Alleyton is an unincorporated community in central Colorado County, Texas, sitting just east of Columbus, the county seat, along the Colorado River. The river bisects the county northwest to southeast, and Columbus, one of the oldest towns in Texas with roots in the early nineteenth century, lies almost immediately to Alleyton's west. This position places Alleyton within a short drive of Columbus's shops, schools, and services while retaining the quiet, rural character of a small country settlement. Alleyton's significance is rooted in the railroad. In 1860 the Buffalo Bayou, Brazos and Colorado Railroad was extended from Harrisburg, near Houston, to Alleyton, making the community the terminus of what was then the southernmost railroad in the state. The town briefly became the largest and busiest settlement in Colorado County, serving as an important cotton station and Confederate quartermaster depot during the Civil War. Alleyton also marked the starting point of the "cotton road," a wagon route by which Texas cotton was hauled south toward Mexico. A post office opened in 1860, and by 1890 the town held two churches, general stores, a drugstore, and a saloon. After the railroad pushed farther west, Alleyton's role receded and the community settled into a much smaller scale. The Handbook of Texas recorded about 165 residents in 2000, and the surrounding area remains agricultural and lightly developed. Today Alleyton reads as a historic crossroads rather than a commercial center, its heritage preserved in local markers and histories while daily life revolves around nearby Columbus. The community suits those seeking rural living within easy reach of a small county seat, on the corridor between Houston and San Antonio. Its deep ties to Texas railroad and Civil War history give it an identity that far outweighs its size.