Old Moulton
Moulton, Lavaca County, Texas
Marker Inscription
At this point was center of original town of Moulton (named, according to tradition, by a man from Moulton, Alabama). First postmaster was James Walker (1856). Town gained statewide fame for the Moulton Institute operated 1874-1895 by Melvin H. Allis, M. A., and wife, Thankful ("Aunt Thank"). On the faculty was an outstanding teacher of music, Miss Sallie McLean. In 1887, San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railroad built its line two miles to the east, so town gradually moved there. Old Moulton Cemetery is one mile to the southeast.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Named by tradition for Moulton, Alabama, this Lavaca County town took root in the 1850s, with James Walker as its first postmaster in 1856. It won statewide renown for the Moulton Institute, run from 1874 to 1895 by Melvin and "Aunt Thank" Allis, whose faculty included the noted music teacher Sallie McLean. When the San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railroad laid its line two miles east in 1887, the town slowly picked up and followed the tracks, leaving the original site behind.
Why it matters
Old Moulton captures a recurring drama of nineteenth-century Texas: how a railroad's route could make or unmake a town almost overnight.
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Related people
- · James Walker
- · Melvin H. Allis
- · Sallie McLean
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
St. Joseph's Catholic Church
Moulton, TX
When the San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railroad reached this area in 1887, the old town of Moulton picked up and moved to meet the tracks, drawing German and Czech immigrant families who broke ground on new farms. Answering their wish for a Catholic parish, Rev. John Forest of Hallettsville founded St. Joseph's, and a small frame sanctuary rose in 1888. The parish grew into an independent congregation by 1892 and ran a school taught by the Sisters of Divine Providence for more than seventy years.
Old Moulton Baptist Church
Old Moulton, TX
Twenty-five former members of the Live Oak Church organized this Baptist congregation in 1873, raising a two-story building whose cornerstone was laid in early 1874. The upper floor did double duty, housing a Masonic lodge and later a schoolroom before it was removed around the turn of the century, while braces were added after an 1886 storm tested the frame. The lower story has served continuously as a church since 1874.
Sam and Will Moore Institute Bell
Moulton, TX
When the Sam and Will Moore Institute opened in 1901, this bell tolled the school day and soon doubled as the town's fire alarm. Its proudest moment came on November 11, 1918, when it rang out the news of the armistice ending World War I. Cast aside in 1939, the bell was restored in 1973 by former students and friends.
Sam and Will Moore Institute
Moulton, TX
Named for the brothers who donated the land and half the cost—matched by their neighbors—the Sam and Will Moore Institute rose in Moulton with its cornerstone laid in July 1901 by the Order of Sons of Hermann. The dedication was a true community gala, with a parade, band concert, barbecue, ball, and speeches delivered in English, German, and Czech. Expanded in 1923, the building still serves as a school.