The town of Mantua was established about 3 miles southwest of here in 1854. Mantua prospered but was
unexpectedly bypassed in 1873 when the Houston and Texas Central Railway (H & TC) extended its track
through this area instead. That year a depot was built and a post office was established in the new town named for
Maria Van Alstyne, the widow of W. A. Van Alstyne who had been a principal stockholder of the H & TC.
Churches, businesses, and people of Mantua and other area towns moved here to be near the railroad. Van
Alstyne was incorporated and a newspaper established in 1883. Columbia College was founded in 1889. Van
Alstyne contained banks, schools, hotels, an opera house, a literary club, and electric service by1900, when cotton
and other farm production dominated the local economy. Interurban transportation began in 1908. The local
"Grays" semi-pro baseball team, established about 1902, played for many decades and produced a number of
major league players. Many local businesses, churches, and social organizations trace their origins to Mantua and
19th century Van Alstyne. The historic downtown area, the former site of popular Saturday night social activities,
continues as a business and social center. (1994)
Photos Courtesy Of the Van Alstyne Museum |
| Van Alstyne |
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| Van Alstyne Early 1930s Cotton Yard | Van Alstyne's First Interurban Car |
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