POYNOR, TEXAS. Poynor (Poyner) is on U.S. Highway 175 overlooking the valley of Caddo Creek, eighteen miles from Athens in southeastern Henderson County. An Indian village was just southwest of the future townsite until 1839, when Gen. Thomas J. Ruskqv drove the Indians away. The town was laid off by the Texas and New Orleans Railroad when it reached the community in 1901 and was named after D. H. Poynor, a surveyor for the line. The post office was called Poyner from its opening in 1902 to 1919, when the name was corrected to Poynor. Poynor had a population of forty in 1904 and 500 in 1914. At one point it had several general stores, a school, a blacksmith, a gristmill, a cotton gin, a barbershop, and a movie house. In 1950 Poynor reported a population of 230 and eleven businesses. The town reported 259 residents and four businesses in 1989 and 237 residents in 1990. In 2000 the population was 314 with eight businesses.
BIBLIOGRAPHY: J. J. Faulk, History of Henderson County (Athens, Texas: Athens Review Printing, 1926). Kathleen E. and Clifton R. St. Clair, eds., Little Towns of Texas (Jacksonville, Texas: Jayroe Graphic Arts, 1982).
Kent Willis
