Payne Springs was orinally named Mallard Prairie. The name was later changed to Payne's Spring then to what it's know as today - Payne Springs
Mallard Prairie School once stood near the church and cemetery. It later moved across the road and the growth of the cemetery took in land where the school and early church building stood.
When I first moved to the lake area towards the end of 1989 there was a gas station near the area here but as you see & if you look close to the west you can see some of the remnants.
According to http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hlp14
"Payne Spring is on State Highway 198 east of the Cedar Creek Reservoir and fifteen miles northwest of Athens in northwest Henderson County. It was named for W. K. Payne, a Confederate veteran, who settled in the area in 1850. By 1888 the community had a Methodist church, a Baptist church, a blacksmith, a general store, and a gristmill and gin. 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. By the 1940s Payne Spring had a population of sixty-eight and one business. The population in 1990 was estimated at 606."
As of 2010 the population had risen to 767
Contents left in the original container:
Small blue teddy bear, strawberry shortcake eraser, can opener, bouncy ball, emergency pack of matches as well as handcrafted miniature 'pumpkin pie slice' charm & a handcrafted 'Geocaching' keychain/charm
Plus... trackable "The Tooth, and nothing but the Tooth"
Be sure to visit the nearby cemeteries as there are several interesting markers pertaining to the history & people of Payne Springs.
***** Congratulations to QueenofD'Nile for being the FTF!! *****