Duke, Texas
| Duke, Texas | |
|---|---|
| ghost town | |
  Duke, Texas | |
| Coordinates: 29°30′17″N 95°29′10″W / 29.50472°N 95.48611°WCoordinates: 29°30′17″N 95°29′10″W / 29.50472°N 95.48611°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Fort Bend |
| Elevation | 62 ft (19 m) |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP code | 77459 |
| Area code(s) | 281, 713, 832 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1378234[1] |
Duke is a ghost town in Fort Bend County, in the U.S. state of Texas. The former settlement's location was west of Arcola along the BNSF Railway near Southwest Houston Airport. In 2014 the town site was no longer accessible by public roads.
History
The town of Duke grew up on the Sugar Land Railroad as a shipping point for sugar cane. Water from conveniently nearby Clear Lake was used to service the railroad locomotives. Postal service began in 1883 with John R. Fenn as postmaster. The bustling community consisted of a hotel, stock yard, store and sugar mills. The town was named after Duke Hessey, who operated the store. Postal service ended in 1922.[2]
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The center of three historical markers on Highway 6 near Arcola tells about the Duke Commmunity.
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Duke Road is fenced off where it crosses Southwest Houston Airport property. Duke was located just beyond the BNSF Railway freight train.
Geography
The 1955 Almeda, Tex. United States Geological Survey 1:25,000 map located Duke on the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railroad west of Arcola on the northern side of Clear Lake. On the map, the town connected by road to what is now McKeever Road to the north.[3] Duke Road crosses Southwest Houston Airport property a few yards from the western end of the runway. Public use was blocked by a fence in January 2014.[4]
References
- ↑ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Duke, Texas
- ↑ See historical marker photo.
- ↑ USGS Almeda, Tex. Quadrangle (1955)
- ↑ See Duke Road photo.
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