The first settlers in the area arrived in the mid-1840s. Over the next quarter century, a church and school community developed and the number of farms increased. The arrival of the Texas and Pacific Railway in the 1870s established the settlement as a shipment point for area farmers. When local residents requested a post office, they submitted the name "Scurry"—in honor of Scurry Dean, who was killed during the Civil War. Postal service began in 1883, and a year later, Scurry had an estimated population of 50. By 1914, the community was home to around 400 people and a number of businesses. The Great Depression caused Scurry to decline, which lasted through the first decade after World War II. Only 250 people remained in the community by the mid-1950s. The trend was reversed during the latter half of the 20th century. In 1990, 9 businesses and about 315 people were living in the communi…
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, 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.
