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Bethany
Located
just along the Texas-Louisiana border is the small,
fading community of Bethany. Formerly called
Lickskillet, the town began with the pioneers who saw
the area as the perfect stop for a wagon train because
of the spring water nearby. These early settlers,
traveling to Texas and other areas West, cooked their
food over a campfire in iron pots. According to local
lore the pots were licked clean by the travelers or the
dogs that traveled with them. By 1915 the town began to
prosper with two cotton gins, blacksmith shops, general
stores, seven saloons, an ice cream parlor, and even a
telephone exchange. The Bethany Methodist Church was the
only church in the town and was used by both Methodists
and Baptists.1
Although
the name changed, some of the town’s features retain the
original name, such as the thoroughbred breeding farm,
Lickskillet Plantation, and the Lickskillet Old Time
Store, operated by George and Diane DeDual.2
The Civic
Club sponsors the Lickskillet Arts and Crafts Festival
in the Bethany Community Center. The event includes
live bands, food booths, and exhibits by local artists
and craftsmen.3
References
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