- Burkeville, Texas
Burkeville is an unincorporated town in northern Newton County,
Texas ,United States . It sits at the intersection of State Highways 63 and 87 just 10 miles west of the Sabine River. TheBurkeville Independent School District serves the resident students.Historical development
The town was named for John R. Burke, a well educated and wealthy man from New York who took up residence there. [ [http://www.toledo-bend.com/newton/history/index.asp?request=Burkeville Burkeville History - Newton County Texas ] ] He donated the land tract that would be used for the county courthouse. The plots for the town were laid out in 1844, and within three years the residents there petitioned to become the
county seat . Over several years, the county seat would switch between Burkeville and Newton until the state legislature ordered that Newton should remain the permanent county seat in 1856. [ [http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/BB/hlb64.html Handbook of Texas Online - BURKEVILLE, TX ] ] The town also served as an arsenal of the Confederacy during the Civil War. Agriculture and trade would keep the economy prospering until thelumber industry would add to the local market. In 1906, a catastrophic fire consumed all of the town's businesses excluding one. [ibid ]Recreation
The nearby
Toledo Bend Reservoir is used for recreation by the locals as well as tourists and freshwater fishing enthusiasts.References
External links
*Gnis|1372835|Burkeville, Texas
* [http://www.sra.dst.tx.us/basin/recreation.asp?page=site&ID=10 Sam Forse Collins Recreation Area] - Sabine River Authority of Texas
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
