Salem, Bastrop County, Texas Explained

Official Name:Salem, Bastrop County, Texas
Settlement Type:Unincorporated community
Pushpin Map:Texas#USA
Pushpin Label:Salem
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:United States
Subdivision Type1:State
Subdivision Name1:Texas
Subdivision Type2:County
Subdivision Name2:Bastrop
Timezone:Central (CST)
Utc Offset:-6
Timezone Dst:CDT
Utc Offset Dst:-5
Elevation Ft:476
Coordinates:29.8444°N -97.3286°W
Area Code:512 & 737
Blank Name:GNIS feature ID
Blank Info:1379007

Salem is an unincorporated community in Bastrop County, Texas, United States. The town is one of 17 communities named Salem in the state.[1] It is located within the Greater Austin metropolitan area.

History

Originally called St. Philip's Colony, the agricultural community was first populated by slaves freed following the Civil War.[2] Since it was paired with the white town of Jeddo, it is unclear how many people lived in Salem. St. Philip's Church and several houses were already in existence when the school was built. The religious denomination of the church is unknown. St. Philips Church and several houses have marked Salem on county maps from the 1940s to the 2010s, but no population estimates are available.

Geography

Salem is located 2miles northwest of Jeddo in southern Bastrop County. It is also located 25 miles south of the town of Bastrop and 50 miles southeast of Austin.

Education

A two-room, one-teacher schoolhouse for 29 children was constructed in 1881. In 1905, the school had 55 students. It merged with the Jeddo district when the county instituted a school district system in 1907. The ruins of the old school still exist. Today, the community is served by the Smithville Independent School District.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Salem . Lost Texas . 15 August 2018.
  2. Web site: Smyrl . Vivian Elizabeth . Salem, Texas (Bastrop County) . Texas State Historical Association . 15 August 2018.