WELCOME to Payne Springs

Payne Springs, which was incorporated in 1972, is located just south of Gun Barrel City, with plenty of land and residential areas around Cedar Creek Lake. It is linked to Gun Barrel City by a set of modern bridges with four lanes that carries State Highway 198.

The town, a water recreation paradise, was named for William K. Payne, a Confederate veteran and delegate of the Texas secession convention, who settled in the area in 1850, and served in Company E of the Thirteenth Texas Cavalry. It was founded along the original trails used by ox-drawn freight wagons hauling goods toward the Bazette and Porters Bluff crossing to the Trinity River.

When the post office was established in 1890 the area was known as Payne’s Spring. The name was changed in 1894 to Payne Spring, and the post office continued to operate until 1905.

It is a small community of 741 residents, according to 2020 Census data, with the amenities of local shopping including Bahama Joe’s, which sells palm trees; Home Instead, offering home healthcare services; and Cedar Creek Battery & Golf Carts.

The Payne Springs Community Center is in the old school building that served the locals shortly after the turn of the century. The town has an outstanding volunteer fire department, which has one of its stations adjacent to city hall, all built along State Highway 198. Payne Springs children are served by two school districts, Eustace ISD and Mabank ISD. The city’s website is paynespringstx.com.

By Russell Slaton