Texla, Texas facts for kids
Texla was once a small, busy town in southeastern Texas, near the city of Orange. Today, it is known as a ghost town, which means it's a place where most or all people have left, and buildings are often empty or gone. Texla was important for its sawmills, which cut down trees to make lumber.
What Was Texla?
Texla was located in northern Orange County, Texas. It was just west of a town called Mauriceville. The town's main purpose was to support the lumber industry, using the many trees in the area.
From Bruce to Texla
When the town first started in 1905, it had a different name: Bruce. It was named after Charles G. Bruce, who was the postmaster when the town's post office opened.
The first sawmill in Bruce was called the Harrell-Votaw Lumber Company. It was built close to the Orange and Northwestern Railway, which helped transport the lumber.
Just one year later, in 1906, a company from Houston called the R. W. Wier Lumber Company took over the sawmill. They decided to change the town's name. Because it was close to Louisiana, they combined "Texas" and "Louisiana" to create the name Texla.
A Busy Sawmill Town
In 1917, the owner, Wier, sold the sawmill to the Miller-Link Lumber Company. At its busiest, Texla was home to about 600 people.
In 1918, a big fire destroyed the sawmill. But the people of Texla didn't give up! They rebuilt the mill in 1919, making it just as big as before.
About a year later, the Peavy-Moore Lumber Company from Deweyville bought the mill. They kept it running for a while.
Why Did Texla Disappear?
The main reason Texla became a ghost town was simple: the nearby trees ran out. Once there wasn't enough timber to cut, the sawmill couldn't operate anymore.
In 1929, the mill was taken apart, and the town was abandoned. Most people moved away to find work elsewhere.
Even though the original town of Texla disappeared, a sawmill called Texla Lumber Company operated in nearby Mauriceville from 1945 until 1977. This information comes from the Texas Forestry Museum.
