Groveton
Groveton, Trinity County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Named for a grove of black jack oak trees, Groveton resulted from the establishment of the Trinity County Lumber Company sawmill in 1882. After the Trinity and Sabine Railroad Company built a sixty-five mile branch line through area forests, the Trinity County Lumber Company bought about 29,000 acres of land from the Trinity and Sabine Timber Company, leaving acreage on either side of the railroad tracks for a town. The county seat was moved from Pennington to Groveton in 1882. By 1884 the first permanent court house was completed and the town included a barber shop, grocery store, drug store, hotel, boarding house, several saloons, homes, and a school. The city was incorporated on September 29, 1919 and officials were elected. By 1930 all the timber for miles around had been cut; consequently, the sawmill closed December 31, 1930. The once prosperous town of Groveton went into decline. The Civilian Conservation Corps was responsible for road construction and a reforestation program in the 1930s. Through the years Groveton has sen economic booms and hard times, but as the county seat, it and survived to leave a rich heritage.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Named for a grove of black jack oaks, Groveton sprang up when the Trinity County Lumber Company built a sawmill in 1882 and a rail branch cut through the surrounding forests. The county seat moved here that same year, and by 1884 a courthouse, stores, hotels, saloons, and a school had appeared. But when the timber ran out and the sawmill closed on the last day of 1930, the once-prosperous town declined, its recovery aided by Civilian Conservation Corps roadwork and reforestation.
Why it matters
Groveton is a classic East Texas lumber town whose boom-and-bust arc — mill, railroad, clear-cut, and New Deal reforestation — captures the rise and reckoning of America's timber frontier.
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Related events
- · closing of the Trinity County Lumber Company sawmill
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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