James Postell Douglas facts for kids
James Postell Douglas (born January 7, 1836, in Lancaster, South Carolina; died November 27, 1901, in Texas) was an important soldier, politician, and businessman in Texas. Many people see him as the founder of the Cotton Belt Route. This was a major railroad system that connected Texas and Arkansas all the way north to St. Louis, Missouri.
Douglas' parents, Alexander and Margaret Douglas, moved their family from South Carolina to Talladega, Alabama in 1838. They then moved to Texas in 1847, settling in Tyler in 1848. After his father passed away in 1854, Douglas helped support his family. He worked as a school principal while also studying law. In 1859, he bought half of the Tyler Reporter newspaper (which is now the Tyler Courier-Times) and became its editor.
When the Civil War began, Douglas helped create an artillery group. He became a first lieutenant. His group, the First Texas Battery, was the only Texas artillery unit to fight east of the Mississippi River. They saw action throughout the war. Douglas was promoted to captain in July 1862. The battery was released from service in May 1865 in Mobile, Alabama, and Douglas returned to Texas.
After the war, Douglas went back to being a newspaper editor. In 1870, he was elected to the Texas Senate. There, he strongly opposed the period known as Reconstruction.
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Building Texas Railroads
Connecting Farms to Markets
Douglas owned farms and canneries around Tyler. He also might have had the first peach orchard in East Texas. He wanted better ways to get his produce to market. In 1870, Douglas asked the Texas legislature for permission to build a railroad. They approved his request at the end of 1871.
It was hard to raise enough money in Texas during the Reconstruction period. But construction finally began in 1875. The railroad started running in 1877. This first line was called the Tyler Tap. It became the foundation for the much larger Cotton Belt Route.
Expanding the Rail Network
Douglas still needed to pay back his investors. So, he started a new project with businessmen from St. Louis. This new company was called the Texas and St. Louis. Its goal was to extend the Tyler Tap to Texarkana. This would allow for a more direct connection to markets in the eastern United States. Douglas served as the first president of the Texas and St. Louis from 1879 to 1880. After that, he became involved with another railroad idea.
In 1880, Douglas became the first president of the Texas and Gulf Short Line Railroad. This company planned to connect Tyler to Sabine Pass on the Gulf of Mexico. The company made the job easier by buying an existing horsecar line. This line already had tracks running to Rusk, Texas. Douglas remained president until 1883. By then, the railroad had 61 miles of track.
Around 1890, all three of these railroads came under the control of Jay Gould. They were then organized into the Cotton Belt Route, also known as the St. Louis Southwestern Railroad.
In 1889, Douglas and some friends started a smaller business. It was called the Tyler Street Railroad Company. By 1891, this company had about 3 miles of track and 4 cars pulled by mules. This line seems to have closed down in 1894. This might have been due to the Panic of 1893, a big economic downturn.
Douglas' Family and Legacy
Douglas was married twice. He married his first wife, Sallie Susan White, on March 24, 1864. She passed away on August 22, 1872. They had four children together. He married his second wife, Alice Earle Smith, on July 7, 1874. They had six children. She lived many years after him, passing away on June 28, 1955. In 1952, the president of the Cotton Belt Route gave her a special 75-year service pin. This was in honor of her husband's role in starting the railroad line.
The Tyler branch of the Sons of Confederate Veterans is named after him. The Douglas Elementary School in Tyler is also named in his honor.
