0 4 6 2 , ▁- 9 6 . 6 1 6 6 5 4 5 ▁), ▁along ▁FM ▁ 5 5 , ▁three ▁miles ▁south ▁of ▁State ▁Highway ▁ 3 1 ▁in ▁south ▁central ▁Navar ro ▁County . ▁Pur don ▁is ▁situated ▁approximately ▁ 1 4 ▁miles ▁south west ▁of ▁C ors icana . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁The ▁earliest ▁named ▁settlement ▁near ▁what ▁would ▁later ▁become ▁Pur don ▁was ▁a ▁community ▁called ▁Belle ▁Point . ▁It ▁was ▁originally ▁settled ▁by ▁Captain ▁J . ▁A . ▁Harrison . ▁In ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 8 8 0 s , ▁the ▁St . ▁Louis ▁South western ▁Railway ▁( also ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁" C ot ton ▁B elt ") ▁was ▁built ▁two ▁miles ▁south ▁of ▁Belle ▁Point ▁and ▁lots ▁were ▁soon ▁pl atted ▁around ▁the ▁rail ▁stop . ▁The ▁new ▁community ▁was ▁named ▁Pur don . ▁Cred it ▁for ▁the ▁name ▁is ▁given ▁to ▁a ▁rail road ▁man ▁named ▁Harris , ▁who ▁was ▁attract ed ▁to ▁a ▁c ash ier ▁where ▁he ▁brought ▁supplies ▁– ▁Miss ▁Ada ▁Pur dom . ▁By ▁an ▁in ad vert ent ▁sp elling ▁mistake ▁at ▁the ▁general ▁office , ▁the ▁town ▁became ▁Pur don . ▁A ▁post ▁office ▁was ▁established ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 1 . ▁Pur don ▁became ▁a ▁th riv ing ▁community ▁with ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁black ▁land ▁in ▁the ▁area ▁used ▁to ▁raise ▁cot ton , ▁corn , ▁and ▁other ▁feed ▁gra ins . ▁By ▁ 1 8 9 6 , ▁approximately ▁ 8 0 ▁people