Sherwood, Texas

Sherwood
Ghost town

The 1901 Irion County Courthouse in Sherwood
Sherwood

Location within the state of Texas

Coordinates: 31°16′53″N 100°47′43″W / 31.28139°N 100.79528°W / 31.28139; -100.79528Coordinates: 31°16′53″N 100°47′43″W / 31.28139°N 100.79528°W / 31.28139; -100.79528
Country United States
State Texas
County Irion
Population (2000 est.)
 • Total 73
Time zone Central (CST) (UTC-6)
 • Summer (DST) CDT (UTC-5)
Area code(s) 325

Sherwood is a ghost town in Irion County, Texas, United States. It served as the county seat until 1939, when it was supplanted by neighboring Mertzon.

History

Sherwood was founded in 1886, and when Irion County was organized in 1889, it became the county's seat of government and a courthouse was built. The town received a post office in 1881, with William S. Kelly as first postmaster[1] and by 1900 the population exceeded 300. When the Kansas City, Mexico and Orient Railway built a line across the county in 1910, Sherwood was bypassed and the new railroad town of Mertzon was established. As was the case with many small towns bypassed in the early days of rail transportation, Sherwood was essentially doomed. Commerce soon began to move to Mertzon, and in 1939 the seat of government relocated there as well. Today, Sherwood is home to an estimated 73 residents; the former Irion County Courthouse, built in 1901, still stands at the center of town and functions as a community center. The post office closed in 1974.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 Schmidt, Walter G. (1993) An Encyclopaedia of Texas Post Offices, p. 194. Chicago, Illinois: The Collectors' Club of Chicago.


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