Sacul, Texas facts for kids
Sacul is a small, unincorporated community located in Nacogdoches County, Texas, in the United States. An "unincorporated community" means it's a group of homes and businesses that isn't officially a city or town with its own local government. According to historical records, Sacul had about 170 people living there in both 1990 and 2000.
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Where is Sacul?
Sacul is found in the northwestern part of Nacogdoches County. It sits right where two roads meet: State Highway 204 and FM 1648. It's about 21 miles northwest of the city of Nacogdoches and 25 miles southeast of Jacksonville. 31°49′30″N 94°55′08″W / 31.82500°N 94.91889°W
How Sacul Got Its Name
The area where Sacul is now was first known as Tolivar. Tolivar was a spread-out settlement, and it even had a post office in the home of B.W. Pye.
Around 1900, the Texas and New Orleans Railroad built a train stop a few miles from Tolivar. This railroad was important because it carried passengers and goods between big cities like Dallas and Beaumont. A new town was planned around this train stop on land owned by the Lucas family and W.T. Williamson.
The people who started the town wanted to name it "Lucas" after one of the main landowners. However, postal officials said no because there was already another town in Texas called Lucas. So, the founders got creative! They spelled "Lucas" backwards, which is "Sacul," and submitted that name. It was approved! This is similar to how the nearby town of Reklaw also got its name by spelling a word backwards.
Sacul's Early Days
Sacul officially got its own post office in 1903. That same year, a special building called the "Town Center" was built. Locals sometimes called it the "Blue Building" or "Boardwalk." This building was very important because it held a bank, a general store, and a pharmacy.
In 1904, a school opened in Sacul, showing the community was growing. Sacul grew quickly in the years that followed. By 1914, about 400 people lived there. The town had many businesses, including six general stores, three grocery stores, two cotton gins, a blacksmith, a hardware store, and a bank. There were also two churches, one Baptist and one Methodist.
Sacul continued to do well throughout the 1920s. But then, the Great Depression hit, which was a very difficult time for the country's economy. Many businesses in Sacul had to close. By the mid-1930s, the population had dropped to 250, and there were only about ten businesses left.
Sacul Today
After World War II, more people started owning cars and could travel more easily. This made Sacul's decline even faster. By the mid-1960s, Sacul had about 170 residents and only four businesses. The population stayed around 170 for the rest of the 1900s.
Fun Events in Sacul
Even though Sacul is a small community, it has hosted some fun events over the years! In the late 1970s and early 1980s, antique auctions were held on Sunday afternoons in the old Blue Building. People would come from all over East Texas, Houston, and Dallas to attend these auctions.
Sacul also started its annual Folk Festivals in June 1986. Today, on the fourth Saturday of every month, a Bluegrass music festival called the "Sacul Opry" brings hundreds of music fans to the community.
Learning in Sacul
Students living in Sacul attend public schools that are part of the Cushing Independent School District. All the schools in this district are located in the nearby city of Cushing.
