GOBER, TEXAS. Gober is at the intersection of Farm roads 271 and 68, ten miles southeast of Bonham in southeastern Fannin County. Establishment of the community occurred in the mid-1840s, when farmers settled near the headwaters of the Sulphur River. Originally the settlement was called Grittersville, supposedly because of its steam gristmill. In 1879 postal service to the community began, and in the 1880s the number of surrounding farms increased. In 1885 residents decided to rename their community in honor of the men who built the first mill, J. F. and William Gober. By 1890 the number of residents reached 250 and the number of businesses climbed to twenty-five. In addition, Gober had two churches and a school. A prosperous quarry operated there six days a week from about 1900 until the 1930s. The population peaked in the early 1930s at 300. The Great Depression and World War II resulted in a decline to 200 by 1956. The quarry operated part-time after 1960. In 1966 Gober had a population of 246 and five businesses. In 1988 it had a reported 146 residents, one factory, two businesses, and six churches. In 1990 the population was still recorded as 146.

David Minor