Speaks, Texas

Speaks is an unincorporated area in southeast Lavaca County in the U.S. state of Texas. It is located on Farm to Market Road 530 (FM 530) southeast of the county seat at Hallettsville. In 1866 the settlement was known as Speaksville. Ten years later the name was changed to Boxville. The name was altered to Speaks when a post office opened in 1928. Since 1950 the community's population has hovered between 50 and 60.

Speaks, Texas
Unincorporated area
Speaks is located in Texas
Speaks
Speaks
Location in Texas
Speaks is located in the United States
Speaks
Speaks
Location in the United States
Coordinates: 29°15′20″N 96°42′01″W
CountryUnited States
StateTexas
CountyLavaca
Elevation
[1]
144 ft (44 m)
Time zoneUTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
77964
Area code979
GNIS feature ID1380579[1]

Geography

Speaks is situated on FM 530 a distance of 23 miles (37 km) southeast of Hallettsville. The Navidad River flows south a short distance to the west of Speaks.[2]

History

In 1828, the Mexican government granted Old Three Hundred settler Jesse H. Cartwright a small parcel of land on the east bank of the Navidad near the main Atascosito Road. In 1835 Archibald S. White accepted a larger grant that enclosed Cartwright's property and encompassed the area of Speaks. By 1866 a post office opened in the settlement which was called Speaksville after the proprietor of the only store. In 1876 the community's name was changed to Boxville. The post office closed in 1882. The town revived and in 1928 the post office reopened under the name of Speaks when J. W. Koonce opened a new store. The Speaks oil field and Seclusion gas field were established in the area. In 1950 there were two stores and the Speaks Community Church serving 50 residents. The church, post office and store were still open in 1987. Between that year and 2000, the area population remained at approximately 60.[3]

  • Speaks Community Center on FM 530
    Speaks Community Center on FM 530
  • Speaks Cemetery on FM 530
    Speaks Cemetery on FM 530
  • Gas plant north of Speaks on Wallace Road near FM 2437
    Gas plant north of Speaks on Wallace Road near FM 2437

References
  1. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Speaks, Texas. Retrieved on September 26, 2015.
  2. Google (September 26, 2015). "Hallettsville to Speaks, Texas" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
  3. Carroll, Jeff. "Handbook of Texas Online: SPEAKS, TX". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
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