History of Dryer, Gonzales County: From Prosperity to Decline
Published: 1952
Updated: December 1, 1994
Dryer (Dreyer), on Farm Road 443 in eastern Gonzales County, was named for Henry Dryer, one of a group of investors who in 1891 bought 6,568 acres from L. M. Kokernot and divided it into small farm lots. Dryer acquired a post office in 1897, but it closed in 1906. By 1936 the community had three businesses, two churches, and a school and was surrounded by scattered farms. In 1940 the settlement had 100 inhabitants and five businesses. Thereafter, it saw a period of sharp decline; by 1968 the population was forty. In 1988 and 1990 the community had twenty residents, two businesses, and a church.
Places:
The following, adapted from the Chicago Manual of Style, 15th edition, is the preferred citation for this entry.
Stephen L. Hardin, “Dryer, TX,” Handbook of Texas Online, accessed March 09, 2026, https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/dryer-tx.
Published by the Texas State Historical Association.
TID:
HND47
- 1952
- December 1, 1994
