Taken from Van Zandt County Texas Biographies 1848-1991 Vol. II. Thanks to Kitty Wheeler for the original information and for permission to use it on the web site. The information that is included in this document is transcribed portions of information that appear in the above referenced book. Additions, corrections, comments, complaints and compliments concerning this page should be submitted to Betty Miller and Patsy Vinson.
On a present map, Primrose would be located about two miles east of FM 314 and about two miles north of St.Hwy 64 on VZCR ?908. The name first written in for the proposed post office was Sexton. This is marked through and above is written Primrose.
The lands around Primrose were of superior quality. The people enjoyed what was considered a very commodious store house, well stocked with a line of general merchandise. The property of Davidson & Son was in the charge of Asberry Davidson, one of smoothest and most gentlemanly of the county's young businessmen.Nature had marked him so that non would mistake a true gentleman.
John W. Davidson, the father of postmaster Littleton Davidson, "Uncle Lit", as all familiarly called him, came from Florida to Texas in 1853. In 1905, Lit was living on the headright taken up by his father.
There were four boys and three girls living when they came to Texas. One of John W. Davidson's sons, John Felin Davidson, died near Knoxville, Tennessee in the Southern Army. three of the older sons entered the Confederate service and two of them served through the war and returned.
In 1905, there were four living: Littleton; Leat of Canton, father of the county judge, John W. Davidson. Van Zandt had no nobler family and none acted a better part in the development of the county. It was such families that made the Methodist Church a power in the county.
A resident of Primrose, V. G. Sanders, a most successful farmer, in 1905, made sixth-six gallons of ribbon cane syrup from one-fourth of an acre planted in cane. Mr. Sanders was a member of the "Cane Growers Association."
Near Primrose was a colony of black people, most of whom were prosperous. Some twenty of them by 1905, had made the last payment on their homes.
Not far from Primrose runs the Neches River. there was almost an uninterrupted forest and some of the richest lands of the county. The greatest drawback to living there was malaria.
Being within about two and one-half miles of the Neches, many of the residents would spend what spare time they could find fishing, and did enjoy the fruits of their labors.
The farmers made use of the services of the gin at Primrose, and the children of the area attended school at Sexton school. In October 1899, the school, number 109, had 34 students enrolled and received an apportionment of $170. Though the village of Primrose is no more, it lives throug the ones who still remember.
Van Zandt County ~~
Patsy
Finley Vinson