It is a pretty unique name, but then in the 1800s there were some different names for towns, like the town of Coon Skin in Polk County, Texas.

It was located near the present town of Elgin, Texas. Hog-eye was already a town in 1841 when David Burnet, the President of the Republic of Texas issued a land grant to John Litton for a "league and labor of land" located around the town of Hog-Eye.

One story of how it got its name is that during the time the prairie in this area was first settled, there was a traveling fiddler who could play only one tune, "Hog Eye". Hog Eye stuck and when the Butterfield Stage Line route was established one of the station stops was Hog Eye. The station was managed by Joseph Earhart, who also had a "ranch" thereabouts.

A post office was established in 1849 with John Litton as the post master. The name, Young's Settlement, was chosen probably after one Michael Young. The churches and local Masonic Lodge used the name of Perryville.

There was a well, Owens Well, with soft water about two and a half miles from the original home site of the Litton family. The well was about 30 feet deep with a windlass to draw the water. The site of Hog Eye was about 16 miles east of present Jacksboro in Jack County Texas. It was a "sizable" settlement before 1860 with a saloon, store, blacksmith shops and, grocery. This town disappeared into the pages of history when the Houston and Texas Central Railroad bypassed Perryville and the people moved to what is now Elgin. The post office closed in 1872.

The Hog Eye Butterfield Stage Station was "well known" for its distilled spirits and good food. As with many things and places Hog Eye is gone, but not forgotten.

© John D. Beeson

John Beeson has had a varied career that includes: working for NASA during the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo Projects; has owned and operated several businesses; management consultant for large civil design and construction projects around the world; since retirement John has raised organic tomatoes commercially.

Source: www.articlesbase.com