Don-Tol, Texas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Don-Tol, Texas
|
|
|---|---|
Don-Tol sign along FM 1301 looking north
|
|
 Don-Tol, Texas
Location in Texas
Don-Tol, Texas
Location in the United States
|
|
| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Wharton |
| Elevation | 72 ft (22 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
77420
|
| Area code(s) | 979 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1379672 |
Don-Tol is a small, unincorporated community in southeastern Wharton County, Texas. An unincorporated community is a place where people live, but it doesn't have its own local government like a city or town. Don-Tol is located along FM 1301, which is a type of state highway. It is southeast of a community called Boling. You can see a sign for Don-Tol on FM 1301 near County Road 100. The name "Don-Tol" came from Mexican workers. They used it to respectfully address William Toliver Taylor, who owned a large sugar cane farm after the American Civil War.
Contents
History of Don-Tol
The Taylor family moved to Texas in 1846. After the American Civil War, two brothers, William Toliver Taylor and Solomon Tyre Taylor, started a business. They partnered with G. C. Duncan, who owned about 583 acres of land in eastern Wharton County. Their farming business was very successful.
Growing the Plantation
The Taylor brothers bought Duncan's land. They then expanded their property to a huge 12,000 acres. On this large farm, they grew many crops. These included corn, cotton, and sugar cane. The brothers hired Mexican workers to help farm their land. These workers began to call William Toliver Taylor "Don Tol." This was a Spanish way of showing respect.
Splitting the Land
Later, the Taylor brothers divided their large farm. Solomon Tyre Taylor named his western part "Parkdale." William Toliver Taylor named his eastern part "Don Tol." A part of their land that was used for hogs was sold. This land became the town of Newgulf.
Later Years
In 1936, there was a factory in Don-Tol. Five years later, in 1941, the local school joined the Boling Independent School District. During World War II, a family member named Glenn B. Taylor was killed. His plane crashed in French Indochina.
As recently as 1989, two different railroad lines ran through the area. The Southern Pacific Railroad ran north and south along FM 1301. The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway ran east and west. These tracks followed the path of today's electric power lines. By 2014, both sets of railroad tracks were no longer there.
Geography of Don-Tol
Don-Tol is located on FM 1301. This is where it meets County Road 101, which is also known as Dontol Road. Don-Tol is about 3.6 miles southeast of Boling. It is also about 15 miles southeast of Wharton. The community of Pledger in Matagorda County is about 2.8 miles south.
Local Features
Caney Creek is a stream that flows through the area. It winds its way south. There is a business located at the corner of County Road 101 and FM 1301. The Don-Tol sign is found a bit further south, at the County Road 100 intersection. To the north, you can see an electric power sub-station. From this station, large overhead power lines run east and west.
