Freestone County, Texas
Communities


Birdston 
(Navarro County)


Birdston was located on Farm Road 416 two miles northeast of Streetman in 
Navarro County, Texas. When V. I. Bird opened a general mercantile store about 
2 miles to the northwest in the 1860s, the Birdston community was founded. As 
local economy then depended on cotton, a gin was soon built near the store. 
In a few years, store and gin were relocated a mile east of this cemetery, at 
halfway point on main road from Fairfield to Corsicana. The Birdston post 
office opened Dec. 11, 1866. By 1867 the community also had a school; by 1872 
a church building used by all faiths.

By 1885 the town had two steam gristmill and cotton gin combinations, a sawmill, 
five churches, and a public school. The estimated population in 1892 was 250. 
The 1895 Rand McNally atlas shows Birdston in Navarro County with a population 
of 3[?] and post office, but no express office or railroad.  After 1900 the 
town began to decline; many residents moved to Streetman, on the railroad. In 
1909 the Birdston post office closed, and by the mid 1930s the community no 
longer appeared on highway maps. In 1990 the former town site was marked by 
only a cemetery and a few scattered houses. 

Birdston Valley, a community of former slaves, is located in Navarro County two 
miles north of the white community of Birdston.

Masonic Lodge: 
Birdston Masonic Lodge A. F. & A.M. #333  (Sep. 15, 1871-1975) 
  (1884 moved to Cade, 1913 moved to Streetman) 
(Birdston Valley Lodge #266 is in nearby Birdston Valley)
(Dorothy Court #106 is in nearby Birdston Valley)

Church:
Birdston Baptist Church - combined with County Line Baptist Church
  of Christand moved to Streetman on Nov. 22, 1908 as the Streetman 
  Baptist Church. Now called First Baptist Church of Streetman.  
First United Methodist Church - Started as Methodist Episcopal Church, South in 
  Birdston before 1871 with circuit rider preachers. In 1911, the Birdston 
  congregation moved to Streetman. In 1912, a church building in Streetman was 
  built.
(Good Will Baptist Church is in nearby Birdston Valley)

School:
Birdston School - was housed in a two-story lodge structure. Grace Beauchamp 
Watson taught there before she married in November of 1904.

Businesses:
<known to have a store.  name unknown at this point.>

Cemetery:
Birdston Cemetery (1872-current)

Nearby Cemeteries:
Cade Cemetery (SW in Freestone County)
Birdston Valley Cemetery (NW, Navarro County)
Burleson Cemetery (Navarro County)

Known people in Birdston were:
Bird, V. I.
Botham, Miss Mamie 
Brock, Ida
Burleson, Edd and Juliett 
Burleson, Thomas J. and Susan R. (McCloud)
Dunbar, William
Gilbert, D. J. 
Hays, Mr. T. A. 
Hail, Jonas Judd Jr. and Mary A. (Burleson)
Jones, Robert Andrew & Martha Katherine Black
McBryde, Anna
McGilvary, Angus Tyson
Murray, Alfalfa Bill
Sherrard, Mr.
Tisdale, Hogan