Venus, Texas

History

The town was originally named "Gossip" until its development in the late 1880s. J.C. Smythe purchased 80 acres (32 ha) of abandoned cornfields in the northeastern corner of Johnson County and began to plan a townsite. He named his new town "Venus" after the daughter of a local doctor. By 1888, the new town had a post office and a population around 10 residents. Being at the junction of two major railroads, Venus prospered and for a time was one of the fastest-growing communities in Johnson County. By the 1920s, Venus had its own schools (including a small college), several businesses, a weekly newspaper (the Venus Express), and a population that exceeded 800.

At its peak, it had two banks, two hardware stores, two dry-goods stores, two newspapers, two telephone systems, two barbershops, a post office, lumberyard, livery stable, blacksmith shops, and a first-class hotel.

The Great Depression had massive negative impact, however, and in the 1930s, the town began to decline. Growth of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex just to the north hastened its decline, with many of its residents relocating to the growing urban area in search of work. By 1940, its population had fallen to 200, and the only remaining operating business was the drug store.

From the History section of Venus, Texas on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.