Ratcliff, Texas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ratcliff, Texas
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 Ratcliff, Texas
Location in Texas
Ratcliff, Texas
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Houston |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP codes |
75858
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| GNIS feature ID | 1382593 |
Ratcliff is a small, unincorporated community in Houston County, Texas, in the eastern part of the United States. An unincorporated community is a place that isn't officially governed by its own city or town government. In the year 2000, about 106 people lived in Ratcliff.
Contents
History of Ratcliff
How Ratcliff Started
Ratcliff began around 1875. A group of people from Georgia traveled by wagon train and settled in eastern Houston County. The community was named after Jesse H. Ratcliff. On February 6, 1889, he built a post office and a sawmill there. The sawmill was in an area with many tall, untouched pine trees.
The Lumber Town Boom
Jesse Ratcliff's sawmill was later sold to the Central Coal and Coke Company in 1901. This led to the creation of a huge sawmilling business called the Four C Mill. During the time when sawmills were very busy, more than 5,000 people lived in Ratcliff. It was a very active lumber town until the early 1900s.
By 1920, about 120,000 acres (49,000 ha) of the surrounding forest had been cut down. Because of this, the town started to decline.
Recovery and Recreation
In the mid-1930s, Ratcliff's economy began to get better. This happened because the Davy Crockett National Forest was created. Also, land was sold, and a project to replant trees was started by the Civilian Conservation Corps.
A popular place for tourists, the Ratcliff Lake Recreation Area, was built about a mile west of town. To remember its history, two special markers were placed in Ratcliff. One marker for the town was placed in 1972, and another for the Four C Mill was placed in 1973. In both 1990 and 2000, Ratcliff had 106 residents and two businesses.
Early Community Life
When the post office first opened, Ratcliff had three stores. Jesse Ratcliff himself worked as the postmaster. Doctors H.L. McCall and Jake Jackson were also part of the community, providing medical care.
Recent Weather Events
On April 13, 2019, a strong tornado, called an F1 tornado, hit Ratcliff. It broke and pulled up trees. The tornado also badly damaged a mobile home, pushing it into a wooded area. Four people inside the home were hurt, but they were later released from the hospital. Another smaller tornado, an EF0, also hit the Davy Crockett National Forest, but its full path is not known.
Geography of Ratcliff
Ratcliff is located in eastern Houston County, Texas. You can find it where Farm to Market Road 227 and Texas State Highway 7 meet. It is about 3.5 mi (5.6 km) east of Kennard. It is also about 18 mi (29 km) east of Crockett and 36 mi (58 km) southwest of Nacogdoches. Texas State Highway 103 also passes through the community.
Education in Ratcliff
The Old Ratcliff School was started in 1890, and Dora Hager was its teacher. In 1901, the school moved closer to the community. Later, in 1955, it became part of the Kennard Independent School District.
Notable Person
- Richard H. Keith was a well-known person from Ratcliff. He worked in the coal and lumber industries.
Gallery
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Entrance sign to Ratcliff Lake Recreation Area at Ratcliff, Texas
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Ratcliff Lake in the Davy Crockett National Forest
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Ratcliff Baptist Church on Texas State Highway 7
