| All is Right in Whitewright |
| Cotton gins and rail road tracks from the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad dominate the scenery around Whitewright . |
The tongue-twistery town or Whitewright, in southeastern Grayson County in Texas, was named after an investor in the Missouri- Kanas-
Texas Railroad. Even before the trains came to town, however, emigrants from Kentucky began a settlement here. Just to the north is one
of their first attempts at putting down roots, Kentuckytown, where William Quantrill camped for a time during the Civil War before being run
out of the state.
The city grew during the post-war cotton boom, though two large fires threatened to wipe out any prosperity gained. The town held on,
however, and its population hasn't declined by much even when the trains - both the KATY and the Cotton Belt Route - stopped coming
through. At one point, Whitewright was home to the first incarnation of Grayson County College, too. The Jefferson Highway also came
through this little gem of a town.
The economic history of Whitewright is still on view today. The remains of cotton gins, lumber mills, flour mills, and cotton seed oil mills
make up the industrial section of this little town, as does a defunct slaughter house.
With fertile black-land soil surrounding it, Whitewright is still a farming center. The town's close proximity to the outlying suburbs of Dallas
helps keep the town going. Historic homes and a local history museum make this town a nice excursion.
Texas Railroad. Even before the trains came to town, however, emigrants from Kentucky began a settlement here. Just to the north is one
of their first attempts at putting down roots, Kentuckytown, where William Quantrill camped for a time during the Civil War before being run
out of the state.
The city grew during the post-war cotton boom, though two large fires threatened to wipe out any prosperity gained. The town held on,
however, and its population hasn't declined by much even when the trains - both the KATY and the Cotton Belt Route - stopped coming
through. At one point, Whitewright was home to the first incarnation of Grayson County College, too. The Jefferson Highway also came
through this little gem of a town.
The economic history of Whitewright is still on view today. The remains of cotton gins, lumber mills, flour mills, and cotton seed oil mills
make up the industrial section of this little town, as does a defunct slaughter house.
With fertile black-land soil surrounding it, Whitewright is still a farming center. The town's close proximity to the outlying suburbs of Dallas
helps keep the town going. Historic homes and a local history museum make this town a nice excursion.
| Where's Whitewright, you ask? It's in southeastern Grayson County on US 69 and TX 11, which is the former alignment of the Jefferson Highway. |
| Many a pig passed here on its way to becoming sausage in downtown Whitewright. |
| Petty's Texas & Pacific depot now sits a few yards removed from the train tracks for the former MKT. |
| Abandoned machinery from the former city pumping station near downtown. |
| I love finding utlitarian pieces from the past: here's a horse hitch and buggy step on a sidestreet in Whitewright. |
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| Questions or comments? E-mail me: robin@redriverhistorian.com |
| The Missouri Kansas Texas depot at Whitewright was torn down in the 1970s. The city apparently regretted this deicsion and brought the Texas & Pacific Railroad depot from Petty (Lamar County) over, which now sits close to the area where the old depot once was. |
| The old high school also hosted college classes before it burned down. |
| The depot for the Cotton Belt (St. Louis Southwestern Railway) is now someone's home. |
| How to get there |