact oil and gas discoveries in the area are marking on its economy.  Pottsboro History Susan Hawkins © 2024 If you find any of Grayson CountyTXGenWeb links inoperable, please send me a message. |