{{short description|Ghost town in Van Zandt County, Texas, United States}} {{Use American English|date=June 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}} {{Infobox settlement |name = Mars, Texas |official_name = |settlement_type = Ghost town |nickname = |motto =

<!-- Images --> |image_skyline = |imagesize = |image_caption = |image_flag = |image_seal =

<!-- Maps --> ||pushpin_map = Texas#USA |pushpin_label_position = <!-- the position of the pushpin label: left, right, top, bottom, none --> |pushpin_map_caption = |pushpin_mapsize = |image_map = |map_caption = |image_map1 = |mapsize1 = |map_caption1 =

<!-- Location --> |subdivision_type = Country |subdivision_name = United States |subdivision_type1 = State |subdivision_name1 = Texas |subdivision_type2 = County |subdivision_name2 = Van Zandt

|government_footnotes = |government_type = |leader_title = <!-- Mayor --> |leader_name = |leader_title1 = |leader_name1 = |established_title = |established_date =

<!-- Area --> |unit_pref = Imperial |area_footnotes = |area_magnitude = |area_total_km2 = |area_land_km2 = |area_water_km2 =

<!-- Population --> |population_as_of = |population_footnotes = |population_total = |population_density_km2 = auto

<!-- General information --> |timezone = Central (CST) |utc_offset = -6 |timezone_DST = CDT |utc_offset_DST = -5 |elevation_footnotes = <ref name="gnis"/> |elevation_ft = 459 |coordinates = {{coord|32|21|34|N|95|43|33|W|type:city_region:US-TX_source:GNIS-enwiki|display=inline,title}}

<!-- Area/postal codes & others --> |postal_code_type = |postal_code = |area_code = |blank_name = |blank_info = |blank1_name = GNIS feature ID |blank1_info = 2034766<ref name="gnis"/> |website = |footnotes = }}

'''Mars''' is a ghost town in Van Zandt County, Texas, United States.<ref name="gnis">{{gnis|2034766|Mars}}</ref>

Once a retail center for the surrounding community, all that remains of the settlement is a church.

==History== Mars was settled by brothers John and Henry Marrs.<ref name="Kleiner">{{cite web | last = Kleiner | first = Diana J. | title = Mars Community, TX | publisher = Handbook of Texas Online | date = June 15, 2010 | url = https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hrm15}}</ref>

The settlement was a retail trading center, and had two mercantile stores, a blacksmith shop, and a cotton gin and grist mill.<ref name="Kleiner"/><ref>{{cite web | title = Marrs Community | publisher = Van Zandt County Texas | url = http://vanzandttx.org/marscomm.htm | accessdate = November 15, 2016}}</ref><ref name="MC">{{cite web | title = Mars Community | publisher = Uncovered Texas | url = http://www.uncoveredtexas.com/texas-historical-markers-detail.php?city=Ben%20Wheeler&county=Van%20Zandt&type=&an=5467012769&page=2&param1=valu1&param2=valu2 | accessdate = November 15, 2016}}</ref>

The Pleasant Ridge Church and school were established in 1871.<ref name="MC"/> In 1916, the school consolidated to form the Clower Common School District (Clower is located approximately {{convert|15|mi|km|abbr=on}} north of Mars).<ref name="MC"/><ref>{{cite thesis | last = Riley | first = Andrew J. | date = August 1941 | title = How the Trend Towards Centralization has Affected the Schools in Van Zandt County | degree = M.Sc. | publisher = University of North Texas | url = https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc75427/}}</ref><ref name=GNIS3>{{cite gnis|1378135|Clower}}</ref>

In 1891, a post office was established, originally called "Acme". The name was changed to "Mars" seven years later. The post office closed in 1907.<ref name="MC"/><ref>{{cite book | last = Gannett | first = Henry | title = A Gazetteer of Texas | publisher = U.S. Government Printing Office | year = 1902 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=_JIuAAAAYAAJ&pg=PP7 | pages = 102}}</ref>

The population of Mars was over 100 in 1915, and had declined to 50 in 1945.<ref name="Kleiner"/>

The Pleasant Ridge Church is all that remains of the settlement.<ref name="Kleiner"/>

==See also== {{stack|{{portal|Texas}}}} * List of ghost towns in Texas

==References== {{reflist|22em}}

{{Van Zandt County, Texas}}

{{authority control}}

Category:Geography of Van Zandt County, Texas Category:Ghost towns in East Texas