Guy

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Map of Fort Bend County

Guy is at the intersection of State Highway 36 and Farm Road 1994, eighteen miles south of Richmond in Fort Bend County. The first settler in the area was Philip F. Ward in 1890; other settlers who arrived between 1891 and 1894 included S. A. Beard, J. G. and Frank Goth, H. Hoelewyn, R. G. Hughes, R. V. Board, Dr. William Lowry, Sr., and Louis Wolf. A tremendous migration of family farmers into the area required the establishment of the first Guy school in 1897. The community was granted a post office in 1898 and was named after a little disabled girl, Una Guy Rowland, the daughter of Orr Rowland, who was the first Guy postmaster. The Galveston Hurricane of 1900 inflicted damage on the community. In 1918 the Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railway built through the area two miles southwest of the post office, and the businesses and school moved to the rail line. The former townsite became known as Old Guy, and a large community dance hall was left there for a number of years. In 1922 the two Guy schools served four Black and eighty-two White pupils, and the community comprised a garage, a gin, and a combination general store-post office. In 1932 State Highway 36 was completed between Old Guy and the new Guy site, and in time the businesses and post office moved to the highway. The dance hall was also moved a mile west to the new highway, where it remained until 1980, when it was bought by the George Foundation and moved to the George Ranch headquarters near Richmond. The Damon Mound salt dome, five miles away, provided employment for town residents, and by 1940 the community population had grown to 200. In 1946 the Guy common school district consolidated with the Needville Independent School District, and by 1949 the Guy School had been discontinued. The population of Guy declined to 150 by 1945, 100 by 1966, and 25 by 1972. From 1988 through 2000 the community's population was estimated at sixty. Railroad service to the area was discontinued in the 1980s. In the 1990s a trucking firm, a convenience store, a new brick post office, and a combination tavern and cafe served the community, and in 2000 Guy had thirteen businesses. In 2014 the estimated population for Guy was 239 .

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Esther Beard | © TSHA

Handbook of Texas Logo

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

Guy is part of or belongs to the following places:

Currently Exists

Yes

Place type

Guy is classified as a Town

Associated Names

  • (Missoula)

Location

Latitude: 29.34413320
Longitude: -95.78300580

Has Post Office

Yes

Is Incorporated

No

Population Count, 2014

239