Local History

Stephen Creek, Texas

Stephen Creek, Texas is located at the junction of State Highway 156 and Farm Road 224 on Lake Livingston, about 75 miles north of Houston in northeastern San Jacinto County. The nearby creek was named after Miles G. Stephen, a Georgia native who moved to the area after having first lived in what would become Polk County.

Other early settlers who moved to the area before 1842 included Jim Hopkins, Arnett Harrell, and Dan Sellers. Most residents were small farmers who grew cotton and corn and raised hogs.

The Stephen Creek post office opened in 1915 and was closed in 1954. The community's population was estimated to be 20 through the early 1960s. Since the completion of Lake Livingston Stephen Creek has grown. Still more residents live in the Holiday Shore development, which offers recreational opportunities on the lake. In 1990 the population of Stephen Creek was 135.

BIBLIOGRAPHY: Hansbro, Ruth. History of San Jacinto County (M.A. thesis, Sam Houston State Teachers College, 1940).

BIBLIOGRAPHY: Handbook of Texas Online

Stephen Creek: 150 Years of Progress By Iva Aden Blalock, written c. 1982

The little town of Stephen Creek is nestled in San Jacinto County, on Highway 156, between Coldspring and Point Blank. Some of the pioneers who came to Stephen Creek were the Stevens, Harrells, Johnsons, Harris, Hopkins, Sellers, Geaslins, and others.

Miles G. Stevens and his wife Mary came to the little farming community before 1832. He was a prosperous farmer, born in 1802 in Georgia. Mary was born in Virginia. Their three children were born here, John, born in 1832, became a Methodist Preacher. Osbern, born in 1836, and Georgiana, born in 1847. The town was named after Miles Stevens. It was first called Steven Creek, but later changed to spell Stephen Creek. After Mary's death, Miles Steven lived with his daughter. Georgiana, and her husband, Andrew Spratt.

Arnett W. Harrell, born 1801 in Washington County, Alabama, left his wife and six children in Alabama, and came here, bringing several of his children with him. Records show he bought land from Miles G. Stevens in April of 1845. Arnett operated a large plantation. His log house stills stands. He died in 1880 and was buried near the old log house.

John R. Johnson and wife Bethany were living here before 1843. He was born in Mississippi, Bethany in Kentucky. Their four children were born here. Addison, born in 1843, Eliza born in 1844, Henry, born in 1847, and Tommy, born in 1849. Johnson was a farmer and a surveyor. Johnson's Bluff, known to exist before 1840, was a ferry and a port on the Trinity River. Johnson was an industrious man. He cut logs, hauled them to the Mt. Zion Cemetery, and built the first Methodist Church by himself.

Through the years, Stephen Creek remained a town of hard working people. Roads were maintained by local labor. When Malaria struck the town, quinine and calomel were distributed to the families by Dr. E. B. Harrell.

For many years school was taught in a one-room schoolhouse, but later, a two-room school was built. Some of the teachers were Winnie Stetson, J. W. Anderson, Bertha Lee Hayman, Ruth Love, Mamie Dell Gindratt, Mattie Mae Strickland, Sarah Harrell, Julia Counts Stella Dolive, Maggie Lee Trapp, Edna Rich, and others.

The Methodist religion has been the faith of the people in Stephen Creek for over 150 years. Some of their pastors were Reverends McGowen, McGee, Luther Ellisor, Ed Prater, Thompson, Paul Horton, Copeland, and many more. The man of whom the church was built in memory of, Rev. Paul Horton, a man the town loves, has come home, and is pastor of the church again.

A Post Office was established in Stephen Creek in 1915. Bachachscher was the first Postmaster. Others were Agnes Harrell, Agnes Hoot, Jule Hopkins, and Johnnie Johnson. The Post Office was closed in 1954.

Stephen Creek has had a number of merchants through the years. They were McMurey, Agnes Hoot, Jimmie Harrell, Henry Blanks, Susie Stewart, Florida Geaslin, Minnie Blanks, Cecil Banks, and Elizabeth Currie.

When Lake Livingston Dam was built at Camilla in 1969, it caused the Trinity River to rise to its banks at Stephen Creek, and the backwater to stretch out for miles. People from the city began to seek new homes, and Holiday Shore Subdivision added to the town.

The clop-clop sound of a horse's feet on a country road had a pleasant sound to the old settlers.

Tractors have taken the place of the horse in Stephen Creek. Years ago a farmer plowed, mowed, and cultivated quietly with his horse. Now you hear his noisy machinery doing the work.

Sounds, sounds! What a change one hundred and fifty years of progress have made in Stephen Creek.

BIBLOGRAPHY: Dim Trails and Blurred Footprints: A History of San Jacinto County, Texas. Coldspring, TX: San Jacinto Co. Historical Comm., 1982, p. 9-10.

Stephens Creek Community
By Jimmie Lee Harrell Aden

I grew up in the small community of Stephens Creek, San Jacinto County. The social life centered around the churches and schools. There were box suppers, pie suppers, Christmas parties, Easter egg hunts and dances. The greatest of all were the end of school plays with the unforgettable actor, Henry Harrell.

The first churches were arbors, one of which was a landmark. This arbor had a permanent top of rived boards. It stood just a few hundred feet west of the old iron bridge that used to span Stephens Creek. Many people passing through used it for shelter as there was water to water their team. It was here that I learned my first church hymns.

The first post office in Stephen Creek was established by Mr. Emanuel Buchachscher. It stood on the hill near the present home of Joe and Martha Hilzendagger. Later it was run by Sarah Agnes Harrell. Prior to 1924 a post office was built on the hill where the Julius r. Hopkins' lived and it was run by him and his wife Mary. It was here that I saw my first telephone. The first old post office was used for a store. It was the first store in the community of Stephens Creek and was run by my father, James Thomas Harrell (Jimmy), and his sister Agnes Harrell Hoot. My father would order his supplies for the store from Henke and Pilot. It was here that I first saw a tobacco cutter and a cheese cutter. The last post office was built near the house of Mr. Johnnie Johnson and he and his wife Fannie ran it.

During winter months we attended church in the two room school house that stood on the hill where county Judge K. P. Bryant now owns a home. It was here after church that families stood around and discussed their plans for the week, such as helping a neighbor get a cow out of a bog. It was here in this schoolhouse where I started to school under Miss Stella D'Olive. I thought she was the prettiest person on earth.

About 1923 another school was built where now stands a beautiful brick home owned by Cecil and Sarah Blanks.

We lived on a farm where my father worked and raised cotton, corn, sweet potatoes, ribbon cane, peanuts and nearly all the food we needed. He had hogs, cattle and goats. Around here were wild black berries, black haws, huckleberries, mulberries, dewberries, Spanish mulberries, persimmons, wild plums, and crabapples. There were hickory nuts, black walnuts and pecans. There were stretch-berries to put in sweet-gum to make bubble gum. The birds would eat the wild cherries and they would ferment and they would fall to the ground drunk.

In the fall we hurried home from school to come by the sugar cane mill to get some sugar cane juice to drink. Then there was the favorite persimmon tree at the foot of Parker Hill. And at Christmas time there was a program and a tree that touched the ceiling.

BIBLOGRAPHY: Dim Trails and Blurred Footprints: A History of San Jacinto County, Texas. Coldspring, TX: San Jacinto Co. Historical Comm., 1982, p. 10.

This webpage was last created on 12 July 1999 and was last Revised on 18 Sept 1999