Old Coffeeville, C. S. A.
Gilmer, Upshur County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Ferry point near this site, on Big Cypress. Important town of 1850's, with an academy, 2 dry goods stores, 2 groceries, drug store, 3 doctors, Methodist and Presbyterian churches, a hotel and Masonic lodge. During Civil War, lived up to its name, selling coffee when other towns had none. Had a Confederate camp of instruction, one of three in Upshur County, established in response to June 8, 1861, call of Governor Edward Clark for such camps to be set up at expense of local citizens. Trained infantry and cavalry.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
A ferry crossing on Big Cypress Bayou, Coffeeville grew into a bustling 1850s East Texas town with an academy, churches, stores, doctors, a hotel, and a Masonic lodge. During the Civil War it lived up to its name by selling coffee when scarcity emptied other towns' shelves. It also hosted one of Upshur County's three Confederate camps of instruction, established at local citizens' expense after Governor Edward Clark's 1861 call, where infantry and cavalry trained for the fight.
Why it matters
Coffeeville shows how small Southern towns mobilized for the Confederacy, raising and training troops locally while wartime blockades reshaped everyday commerce.
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Related people
- · Edward Clark
Related events
- · American Civil War
Themes & tags
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