Center City Community

When Mills County was organized, Center City's backers laid out a townsite with a large square in the middle reserved for the courthouse, and saloons, dry goods stores, two blacksmith shops, a general store and a drugstore went up around it. Goldthwaite got the county seat instead. The live oak that gave the town its name was later threatened by construction of State Highway 7, now U.S. 84, but citizens won the fight. It still stood fifty feet south of the highway in 2003 and is listed in Famous Trees of Texas.

What the plaque says

Center City Community Settled in 1854 by the families of William Jenkins and David Morris (1811-89), this community was called "Hughes Store" after W.C. Hughes and his wife opened a store here in the 1870s. They platted a townsite in 1876, hoping to attract the railroad and to become county seat. An ancient live oak (100 yds. S), by tradition once considered the center of Texas, was site of temporary court and school sessions and religious services. Renamed "Center City", this thriving town boasted several stores and businesses until the railroad bypassed it in 1885. The post office remained until 1920. (1977)

Where it stands

More markers nearby

• Center City Cemetery — steps away
• Center City Baptist Church — steps away
• Center City United Methodist Church — 0.2 mi
• Caradan Cemetery — 6.4 mi