City of Mabank

City of Mabank Municipal Water Report Info
Mabank, Texas is positioned along U.S. Highway 175, near the intersection of Farm Road 90, FM 198, and U.S. Highway 175, approximately sixteen miles southeast of Kaufman, Texas, in the far southeast corner of Kaufman County.

The Mabank area was initially settled by Lorenzo D. Stover in 1846. Additional settlers soon moved to the region, and the land was first purchased in 1887 by John R. Jones, a merchant from Goshen in Henderson County. Jones initially named the area "Yard City" after a popular cotton dress material he sold in his store. The name was later changed to "Lawndale," likely when the first post office was established in November 1887.

In 1900, when the Southern Pacific Railroad bypassed "Lawndale" by less than a mile, G.W. Mason and Thomas Eubank, owners of the Mason-Eubank Ranch, recognized the potential opportunity. They promptly designated a one-square-mile tract that they named Mabank—a combination of their surnames. They formally platted the area on February 23, 1900, and a post office was established that same year.

Due to the proximity of the railroad and the fertile soil, Mabank grew rapidly. Many residents and businesses from "Lawndale," frustrated that the Southern Pacific Railroad had bypassed their town, relocated to the new community. In August 1900, Mabank's founders established the "Mabank Land Company" to sell property in the area. An ambulance service operated in the community around 1900, and the Eubank funeral home opened in 1904.

By 1910, Mabank had a population of 412 with three churches, a Masonic lodge, a public library, and a "baseball club." A canning company began operations in 1907, and in 1909, the "Mabank Banner" newspaper started publishing local news. Mabank was officially incorporated on October 9, 1911.

The town continued to grow, particularly with agricultural businesses in the area. Cotton was Mabank's primary crop before World War I. Between 1917 and 1925, oil exploration became popular, though significant oil was not discovered in the area. By 1936, Mabank's population had grown to 963 with approximately seventy businesses. A bank opened in Mabank in 1937.

Unlike many small Texas towns, Mabank did not significantly decline between the end of World War II and the mid-1960s. The population was 988 in 1945, 896 in 1955, and 995 in 1966, with about 40 local businesses remaining stable. After 1966, Mabank grew rapidly, largely due to the completion of Cedar Creek Reservoir (also known as Cedar Creek Lake) in 1965. The lake attracted many new residents, including retirees and commuters to jobs in the Dallas area, as well as tourists. Mabank had 1,500 residents in 1976, 1,739 in 1990, 2,151 in 2000, and over 3,200 residents by 2012.