The community started in the late 19th century when farmers settled near Caney Creek. It is named for one of the pioneer settlers of the area, Ector Owens. It was originally named Victor's Station, but was changed when residents were informed by postal authorities that a town of that name already existed. Postal service began in 1886, and it was connected to the Texas and Pacific Railway in 1892, making Ector a shipping point for area farmers. In 1904, the town had 218 residents, and infrastructure included a church, a school, and a bank. The population reached 451 in 1926, at which time there were 25 business, and the population reached 457 in 1947. Its population was reported as 650 in 1988, but the number of businesses declined over this period, from 12 in 1936 to three in 1988. By that time, most of the residents were commuting to jobs in Sherman, 20 miles (32 km) to the west, or De…
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →
From Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
