Duke Community

In 1824, Old Three-Hundred settlers David Fitzgerald, Thomas Barnett, and Moses Shipman received land grants in this area. Fitzgerald fought at Anahuac in 1832, and Barnett signed the Texas Declaration of Independence. Its location on the northeastern high bluff of Clear Lake and an ample supply of water for steam engines led to the construction of railroads here by the mid-1800s. Duke became the terminus of the Sugar Land Railway for loading sugarcane, and the area developed as a major shipping point with a store, hotel, livestock pen, and sugar mills. The community was named for storekeeper Duke Hessey. Duke had a post office from 1883 to 1922, with J.R. Fenn as the first postmaster. Today, Duke Cemetery is the only remnant of this once-thriving community.

Arcola, Texas · United States