Doole

Doole is on Farm Road 503 a half mile east of the Concho county line and twenty-four miles northwest of Brady in northwestern McCulloch County. A ranching community called Gansel developed around Crossroads School, which had moved to the area from Fort Concho in 1908. Five stores and a cotton gin had been built there by 1910. Around 1911 residents decided to establish a post office and went to David Doole, Jr., the postmaster at Brady, for advice. The name Gansel was unacceptable to the postal service, so in appreciation for Doole's assistance the townspeople named their post office after him. The school was the dominant feature of the Doole community. In 1914 Doole reported a population of twenty-five. By the 1940s it had a population of 250, a school, a church, and ten businesses. After World War II the settlement declined, mainly because of the consolidation of small family farms. The population declined to forty in the mid-1960s but was reported as seventy-four from 1970 to 1990.

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Vivian Elizabeth Smyrl | © TSHA

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Adapted from the official Handbook of Texas, a state encyclopedia developed by Texas State Historical Association (TSHA). It is an authoritative source of trusted historical records.

Belongs to

Doole is part of or belongs to the following places:

Currently Exists

Yes

Place type

Doole is classified as a Town

Associated Names

  • (Gansel)

Location

Latitude: 31.39571690
Longitude: -99.59895350

Has Post Office

Yes

Is Incorporated

No

Population Count, 2009

74