Goree

History

Settlers first arrived in the area around 1886. By 1887, a settlement was centered around a store and post office built by Bill Benedict. Originally known as Riley Springs, the community was renamed Goree after Robert D. Goree, a Confederate veteran and Knox County pioneer. Benedict's store was bought by J.W. McLendon in 1890; he moved it with its post office to a new site that became known as North Goree. A school was built near the relocated store in 1901. In 1904, North Goree was renamed Hefner. At its present-day location, the first plans for a new community began in 1905 with the announcement that the Wichita Valley Railroad would be built through the area. An important year in Goree's history, 1906 had the railroad arrive, homes and businesses were erected, and the community became an incorporated municipality. The school relocated from the Hefner location to Goree in 1906, and was renamed Chigger Hill School. Goree had a population of 614 in 1920, but that figure had fallen to 425 by 1940. The number of residents rose to 640 in 1950, but declined throughout the remainder of the 20th century.

Geography

Goree is located at (33.468707, –99.523874). It is situated at the junction of U.S. Highway 277 and FM 266 in southeastern Knox County, about 84 miles north of Abilene. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  173
• Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

  Tyrannus forficatus (Gmelin, 1789) · Aves
  157
• Red-winged Blackbird

  Agelaius phoeniceus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  105
• American Kestrel

  Falco sparverius Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  97
• Loggerhead Shrike

  Lanius ludovicianus Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  92
• Killdeer

  Charadrius vociferus Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  90
• Great Blue/Cocoi Heron

  Ardea herodias Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  89
• Northern Mockingbird

  Mimus polyglottos (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  80

Most recent

• M 2.7 — 2024-03-06
  13 km ESE of Olney, Texas