Seagoville

Miles from the Dallas bustle lies Seagoville. It’s a town with a story as winding as the Trinity River that flows nearby. Seagoville wasn’t always Seagoville. It began life as Seago, named after its founder, T.K. Seago, back in 1876. He laid out the town, likely envisioning a prosperous future for his namesake. But the postal service had other plans. In 1910, they renamed it Seagoville to avoid confusion with another Texas town called Sego. Imagine the locals grumbling about that change! Seagoville holds a unique place in World War II history. The Federal Reformatory for Women became a detention center. It housed Japanese, German, and Italian Americans labeled “enemy aliens.” Also held were women of Japanese and German descent deported from Latin America. A community of sorts formed within those walls. The detainees even published a German-language newsletter, the Sägedorfer Fliegende Blätter. At its peak, the camp held 647 people. It closed in June 1945. The internees were either sent back to their countries of origin or transferred to another facility in Crystal City, Texas. Seagoville sits on nearly 19 square miles of land, with a small portion extending into Kaufman County. According to the 2020 census, over 18,000 people call Seagoville home. Today, Seagoville stands as a testament to its resilient past. From a simple general store to a wartime detention center, Seagoville has seen its share of history. The echoes of its past linger, reminding us that even in a quiet suburb of Dallas, stories of national significance can unfold.