Center City has an underrated history. A large tree named “Heart of Texas Oak” was once considered the geographic center of Texas. While hopes of being more than a small community never happened, their natural landmark helped to avoid becoming a faint memory. Residents learned of plans for a new highway to demolish everything and used the giant oak to reroute a couple blocks north. They still benefited from the new highway by building new stores and gas stations. As with many small towns, better roads and improved fuel efficiency helped people travel longer distances which was bad news for businesses with fewer customers. The actual center of Texas was later determined to be about 55 miles to the west.
There are about 20 residents in Center City today with one church and a couple businesses. Many small buildings have been left unused for years. You can still see the Heart of Texas Oak on an unpaved road, although the only to identify is from a state marker.
From Texas Historical Commission marker:
Settled in 1854 by the families of William Jenkins and David Morris, this community was called “Hughes Store” after W.C. Hughes and his wife opened a store here in the 1870’s. They platted a townsite in 1876, hoping to attract the railroad and to become county seat. An ancient live oak, 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 business until the railroad bypassed it in 1885. The post office remained until 1920.
