LOVELADY, Texas (KETK) – Lovelady is an East Texas treasure found south of Crockett on the way to Houston.

Located along what is now Highway 19, the area was originally founded around the Houston and Great Northern Railroad in 1872. The land was acquired by early settler Cyrus Lovelady.

Once the town became a home for people, they set up a post office and named the area after Lovelady. By 1900, the town was an agricultural shipping point.

The town prospered slowly after that, thanks to the production of oil and timber.

A series of fires in 1892, 1903, 1944 and 1966 destroyed many local businesses over time, with their local school burning down in 1901.

Now, Lovelady is home to more than 600 people and is considered a center for ranching, making a lot of beef for deep East Texas.

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