De Leon, The Heart of Texas
Despite its small size, De Leon has played an important role in Texan history and culture. The town’s name comes from the Leon River, which got its name in turn from Alonso De Leon, a Spanish explorer who established settlements in East Texas. De Leon was first laid out in 1881 when the Texas Central Railway constructed a line intended for Colorado. De Leon was incorporated in 1890. For a few decades, De Leon remained a sleepy town of 1,000 people, serving mainly as a midpoint stop between Waco and Albany.
But all that changed in 1918. On Labor Day night of that year, oil was discovered just north of De Leon. The town blossomed to a population of 5,000. It was a short-lived boom, however, and De Leon’s population eventually stabilized to 2,500.
After the boll weevil decimated crops across the country in the early 1900s, farmers switched over the small and hardy Spanish peanut. The peanut became the primary crop for many years, and De Leon became America’s number one source of peanuts for many years. De Leon also became a major producer of pecans, peaches, and melons. Indeed, one of the oldest festivals in Texas is De Leon’s popular Peach and Melon Festival. De Leon also has its own newspaper, the De Leon Free Press.
But for a small town of 2,500, De Leon has contributed not a small number of distinguished citizens. Perhaps De Leon’s most famous citizen is the politician Ben Barnes, who went on to become the Texas Speaker of the House and Lieutenant Governor. William S. White, the Pulitzer Prize winning writer of The Taft Story, also hailed from De Leon. Another writer, screenwriter and novelist Aaron Latham, lived in De Leon during his childhood. Winston Lee Moore, better known as the country and western songwriter and musician Slim Willet, grew up just north of De Leon. Another big name in the music industry, gospel music promoter W.B. Nowlin, was once the mayor of De Leon. De Leon also made with its mark on football, the number one passion of Texas. Football legend Cecil "Honk" Irvin was yet another De Leon citizen.
Today, De Leon is proud of its motto: "Busiest Town, Friendliest People." Who knows what future legends will emerge from this small and remarkable town?