Freestone County, Texas
Towns




Old Ghost Towns - Never had a post office:

[Many thanks to Linda Mullen for her research and help in discovering about Banks
  Stop since I was not finding anything.]


Banks Stop

  The Banks Stop community is a more modern community that still barely exists.  
Located east of Grindstone Creek just west of the Stewards Mill community. The 
Banks Stop community is located along I-75.  A traditionally Africian-American 
community, Banks Stop has a rich history of being a bus stop down I-75 when 
travelling from Fairfield to Streetman or vice-versa.  
  Former sheriff Sonny Sessions wrote of the history of Banks Stop in the Teague
Chronicle in the 29 Sep 1989 issue *1* saying: "... Always thought it interesting 
how Banks Stop got its name, in days gone by a lady named Bula Banks lived there 
and her home became the getting on and getting off place for locals riding 
commerical buses, this the only stop between Fairfield and Streetman then, her 
trademark was several thunder mugs always hanging on her fence yard posts." 
  The actual history is tied with Johnson Cemetery to the south.  Edgar Johnson 
gave two acres of woodland for a church and cemetery at the modern Johnson Cemetery 
to freedmen that were former slaves.  Site was named Long's Chapel after Dave
Long, a former slave to Johnson. Later, many burials at Johnson Cemetery are from 
former residents of Banks Stop located to the north.  The Long's Chapel church 
building was eventually moved or rebuilt in Banks Stop.
  Linda Mullen found obits from locals from 1954, 1957, 1968, 1972. Long's church 
and Bank Stop appear on the 1961 and 1963 Stewards Mill quadrangle maps. Based on 
the obituaries, the blacks of the church are buried at the Johnson cemetery south 
of there.
  The Banks Stop community is located on rural mail Route 1, Fairfield.
  Mike Bonner recounted on 14 Jul 2024 that "I knew about Banks Stop on 75 as a 
place to catch the bus. Jay Francis Frazier had a store there. A few of the people 
buried in that cemetery shopped at [Tom Robinson Bonner’s] store [in Fairfield]. 
One was Carnelia “Connie” Livingston. She and her sister-in-law died after a wreck 
in 1964."

Schools:

  
Churches:
  Long's United Methodist Church was in the Banks Stop community. 
     Known Preachers: Rev. R. E. Polk (1972)
     
  nearby is the Rhode Island Methodist Church
  
  at little ways away is Jones Chapel Methodist Church in Fairfield. 

Cemeteries:
  Johnson Cemetery/Johnson Negro cemetery located to the south in the rural county.
This cemetery is sometimes referred to as "near Kirvin".

Social Organizations:
  Goodwill Lodge No. 266 F. & A. M. located in Streetman

Businesses:
  Jay Francis Frazier's store


Known Former Residents:
Banks, Bula

Frazier, Edward W.
Frazier, Jay Francis
Frazier, Laura Frances

Livingston, Ausia B. Sr.
Livingston, Carnelia “Connie”  

Salter, Marior Quincey "Debo"


==========================================

REFERENCES:


*1* = The Teague Chronicle - Thursday, September 28, 1989 Page: 4

  Always thought it interesting how Banks Stop got its name, in days gone by a 
lady named Bula Banks lived there and her home became the getting on and getting 
off place for locals riding the commercial buses, this the only stop between
Fairfield and Strcetman then, her trademark was several thunder mugs always 
hanging on her fence yard posts.

------------------------------------------------------

*2* = The Teague Chronicle - Thursday, September 28, 1995 Page: 10 

[A sheriff's report] 
"Construction of new impressive church on N75 at Banks Stop, glad to see but sad 
to see the old Bethel church no longer there — the Bethel Church originally
was located north of Kirvin towards Streetman by Railroad along with a school 
many years ago. In the 1940's friend Boney and B.C. Cox and others moved the
church to Banks Stop creating some dissension among the members at the time and 
been there ever since. "