Garfield

Garfield, on State Highway 71 twelve miles southeast of Austin in eastern Travis County, was formed around 1880. It was probably named for President James A. Garfield, who was in office when the community's post office was established in 1881. In 1884 the settlement reported fifteen residents, a church, a school, a steam gristmill, a cotton gin, and a general store. By the early 1890s its population was estimated at 100. The Garfield post office was discontinued in 1902, and mail for the community was sent to Del Valle. In 1907 separate one-teacher schools in Garfield served sixty-six White students and eighty Black students. The Garfield schools were consolidated into the Colorado district (later the Del Valle Independent School District) in 1954. Garfield's population fell to fifty by the early 1930s and to twenty by the late 1940s. In 1948 the county highway map showed two churches, a few businesses, and several scattered houses at the site. During the 1980s, however, when developments on the Colorado River began attracting new residents, Garfield began to grow. In 1985 its residents voted to incorporate the community to avoid annexation with Austin. The population was reported at 745 in 1988, 1,336 by the early 1990s, and 1,660 in 2000.

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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

Garfield is part of or belongs to the following places:

Currently Exists

Yes

Place type

Garfield is classified as a Town

Associated Names

  • (Haynie's Chapel)
  • (Oswego)
  • (Wallace)

Location

Latitude: 30.18743500
Longitude: -97.55777710

Has Post Office

No

Is Incorporated

No

Population Count, 2021 View more »

2,932