Freestone County, Texas
Communities


Old Ghost Towns - Never had a post office:


Bethel & Bethal & Little Bethel & New Bethel Church  




[Note - Bethel was an Anglo community near Young.  Bethal was an African-
  American community located in the Butler area.]


Bethel 

A white community near Wortham.

Church:
   Bethel church (exists in 1888)
   
Social: 
  Bethel Farmers' Alliance #427 (met at Bethel church) (exists in 1888) 
    (president is G. W. Knott and secretary A. J. Red. Both with Wortham post 
     office.) 

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Bethel 

A white community southeast of Young.

Bethel School
   R.T. Rucker was the teacher at this free public school in Jan. 1872
   had 25 pupils in 1887 
   had 31 pupils in 1891
   had 38 pupils in 1903


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Bethel

Another white community, this time south of Young closer to Hickory Grove.

Bethel Assembly of God Church (1934-1988) (to the south)
  Founder was Robert Quinton Hankins. Began in 1933 as brush arbor meeting 
  between Hickory Grove School and Jameson Cemetery. Church building started in 
  1934. Original land was donated by Poindexter and Riley (a land company) and 
  the parcel was previously owned by Arch Gunter.  In April 1938, affliated 
  with Assembly of God. Church closed in 1988. The church building was moved 
  after its closure and now resides at the Freestone County Museum.
   
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Bethal
  
Bethel was an African-American community located in the Butler area.  Bethal 
had a school that in 1887 had 48 pupils and in the 1891-2 school year had 31 
students.

Founders of the Bethal Community:
   C,B. Blair, Mercedes Alford, Jeuthieb Woodard, Jarrie Bonner, Colbert Shed,
   Bib Alford, Charlie Allen, Everleys Davis, Ted Starnes, Luke Titus, Napoleon
   Turner, John Riley Titus, Lenzy Shed, Bosye Alford, Colbert Shed Jr., Bernice
   Shed, Alberta Ford, Mark Allen, Mattie Henderson, Winifred Ingram, Sam Hunter,
   Tommy Shed, Floyd Terry, Edward Shed, H. Talton, Ernest Coleman, Cunnie Davis,
   Earl Terry, Walter Shed, Frankie Terry, Napolean Henderson, Walter Henderson,
   G. R. M. Harris, W. P. Patrick, Mason Carter, Lary Shed, Glen Talto, W. B. 
   Whirley

School:  
Bethal School
  48 African-American pupils - 1887
  
  
Social Organizations:


Churches:
Pilgrim Rest Baptist church
Pine Hill church

Nearby Churches: 
 Waymon Chapel A.M.E.
 Gaston Creek
 Bethel Temple Church of God
 
Cemeteries:
Sand Hill Cemetery (was Bethel cemetery, but later renamed) (African American)
Evans Family Cemetery (Anglo)

Businesses:


Nearby Communities:



Known Former Residents:



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Little Bethel

Little Bethel was an African American community located near Bethal.  

School:  
Little Bethel School
  12 African-American pupils in 1887
  39 African-American students in 1891
  
Social Organizations:


Churches:


Cemeteries:


Businesses:


Nearby Communities:



Known Former Residents:


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New Bethel Church

New Bethel Church was located about 3 miles north of Butler in the eastern part 
of Freestone County. Wayman Chapel was near New Bethel Church.  The area around 
New Bethel Church is drained by Indian Creek and its Alum Branch. New Bethel 
Church appears on maps from 1918.