Freestone County, Texas
Towns



Keechi (a.k.a. Fay) of Leon County


Keechi, Leon County

Keechi is near Butler on the Freestone/Leon county border.  Keechi is on Farm 
Road 832 one mile south of U.S. Highway 75 and eighteen miles north of 
Centerville in northern Leon County.  The word Keechi comes from an American 
Indian tribe called the Keechi.  Also in Freestone county is Keechi creek which 
runs a long way through the county which is a formiable barrier in spots.  
Alligator Lake and Alligator Swamp is nearby fed by floods from the Trinity 
River.

An 1872 newspaper account states that there is a small railroad station on the 
International Railroad, six houses, and no post office or hotel. *1*  In 1884 
Keechi had a population of thirty, two churches, and a school. By 1890 it had a
church, a general store, a mill and gin, and one physician. The 1893 school year 
listed an enrollment of 45 black students.

Fay

Between 1895 and 1906 the town had a post office by the name of Fay. 

Keechi 

The post office operated as Keechi again from 1906 until sometime after 1930. 

Cemeteries:
Keechi Cemetery

KNOWN PAST RESIDENTS:
Carr, Margie 
Danford, Lester C. 
Dennix, Annie
Hays, Bill & Billie
Henson, Frances Mae 
Jackson, Mary Ethel 
McCarthy, Jerry M. & Cora E.
Pounds, Randolph Benjamin & Nancy Etta .
Prestidge, Willie Wilson 
Terry, Arnold & Inez 
Tolar, Allie Jo 
Watkins, A.

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SOURCES:

*1* = The Galveston Tri-Weekly News; Sept. 11, 1872 issue; Page: 1

International Railroad Stations, Etc. from Our Traveling Agent, D. R

 ...Here we met the down train from Palestine at 1:10 p.m.  Keechi is the next
station, distant 66 miles from Hearne, near the town of Butler, in Freestone 
county; no post-office and no hotel at this place.  It derives its naame from
the Keechi creek, in the neighborhood, named after the Keechi tribe of Indians
that infested this country not many years ago.  There are about half a dozen
houses in the place.  Close by we passed Alligator Swamp, a place rendered
notorious from the quantity of crocodiles found here.  Keechi creek bottom 
lands are noted for their richness of soil and ash timber.  Here there is an
inferior station house, a half dozen houses and some good land.  Here we 
passed the large and picturesque prairie commonly known as Uncle Tom's Prairie,
being the only one on the entire route. ...