Grapeland Timeline
- 1837 - Houston County was created
- 1871 - Houston & Great Northern Railroad
Company drew up plans to build railroad through Houston County
- 1872 - Railroad was built through Grapeland into
Palestine
- 1872 - Community of Grapevine was settled (later
re-named Grapeland)
- 1886 - Darseys store was built
- 1897 - First newspaper printed in Grapeland
- 1888 - Methodist Church founded in Grapeland
- 1895 - First Christian Church built (still
standing)
- 1899 - Grapeland votes to incorporate - Dr. H.S.
Robertson voted first Mayor
- 1899 - Grapeland Messenger is established
- 1900 - International & Great Northern Railroad
Depot built
- 1901 - Grapeland was named "Queen City of the
Sand Flats"
- 1906 - First clay road was built (Maple Street)
- 1906 - Calaboose (jail) was built
- 1906 - Dr. McCarty owned the first telephone in
Grapeland
- 1907 - First bank opened (Farmers and Merchants
State Bank, later known as First State Bank)
- 1907 - Election was held to abolish incorporation
of Grapeland
- 1909 - Kennedy Brothers store was built
- 1909 - Baptist Church founded in Grapeland
- 1911 - Second bank established in Grapeland
(Guaranty State Bank, later known as Grapeland State Bank)
- 1913 - Fire burns 15 downtown businesses
(including Darseys) and causes $200,000 damage
- 1913 - First annual "Possum Walk" was
celebrated
- 1914 - New 3 story brick school building was built
- 1916 - First movie house was built (open air
theater known as "Cozy Theater" and later re-named "The Electric
Theater")
- 1923 - First gas station in Grapeland
- 1924 - Grapeland votes to incorporate for the
second time
- 1936 - Tejas Theater was built (still standing)
- 1937 - Kraft Cheese plant opens (burns in 1948)
- 1939 - First city streets were paved
- 1944 - First city street lights installed
- 1945 - Public scales open
- 1945 - First annual "Peanut Festival"
was held
- 1947 - Fire station built
- 1958 - New dial-up telephone system approved
- 1962 - 15 bed hospital was built
- 1966 - Hospital adds new wing making 25 beds
available
- 1967 - Nucor Corporation of America moves Steel
Joist Plant to Grapeland (Vulcraft)
- 1972 - Grapeland celebrates its Centennial
- 1986 - Darseys celebrates it 100th year
of business
- 1986 - Band Stand built in Community Park
- 1992 - 25th Anniversary of Vulcraft
- 1995 - 100thAnniversary of the
Christian Church
- 1995 - 50th annual Peanut Festival
- 1997 - First annual 4th of July
Celebration
- 1997 - Grapeland spotlighted in painting by artist
B.B. Barrick
- 1998 - Grapeland finds its home on the web
- 2007 - First annual Watermelon Festival Held