Leesville, Texas



Leesville is an unincorporated city of 51 square miles in Gonzales County, Texas, United States; alongside Texas State Highway 80 and FM 1682. Under postal code 78122, the Leesville post office serves relevant areas from FM 466 (Capote Road) to Texas State Highway 97. Geographically, Leesville is defined by the south of its Capote Hills and the north of Sandies Creek. Straddling and nearing the southeastern border of Guadalupe County, the real estate origins of Leesville go back to the 1800s survey plots of Texas Revolution figures Ezekiel Wimberly Cullen (late owner of Sandies Creek) and Joseph de la Baume (late owner of Capote Hills).

Its 19th-century expatriate George W. Littlefield acted as a significant Texan architectural patron and proprietor of the Driskill Hotel, the Littlefield House and the Littlefield Building in Austin, Texas; he relocated to what is now Downtown Austin after three of his family members died in a gunfight in 1880's Leesville.

Services
In 2000, Leesville had 7 businesses. It is situated in southwestern Gonzales County, approximately 26 miles west of Gonzales and 19 miles south of Luling. The historical city center of Leesville is located alongside the street of FM 1682, where the city’s original church and cemetery reside; currently acting as a location for local events.

Housing
The local median cost of housing, as of 2016, is an estimated $546 per month; with the households of the city paying an aggregate $23,500 in annual property taxes. In estimation, of local workers 16 years and over who do not work at home, 16% commute within 5 minutes of their place of work; 28% commute within 15 to 24 minutes; 56% commute half an hour or more.

An estimated majority of homes (40.5%) in the area were built from 1980 to 1999. The estimated median year Leesville homes were moved into was 1996.

In 2000, all occupied residential real estate in Leesville was valued at 13.9-million dollars, leading to a residential value density of more than $400.00 per acre, of 32-thousand acres of Leesville land.

Economy
In 2016, Leesville business owners earned, in total, an estimated 1.3 million dollars. In 1999, the aggregate household income for the city was 7.8 million dollars.

All commercial and residential properties in Leesville paid a combined estimate of $192,500 in property taxes in 2016.

Civic
Leesville has a post office with the zip code of 78122. The U.S. Postal Service offered to close the Leesville Post Office in 2011.

Public education in the community of Leesville is provided by the Nixon-Smiley Consolidated Independent School District.

Leesville relays issues of improper garbage disposal to state and county authorities.

Cemeteries

 * Antioch Cemetery
 * Caraway Cemetery
 * Leesville Cemetery, acting as an election polling place

Churches

 * Dewville United Methodist Church
 * Leesville Baptist Church
 * Leesville Encouraging Word Church, former election polling place
 * Leesville Methodist Church, acting as an election polling place

Agriculture

 * Leesville 4-H Club
 * Sandies Creek Wildlife Management Association

Name


The first settlement and commerce of the area began around Sandies Creek, said to be once landmarked by a giant granite stone; leading to the Leesville area once being referred to as Sandies. From the 1830s until the 1870s, significant amounts of social activity climaxed around this area; with theft of watermelon, corn and food occurring at a nearby property. The nearby proprietor destroyed the granite landmark in response, ending the original rapid growth of the area.

The general area was then named Capote, named after its hills. In the late 1800s, local land developer Newburn H. Guinn attempted to name the town Leesburg after his daughter Lee. The local post office at the time refused to recognize the name, as another Texas town had already claimed the name Leesburg. It was then compromised that the city would be named Leesville.

In 1880, a significant portion of Leesville's southern territory was owned by Ezekiel Wimberly Cullen, with Leesville alternatively and legally known as the Ezekiel W. Cullen League (E.W. Cullen).

Industry
Original businesses and organizations since the area's settlement used to include, in greater capacity:
 * Sylvester A. Hubbard‘s ox-driven corn grinder and lumber saw (1860)
 * Sandies Home Guard C.S.A., Captain Michael Erskine (June 22, 1861)
 * Daniel Brown‘s general merchandise store (1868)
 * A brick kiln (1868)
 * A saddletree and stirrup factory (1868)
 * Leesburg Male and Female Institute, known as “Leesville school house” (January 21, 1873)
 * Leesville School System, elementary and high schools (closed in 1951)
 * Lumber production
 * Grain production
 * Beef production
 * Cotton production
 * Peanut farming
 * Melon farming
 * Various churches

1835 attack
In 1835 at Sandies Creek in what is now Leesville, 13 traders of Mexican and French origin traveling from Louisiana to Mexico, were killed by Comanche Native Americans.

Happy Quilters


Since 1998, an organization known as the Happy Quilters has produced quilts for auction at the annual Leesville Country Fair, to maintain Leesville landmarks such as the school house; while supporting local education, by raising $1,000 or more in support per quilt.

Littlefield-Martin


In 1880, two generations of Leesville families Littlefield and Martin, received national attention after three Littlefield belligerents died in a revolver gunfight between the two families. It was postulated that the family feud would continue.

The late George W. Littlefield was the grandson of one of the belligerents, through a son named Fleming Littlefield; in 1883, George Littlefield relocated to the state capital of Austin, Texas from South Texas. His Littlefield Building on Congress Avenue in downtown Austin now houses Capital One Bank. From 1895 to 1903, Littlefield owned the Driskill Hotel, located near the Littlefield Building. He installed the first electric lighting system in the hotel, which became a gathering place for Texas politicians during much of the 20th century. He willed his residence, the Littlefield House, to the University of Texas.

Folklore
In folklore, locals claim to see a ghost of a little girl in a blue dress, playing in Leesville Cemetery; seen only at a significant distance.

Ghost towns
The border of Leesville once acted as a location of these former towns:

Southwest


 * Albuquerque, Texas; where outlaw John Wesley Hardin murdered Jack Helm in 1873
 * Dewville, Texas; named after the Dew brothers, operators of a local steam-powered gin in 1885
 * Sandies Chapel, Texas; named after its former church that was moved to Dewville in 1897

East


 * Bebe, Texas; the community had an estimated population of 52 in 2000. A post office called Bebe was established in 1900, and remained in operation until 2002. The community was named after the brand-name Beebee baking powder.

Climate
The Leesville-Belmont area has an annual average of 33.1 inches and 35.8 days of rainfall. The average day consists of 12.6 hours of light. Temperatures are high with very mild winters. Generally, described as a humid subtropical climate.

Flood
Leesville was once established with a number of grocery stores, barbershops, cotton production and a pharmacy; now said to be non-existent and depopulated due to flooding and displacement from a local creek in 1936, after 26 inches of sudden rain.

South of Leesville

 * Nixon, Texas
 * Gillett, Texas
 * Helena, Texas
 * Karnes City, Texas

Newspaper References

 * Lockhart Post Register
 * Port Arthur News (1921-2014)
 * Rosebud News (1953-1977)
 * Seguin Gazette
 * Seguin Gazette Enterprise
 * Shiner Gazette