Indian Gap, Texas

Indian Gap is an unincorporated community located between two hills in western Hamilton County in Central Texas. Comanche Indians would use these hills to begin their raids, inspiring the name of the community.

Indian Gap, Texas
Unincorporated community
Indian Gap Indian Gap
Coordinates: 31°39′47″N 98°24′48″W
Country	United States
State	Texas
County	Hamilton
Elevation	1,562 ft (476 m)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
GNIS feature ID	1338427

The community was settled in 1877.

Hawley and Esther Gerrells were early settlers who opened a post office in their home in 1879. At various times their home served as a store, church, school and social center.

H.A. Shipman bought the townsite and farmed it for several years. In 1889, he took over Gerrells' store and post office, and in 1892 he sold town lots.

At one point, Indian Gap had a bank, a hotel, 3 stores, a blacksmith shop, a gin, a school, churches, and a weekly newspaper, The Arrow.

The school closed about 1959, followed by the post office in 1972.

By the 1970s the population had dropped to 36.[1][2]

Indian Gap is the hometown of Frank N. Mitchell, awarded a Medal of Honor for his actions in the Korean War.

References

1. Hunt, William R. "INDIAN GAP, TX". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Missing or empty |url= (help)
2. Crain Weathers, Elreeta (1998). "Indian Gap". Gazetteer of Hamilton County, TX. Archived from the original on 2013-09-15. Retrieved 2013-07-16.

It also had two garages, a barber shop, a grain mill and a post office with a soda fountain that also sold ice cream and comic books.