De Leon, Texas
| De Leon, Texas | |
|---|---|
| City | |
 Location of De Leon, Texas |
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| Coordinates: 32°6′35″N 98°32′19″W / 32.10972°N 98.53861°WCoordinates: 32°6′35″N 98°32′19″W / 32.10972°N 98.53861°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Comanche |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2.1 sq mi (5.4 km2) |
| • Land | 2.1 sq mi (5.4 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,280 ft (390 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| • Total | 2,433 |
| • Density | 1,175.1/sq mi (453.7/km2) |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP code | 76444 |
| Area code(s) | 254 |
| FIPS code | 48-19672 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1334129 |
De Leon (/dᵻ ˈliː.ɒn/ de LEE-ahn) is a city located in Comanche County in the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 2,246 at the time of the 2010 census. It is commonly associated with being named after the Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon; however the town actually obtains its name due to the location of the Leon River, translates to de Leon in Spanish, which flows directly North and East of the community, and drains into nearby Lake Proctor.
The town was laid out in April 1881 by surveying crews of the Texas Central Railway part of the historic Missouri-Kansas-Texas (Katy Railroad) as it constructed a line from Ross just north of the Waco area, to Stamford, with the ultimate goal of extending the line to Colorado. The first city lots were auctioned on July 7, 1881 by Robert Morris Elgin, the Texas Central's land agent and for whom the town of Elgin, Texas had been named.
Initially incorporated by an election held on August 30, 1890, the town government appears to have dwindled over the years, and the community was reincorporated in an election held August 29, 1899. The first mayor elected under the new incorporation was former Comanche County Judge John Lambert, who took office in April 1900.
The population of De Leon remained under 1,000 until 1910, when a branch of the Texas Central line, then leased by the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Katy Railroad, was constructed from De Leon to Rising Star and Cross Plains. De Leon then became the center point for the Katy between Waco, Albany, and Cross Plains thereby relocating numerous railroad crew members and their families to the city. The census of 1910 showed 1,015 citizens. De Leon continues to retain its rail service and the former Texas Central Katy line from Dublin to Gorman, nicknamed the "Peanut Line" is currently operated by the Fort Worth and Western Railroad.
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