De Leon Peanut Company

Cotton was the major cash crop for farmers in Comanche County until the early 20th Century. The combined effects of distastrous weather conditions in 1908-09, a national economic downturn, and a major infestation of the Mexican boll weevil in 1914 caused many Comanche County farmers to abandon their decades-long reliance on cotton and turn to the more lucrative prospect of peanut farming. Because shipping peanuts to Fort Worth for processing reduced local farmers' profits, N. T. Haskins organized the De Leon Peanut Company in 1912. Its first board of directors included R. W. Higginbotham, W. H. Williams, B. T. Higginbotham, Jr., J. B. Wilson, A. E. Hampton, and W. E. Lowe. By 1914, peanuts were the leading cash crop in the county, and the company enlarged its operations to meet growing demand. A six-story main building was completed in 1917; soon the plant was processing up to ten railroad carloads of peanuts per day. The business survived an economic crisis in the 1920s and remained a strong force in the local community, which has been called "The Peanut Capital of the World." Acquired by a national company in 1967, the De Leon Peanut Company has played a vital role in Comanche County history. (1994)

De Leon Peanut Company is a historical marker in De Leon, Comanche County, dedicated in 1994. It is one of 47 historical markers documented in Comanche County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 62 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 32.1127, -98.5385 near De Leon. The nearest cataloged historic site is Texas Central Railroad (historical marker), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include Campbell, Cyrus, Old De Leon Cemetery, and Frances Marie Sparks Brown.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5093001187. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.