Salem, Bastrop County, Texas | |
|---|---|
  Salem  Salem | |
| Coordinates: 29°50′40″N 97°19′43″W / 29.84444°N 97.32861°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Bastrop |
| Elevation | 476 ft (145 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 ( Central (CST)) |
| • Summer ( DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| Area code(s) | 512 & 737 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1379007 [1] |
Salem is an unincorporated community in Bastrop County, Texas, United States. [1] The town is one of 17 communities named Salem in the state. [2] It is located within the Greater Austin metropolitan area.
History
Originally called St. Philip's Colony, the agricultural community was first populated by slaves freed following the Civil War. [3] Since it was paired with the white town of Jeddo, it is unclear how many people lived in Salem. [2] St. Philip's Church and several houses were already in existence when the school was built. The religious denomination of the church is unknown. [2] St. Philips Church and several houses have marked Salem on county maps from the 1940s to the 2010s, but no population estimates are available. [3]
Geography
Salem is located 2 mi (3.2 km) northwest of Jeddo in southern Bastrop County. [3] It is also located 25 miles south of the town of Bastrop and 50 miles southeast of Austin.
Education
A two-room, one-teacher schoolhouse for 29 children was constructed in 1881. In 1905, the school had 55 students. [3] It merged with the Jeddo district when the county instituted a school district system in 1907. [3] The ruins of the old school still exist. [2] Today, the community is served by the Smithville Independent School District.
References
Municipalities and communities of
Bastrop County, Texas, United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
| CDPs | ||
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Other communities | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |