Steward's Mill - Texas Ghost Town

STEWARD'S MILL

NAME: Steward's Mill
COUNTY: Freestone
ROADS: 2WD
GRID: 4
CLIMATE: Warm winter, hot summer
BEST TIME TO VISIT:Winter, spring, fall

COMMENTS: A few current residents.
REMAINS: A few buildings.

First settled in the 1850s, the community was named for a water powered gristmill built by a Washington Steward. Essentially an agricultural settlement, it was not unusual for farmers to wait to have their wheat and corn ground into flour and meal for the grist mill was only one of several between Dallas and Houston. The mill was the first structure erected in the community and attracted more settlers as time passed. A Dr. James Bonner opened the first general merchandise store in 1867 and it served the area from the same building for over a hundred years before closing. The first church building was erected in 1876 and served three denominations, Baptist, Methodist and Presbyterian. The wooden structure still stands. Stewards Mill had a population of seventy residents in 1880 and fifty-five in 1947. Today, the town has no places of business and maybe half a dozen occupied residences. SUBMITTED BY: Henry Chenoweth	Harmony Church 10-19-09 Courtesy Trina Haynes Harmony Church 10-19-09 Courtesy Trina Haynes Cemetery Courtesy Trina Haynes Stewards Mill Store Courtesy Trina Haynes

First settled in the 1850s, the community was named for a water powered gristmill built by a Washington Steward. Essentially an agricultural settlement, it was not unusual for farmers to wait to have their wheat and corn ground into flour and meal for the grist mill was only one of several between Dallas and Houston. The mill was the first structure erected in the community and attracted more settlers as time passed. A Dr. James Bonner opened the first general merchandise store in 1867 and it served the area from the same building for over a hundred years before closing. The first church building was erected in 1876 and served three denominations, Baptist, Methodist and Presbyterian. The wooden structure still stands. Stewards Mill had a population of seventy residents in 1880 and fifty-five in 1947. Today, the town has no places of business and maybe half a dozen occupied residences. SUBMITTED BY: Henry Chenoweth

Harmony Church 10-19-09
Courtesy Trina Haynes

Cemetery
Courtesy Trina Haynes

Stewards Mill Store
Courtesy Trina Haynes

BACK