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History
in a Pecan Shell
The town came into being with the arrival of a wagon train from Georgia
in 1875. Jesse H. Ratcliff, built a sawmill here in the mid 1880s.
The post office opened in 1889 and named in Ratcliff's honor. Ratcliff
sold his mill in 1901 to the Central Coal and Coke Company. This new
operation evolved into a huge lumber operation known by the four Cs
in it's name - The Four C Mill.
The population swelled to 5,000 people and Ratcliff was spared the
fate of many East Texas towns because of the size of the milling operations.
But as the forests were cut, the writing was on the wall for Ratcliff.
By 1920 almost all of the trees had been cut. The town declined until
a reforestation project was launched in the 1930s. Davy Crockett National
Forest was established and the Ratcliff Recreation Area opened.
Ratcliff has two Texas historical markers: one for the town and another
for the Four C Mill.
Dog trot
houses by Bob Bowman
...Few of the old-time dog trot homes are left in East
Texas.
"...[A] well-preserved dog trot house near Ratcliff in Houston
County. It was a beauty to behold, framed by crepe myrtles and cedar
trees..." |
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