Elmo, Texas Explained
| Elmo, Texas |
| Settlement Type: | Census-designated place |
| Pushpin Map: | Texas#USA |
| Pushpin Label: | Elmo |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | United States |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Name1: | Texas |
| Subdivision Type2: | County |
| Subdivision Name2: | Kaufman |
| Unit Pref: | Imperial |
| Area Total Km2: | 11.60 |
| Area Land Km2: | 10.65 |
| Area Water Km2: | 0.95 |
| Population As Of: | 2010 |
| Population Total: | 768 |
| Population Density Km2: | 72.1 |
| Timezone: | Central (CST) |
| Utc Offset: | -6 |
| Timezone Dst: | CDT |
| Utc Offset Dst: | -5 |
| Elevation Ft: | 512 |
| Coordinates: | 32.7219°N -96.165°W |
| Postal Code Type: | ZIP code |
| Postal Code: | 75118 |
| Area Code: | 972 |
| Blank Name: | FIPS code |
| Blank Info: | 48-23356 |
| Blank1 Name: | GNIS feature ID |
| Blank1 Info: | 1335410 |
Elmo is a census-designated place and unincorporated community in Kaufman County, Texas, United States. It is located on U.S. Highway 80, 6miles east of Terrell and northeast of Kaufman, the county seat. The population was 768 at the 2010 Census.[1]
History
Elmo's history begins in 1870 when the Texas and Pacific Railway laid track through the area. A community sprang up at the railhead, and it was decided that the new town be named to honor Elmo Scott, a T&P Railroad surveyor. Elmo received a post office in 1873 and by the mid-1880s possessed several mills, five churches, its own schools and approximately 900 residents. Through the remainder of the 19th century, however, the population fell and by 1945 only 150 people called Elmo home. By 1990 this figure had fallen to 90; it remained at this level through to the 2000 Census.[2]
In 1892, Elmo residents adopted a resolution declaring a sundown town, prohibiting African Americans from living there and forcing existing black residents to leave.[3]
Notable person
- Henry Qualls (July 8, 1934 – December 7, 2003) was an American Texas and country blues guitarist and singer. He found success late in his life after being "discovered" in 1993 by the Dallas Blues Society. He released his only album in 1994, but toured globally, playing at a number of festivals. Qualls was born in Elmo and lived all his life in the community.[4] [5]
External links
Notes and References
- Web site: Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Census Summary File 1 (G001), Elmo CDP, Texas. U.S. Census Bureau. American FactFinder. May 6, 2019. https://archive.today/20200213041005/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G001/1600000US4823356. February 13, 2020. dead.
- Robert Richard Butler, History of Kaufman County, Texas (M.A. thesis, University of Texas, 1940). Mabel Covington Keller, History of Kaufman County, Texas (M.A. thesis, North Texas State College, 1950).
- News: Color Line at Elmo. San Saba County News. San Saba County, Texas. July 22, 1892. Reprinted in News: The Race Feeling in Texas. Weekly Charlotte Observer. Charlotte, North Carolina. August 1, 1892. 1. Newspapers.com. The following resolutions were adopted by the citizens of Elmo precinct at a mass meeting called together with a view of discouraging the immigration of negroes into the settlement and removing the obnoxious citizens of color already in the precinct. ... 'Resolved, that it is the judgment of this meeting that no negro immigrant be given any home in our midst, and that the objectionable ones be peaceably, quietly and lawfully removed from us as soon as the present crop is harvested. ...'.
- Web site: Henry Qualls | Biography & History . . 2017-01-10.
- News: Henry Qualls: East Texas country-blues singer found success late in life. Thor Christensen. The Dallas Morning News.
