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"The
W.P.A. Trinity County jail was built on the courthouse square in Groveton in 1938
and is still in use today."
- Terry
Jeanson, February 2006 photo. More Texas
Jails |
History
in a Pecan Shell
The Trinity County and Sabine Pass Land and Railway Company is credited with
Groveton’s birth in 1881. The company built a mill and platted a townsite named
Grovetown after a stand of trees. Residents preferred the name without
the w and the current spelling came into being.
The first building in
town was reportedly a saloon. In 1882 Groveton became the county seat after the
courthouse at Pennington burned.
A
new brick courthouse was built in Groveton in 1884. The town and mill grew – but
existed as two separate towns – each with their own mayor.
Around 1900
when lumber mills were closing – Groveton inherited displaced workers and the
elements of sawmill society that weren’t so law-abiding. Saloons were ordered
closed by law. By the late 20s, Groveton was still open at full throttle, but
at midnight December 31, 1930 the mill was dismantled, and rail lines abandoned.
Population dropped by 75%.
The Great Depression hit Groveton hard. With
the closing of the mill and the abandonment of the railroad, the future looked
bleak. CCC and WPA projects included the construction of needed buildings as well
as reforestation projects – the fruit of which is still evident today.
The population hit bottom in 1952 with less than 800 people. |
 |
Trintity County motorists lined up in the square
In the background is the
now demolished 1884 Courthouse
Vintage photo courtesy THC |
Groveton
ChroniclesPistol-packing
Preacher by Bob Bowman ("All Things Historical")
On his
first morning in Groveton Lee presided at the funeral of a young church member
who had been murdered. He soon named criminals from his pulpit and where they
gathered... |
| Texas
Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing
Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history, stories, and vintage/historic
photos of their town, please contact
us. | |
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