Allen is about halfway between Brownsville and Bells on Highway 79 and also on the railroad. In the past, as many as six passenger trains a day passed through and four stopped at Allen Station. Sometimes the trips were short … a few miles up to Bells or over to the county seat at Brownsville. Freight trains were loaded with apples, strawberries, milk and hides. And at one time Allen had two stores, a cotton gin, grist mill, sawmill, barber shop, church and a school.

Formerly called Rein, the name was changed to Allen Station in 1901 when Allen Baptist Church was formed. The original name was taken from initials of the Herring Family, Richard, Emma, Icabod and Nancy. Rein Post Office probably began on W. A. Herring’s porch. After the post office closed, mail was delivered on horseback and followed by horse and buggy or wagon and then by car. R. A. White and Ab. Whitehead were early carriers.

Some families in the area were: Barcroft, Baxter, Clem, Cobb, Colvett, Craig, Dedmon, Duke, Edwards, Gardner, Garrett, Harper, Hollingshead, Hooper, Jones, Kirby, Kirkpatrick, Marbury, Norman, Patterson, Smith, Watridge.

Businesses

Businesses open through the years were Mr. Basie’s Store, sold to Will Dedmon, then Robert Barcroft.  Barcroft moved store to the highway.  It was later run or owned by Kelly Page, Edmond Taylor, David Fleming. Will Dedmon opened the 2^nd store, and sold to Charlie B and Jacocks, then to Harvey Duke.  The store was run by Virgil Patterson.  Mr. George Colvett was the broommaker.  T.O. Lean owned the dairy.  It was sold to Mr. Craig and then to R. A. Kirby, Frank Herring, and Irby Rooks.

The Cotton Gin was owned by Sam Baxter and George Jones.  Then it was sold to Baxter and Dedmon, then Allen Gin Co (Barcroft and Dedmon owners).  Barcroft became sole owner and sold to Finus Davis and Ollie Christmas. Next was Roe Barnes and last was Hollingshead and White.

Allen Baptist Church

Allen Baptist was founded in 1901 on land donated by Claiborne Sturdivant. The first families were: Duckworth, Jacocks, Herring, Lea, McCleish, Rooks, Sturdivant, Webb and White. Another source lists 18 members: R. G. and Emma Herring, Fannie and Nannie K. Webb, G. B. and Mary C. Carvin, Alice White, L. V. Watridge, Charles D. and Docia Jacocks, Herman, Gladys and Martha Jacocks, W. A. Richard, Nancy and Mary Anna Herring and Ritchie Duke. The present building was constructed in 1937, with a fellowship hall added circa 1977 and a new sanctuary circa 1990. A church cemetery was established in 1979.

Area Cemeteries

The are cemeteries were Herring Cemetery,  Jacocks Cemetery Dr. Allen’s Family Cemetery, and Allen Baptist Church Cemetery, est. 1979

Men in Service of Their Country

World War I

• Edwin Herring, Irby Rooks, Talmadge Clem, Pat Steele, Paul Cobb

World War II

• Barney Cobb, Bill Cobb, Douglas Dedmon, Edward Dedmon, Fred Dedmon, James Dedmon, Paul Dedmon, Smith Dedmon, Ben Duke Castellaw, James Duke, Judson Duke, Harry Fletcher Cobb (Killed in Action), Robert Hooper, Jonathan Jacocks, Winston Kirby, William Outlaw, James Robert Taylor, Fred Taylor (Captured by Japanese while in Civilian Corps), Joe Taylor, Bill Thornton, George Thornton, Joe Thornton, Nolen White (Killed in Action)