Hico History
Texas Central Railroad Engine. photo from TSHA
Hico was settled in 1856 by eight families in covered wagons. They set up their settlement on Historic Honey Creek. They dealt with Indian raids and typical pioneer life troubles, but Hico thrived on the creek until 1880. The Texas Central Railroad came through and passed the town two and a half miles away. Knowing that survival meant being connected, the whole town picked up and moved two and a half miles to be directly on the rail. Only ten years later, two major fires destroyed the new wooden downtown. They rebuilt downtown with big limestone bricks instead of wood the third time around. The new Hico did extremely well and became one of the most traded towns in Texas.
“Shortly after the turn of the century, Hico was buying and shipping more grain than all other towns combined on the
Texas Central Railroad. According to early day reports, by 1907, more cotton was bought right off wagons on main
street than in any town in the world. By 1908 Hico received 25,000 to 40,000 bales of cotton a year. There were 95
businesses including a candy factory, six hotels, a broom factory and ten grocery stores. Recreation in the early period
of Hico included an Opera House, the Palace Theater and a Roller Rink which was located south of the railroad
depot under a tent.” (Hico Chamber of Commerce)
After the trading boom and railways died off, Hico declined in importance and many residents left to look for work elsewhere. Another blow came in 1955, when the Federal Highway Act laid out plans for where the major interstates would run, and Hico was included in a large portion of west Texas left out of major traffic flows. This again isolated and diminished the importance of Hico. Today the town has a steady population of around 1,400 and its main industry is ranching. To a small extent Hico has tried to draw in tourists, marketing itself as the perfect weekend getaway. It has typical small town attractions such as shopping in the historical downtown area with old fashioned cafés, pies.
“Shortly after the turn of the century, Hico was buying and shipping more grain than all other towns combined on the
Texas Central Railroad. According to early day reports, by 1907, more cotton was bought right off wagons on main
street than in any town in the world. By 1908 Hico received 25,000 to 40,000 bales of cotton a year. There were 95
businesses including a candy factory, six hotels, a broom factory and ten grocery stores. Recreation in the early period
of Hico included an Opera House, the Palace Theater and a Roller Rink which was located south of the railroad
depot under a tent.” (Hico Chamber of Commerce)
After the trading boom and railways died off, Hico declined in importance and many residents left to look for work elsewhere. Another blow came in 1955, when the Federal Highway Act laid out plans for where the major interstates would run, and Hico was included in a large portion of west Texas left out of major traffic flows. This again isolated and diminished the importance of Hico. Today the town has a steady population of around 1,400 and its main industry is ranching. To a small extent Hico has tried to draw in tourists, marketing itself as the perfect weekend getaway. It has typical small town attractions such as shopping in the historical downtown area with old fashioned cafés, pies.