Harkeyville

HARKEYVILLE, TEXAS . Harkeyville is north of U.S. Highway 190 two miles west of San Saba in central San Saba County. It was founded by Levi, Billy, Israel, and Riley Harkey, who settled beside Wallace Creek in 1856 with their parents, Mathias and Catherine, and four sisters, Catherine, Caroline, Adeline, and Polly Ann. Eventually the family purchased additional land, which became the location of Harkeyville. After the county was established, Harkeyville was in contention with San Saba to be the county seat but lost the election. At one time the community had a school, a general store, a blacksmith shop, a cotton gin, a grocery store, a barbershop, a dry-goods store, a farm-supply store, a millinery shop, a cattle auction, and a racetrack. A school was erected in 1879 on property donated by Martin and Jim Dixon; Israel M. and Cansadie Gunter Harkey also donated land for a school at some time. In 1904 Riley and Israel Harkey operated a store near the town. The racetrack closed after a new one was built in San Saba. The cotton gin was destroyed by fire in 1920, and the school was consolidated with that of San Saba in 1929. After U.S. Highway 190 bypassed the town in 1953, most of the shops that had survived the Great Depression closed. The population of the community rose from thirty in 1909 to forty in 1949. It was estimated at twelve from 1968 to 2000. The cattle auction closed in the early 1970s. A new community building was constructed in 1973, and the following year a historical marker honoring the town was erected at Harkeyville.