Kennard, Houston County
(1 mile north) In 1838, Cyrus Halbert Randolph (1817-1889) established the Randolph community on the San Felipe de Austin-Nacogdoches mail route. Randolph, a member of the Snively Expedition, served as Houston County justice of the peace, coroner, chief justice, and sheriff, as well as state legislator and treasurer. The community opened a school circa 1850 and, on June 30, 1858, established the Randolph post office. In 1860, when the community tried to wrest the county seat from Crockett, it had two stores, a blacksmith shop, saloon and barbershop. After losing its bid for county seat, the population slowly declined until the post office closed on September 29, 1881. (1973, 2004)