Rice, TX

 

Since moving to the U.S.A. I have taken a fond admiration towards Texas history, including the histories of Texas towns and cities. One particular small town that sticks in mind is Rice, Texas. At the center of Navarro County, the town of Rice has become a frequent subject in my life vocabulary. Not only did I often drive through the small community on my way to Houston to see my then-girlfriend (now wife), but the founder, William Marsh Rice, was the monetary contributor and founder of Rice University, an institution I often tread upon during my visits in South Texas. (portrait of William Marsh Rice, later life- picture from Phosphene Publishing Company).

Rice, Texas was settled by a dozen families in early 1872, when the Houston and Texas Central Railway was built through the area. The community, which was led by a former railroad worker, William Marsh Rice, at first lived within a four-mile radius. Rice donated land for a church and cemetery, while the first major business structure was a two-story wooden building– the first floor was a post office, operated by L.B. Haynie, while the second floor housed a couple of hotel rooms, operated by Ed Taber and his wife. Like most other Texas towns following the Civil War, Rice was home to few buildings, comprised mostly of wooden logged homes and dirt paths. However, following the Reconstruction Era, immigrants from the American South and Mexico moved to Central Texas and settled in Rice. By 1890 the town had grown and now operated a steam gristmill and cotton gin, three general stores, two popular grocery stores, a blacksmith shop, and a druggist, under an estimated population of seventy-five. As local business boomed, Rice experienced another population growth spurt before the turn of the twentieth century.

As the economy was thriving, local culture also bloomed to new heights. Though the first newspaper, Rice Enterprise, was founded in 1898 and only operated for a few months, the Rice Rustler was founded in 1901 and operated for several decades under editor Clarence Urbin. The town’s children were able to obtain a free public education starting with the first wooden-staked school in 1875. At the mayor’s request, two new public schools were constructed in 1906– one with 127 white students, and one with 125 black students. In 1912, though one-third of the industrial district was struck by a fire, Rice became a home of the Texas Electric Railway and was officially incorporated by the State of Texas. The 268-strong community decided to adopt the aldermanic form of city government. At it’s peak in 1929, business were thriving, culture was blossoming, and Rice was home to 900 civilians.

The Great Depression in the 1930’s damaged the industrial strength of the United States, forcing many businesses to close and leaving millions of American unemployed. Civilians in Texas were hit hard due to the lack of federal funding. Many residents of Rice took flight to other parts of the American South, looking for work and a brighter future. As local businesses closed and the population dwindled, Rice looked like a skeleton of its former prosperous self by the late 1930s. When the nation’s economy once again boomed during World War II, residents continued to flee towards the larger cities, leaving Rice desolate. By 1945, the town’s population had dropped to 489 residents and had only eight registered businesses. Rice, like many other Texas towns in this era, became smaller in the 1950s and 1960s as more people (war veterans and their families) moved to the new city suburbs in search for a better life. By the mid-1960s, Rice’s population had reached a low of 250 civilians.

However, Rice bounced back and by 1990, the population had reached 564 residents with seven reported business. Ten years later, the population had reached 798 people and a couple fast-food joints opened in the community. Today, Rice serves as a passer’s town, a quiet and attractive community in Central Texas, where restaurants and local eateries line the highway connecting Dallas and Houston. The town’s unofficial motto is “the city is so nice, they named it Rice.” This is true– whenever you are in the area, stop by and greet the friendly locals. Have a cheeseburger from a local restaurant or a regular sandwich from a fast-food joint. Experience Rice and its cultural and scenic beauties, similar to the experience you would receive at the Houston university that bares the same name.

For more information on Rice, Texas: Annie Carpenter Love, History of Navarro County (Dallas: Southwestern, 1933).