Comyn, Texas

Comyn is an unincorporated community located in Comanche County in Central Texas. Comyn is located in the east-northeastern part of the county along Farm-to-Market (FM) 1496 and the Fort Worth and Western Railroad.

History

The area was originally settled in the mid-1870s, and was originally named "Theney" for W. F. Matheney, for a man who owned a trading post. Comyn was renamed "Comyn" for M. T. Comyn, who was the construction foreman for the railroad around 1881 when the Texas Central line part of the historic Katy Railroad was built through the townsite on its way from the Waco area to Stamford, with a branch from De Leon to Cross Plains. In 1909, a post office was established in Comyn. The town also had a lumberyard, a blacksmith shop, a cotton gin, a number of stores and a Woodmen of the World lodge. In 1918, the Humble Pipe Line Company built a pipeline connecting Comyn with the Humble company's terminal at Webster. A large school complex was built in Comyn in 1924. Decreasing oil production in West Texas led to Comyn's decline. Low attendance forced the Comyn public school to close in 1952, and its post office was closed in the late 1950s. Today, Comyn has a Baptist church, a cemetery, numerous homes, and the Golden Peanut Company, which is still in operation. Numerous storage tanks can be seen along FM 1496 at the Golden Peanut Company's plant, which were once used by Humble Pipe Line Company to store oil, but have since been converted to store peanuts. Comyn continues to retain its rail service. The former Texas Central Katy Railroad line is still in use by the Fort Worth and Western Railroad from Dublin to Gorman and is still known as the "Peanut Line". Comyn's population was 30 in 1974 and 27 in 1990. However, in 2000 the population of Comyn was reported to have grown to 40.

Historical Marker

In 1969, a historical marker was erected in Comyn. Here is the text taken from the marker: "During the rapid settlement of this area following the removal of the Indian threat, about 1875, a rural community developed here. Besides a few homes and a school, it had a trading post-store, operated by W. F. Matheney. His name, shortened to Theney for business purposes also came to designate the town. Among the pioneer families was that of B. F. Barnes, at nearby Jones Crossing, 1876. His great-grandson Ben Barnes, Lt. Gov. of Texas, was reared in Comyn-Theney. During 1881 the Texas Central Railroad was built through here and a depot established. M. T. Comyn, a railroad official, succeeded in having the town and depot named for him, but the school remained Theney. Soon the settlement could boast several general stores, a post office, drug store, blacksmith shop, lumber yard, cotton gin, cafe, barber shop, and a hall for the Woodmen of the World. In 1918, when Humble Pipeline Company began building a tank farm here to store oil from new West Texas fields, a tent city of several hundred sprang up. But when construction ceased in 1919, the townspeople moved away. Theney Consolidated School, formed in 1924, soon built a new plant and became an outstanding high school. Declining attendance caused it to close, 1952."

References

• Handbook of Texas Online entry for Comyn, Texas
• Katy Railroad Historical Society website
• Fort Worth & Western Railroad