Sacul, Texas
Encyclopedia
Sacul is an unincorporated community
in Nacogdoches County
, Texas
, United States
. According to the Handbook of Texas
, the community had an estimated population of 170 in both 1990 and 2000.
and FM 1648, approximately 21 miles northwest of Nacogdoches
and 25 miles southeast of Jacksonville
.
and Sacul. It was located in the home of B.W. Pye, who served as postmaster.
The Texas and New Orleans Railroad
, which provided passenger services and freight hauling between Dallas
and Beaumont
, constructed a rail stop a few miles from Tolivar shortly after 1900. It was at that location that a town site was laid out on land owned by the Lucas family and W.T. Williamson. The founders originally wanted to call the new community Lucas after one of the area's principal land owners, but postal officials denied the application because there was already another town in the state with that name – Lucas
in Collin County
. The application was resubmitted with the name Sacul, a backwards spelling of Lucas, and was approved. Similarly, the nearby town of Reklaw
was also named with a spelling reversal.
Sacul's post office was established in 1903. That same year, a Town Center – also called the "Blue Building" or "Boardwalk" by locals – was built. It housed a bank, mercantile store, and a pharmacy. In 1904, a school opened in the community. Sacul experienced rapid growth in the coming years. By 1914, around 400 people lived in the community with a number of business establishments including six general stores, three grocers, two cotton gins, a blacksmith, hardware store, and a bank. There were also two churches in Sacul, one Baptist and the other Methodist. The community continued to prosper throughout the 1920s, but the Great Depression
precipitated a decline and many businesses were closed. By the mid-1930s, the population had fallen to 250 and the number of businesses dwindled to ten.
Increased mobility after World War II
accelerated the community's steep decline. By the mid-1960s, Sacul had 170 residents and four businesses. During the remainder of the twentieth century, the population continued to hover around 170. Although Sacul is unincorporated, it has a post office, with the ZIP code of 75788.
festival known as the "Sacul Opry" attracts hundreds of fans to the community.
. All of the district's campuses are located in the city of Cushing.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
in Nacogdoches County
Nacogdoches County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 59,203 people, 22,006 households, and 14,039 families residing in the county. The population density was 62 people per square mile . There were 25,051 housing units at an average density of 26 per square mile...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. According to the Handbook of Texas
Handbook of Texas
The Handbook of Texas is a comprehensive encyclopedia of Texas geography, history, and historical persons published by the Texas State Historical Association .-History:...
, the community had an estimated population of 170 in both 1990 and 2000.
Geography
Sacul is located at 31°49′30"N 94°55′08"W (31.8248953, -94.9188271) in northwestern Nacogdoches County. It is situated at the junction of State Highway 204Texas State Highway 204
State Highway 204 or SH 204 is a Texas state highway running from Jacksonville southeast to US 259 north of Nacogdoches. This route was designated by 1936 replacing the east leg of SH 110.-Route description:...
and FM 1648, approximately 21 miles northwest of Nacogdoches
Nacogdoches, Texas
Nacogdoches is a city in Nacogdoches County, Texas, in the United States. The 2010 census recorded the city's population to be 32,996. It is the county seat of Nacogdoches County and is situated in East Texas. Nacogdoches is a sister city of Natchitoches, Louisiana.Nacogdoches is the home of...
and 25 miles southeast of Jacksonville
Jacksonville, Texas
Jacksonville is located in Cherokee County, Texas, United States. The population was 13,868 at the 2000 census. It is the principal city of the Jacksonville Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Cherokee County and part of the larger Tyler-Jacksonville Combined Statistical...
.
History
The areas was initially part of a dispersed settlement called Tolivar. The community of Tolivar had a post office that was located midway between the present-day towns of CushingCushing, Texas
Cushing is a city in Nacogdoches County, Texas, United States. The population was 612 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Cushing is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....
and Sacul. It was located in the home of B.W. Pye, who served as postmaster.
The Texas and New Orleans Railroad
Texas and New Orleans Railroad
The Texas and New Orleans Railroad is a former railroad in Texas and Louisiana. At one point the company was the largest railroad in Texas, with of trackage in 1934, but by 1961 there were only remaining when it was merged with parent company Southern Pacific....
, which provided passenger services and freight hauling between Dallas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
and Beaumont
Beaumont, Texas
Beaumont is a city in and county seat of Jefferson County, Texas, United States, within the Beaumont–Port Arthur Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city's population was 118,296 at the 2010 census. With Port Arthur and Orange, it forms the Golden Triangle, a major industrial area on the...
, constructed a rail stop a few miles from Tolivar shortly after 1900. It was at that location that a town site was laid out on land owned by the Lucas family and W.T. Williamson. The founders originally wanted to call the new community Lucas after one of the area's principal land owners, but postal officials denied the application because there was already another town in the state with that name – Lucas
Lucas, Texas
Block quoteLucas is a city in Collin County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,890 at the 2000 census. Recent population statistics show Lucas to have a population above 5,000 people ; however, the current population signs within the city limits state a population of 5015.-Geography:Lucas...
in Collin County
Collin County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 491,675 people, 181,970 households, and 132,292 families residing in the county. The population density was 580 people per square mile . There were 194,892 housing units at an average density of 230 per square mile...
. The application was resubmitted with the name Sacul, a backwards spelling of Lucas, and was approved. Similarly, the nearby town of Reklaw
Reklaw, Texas
Reklaw is a city in Cherokee and Rusk Counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 327 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Reklaw is located at ....
was also named with a spelling reversal.
Sacul's post office was established in 1903. That same year, a Town Center – also called the "Blue Building" or "Boardwalk" by locals – was built. It housed a bank, mercantile store, and a pharmacy. In 1904, a school opened in the community. Sacul experienced rapid growth in the coming years. By 1914, around 400 people lived in the community with a number of business establishments including six general stores, three grocers, two cotton gins, a blacksmith, hardware store, and a bank. There were also two churches in Sacul, one Baptist and the other Methodist. The community continued to prosper throughout the 1920s, but the Great Depression
Great Depression in the United States
The Great Depression began with the Wall Street Crash of October, 1929 and rapidly spread worldwide. The market crash marked the beginning of a decade of high unemployment, poverty, low profits, deflation, plunging farm incomes, and lost opportunities for economic growth and personal advancement...
precipitated a decline and many businesses were closed. By the mid-1930s, the population had fallen to 250 and the number of businesses dwindled to ten.
Increased mobility after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
accelerated the community's steep decline. By the mid-1960s, Sacul had 170 residents and four businesses. During the remainder of the twentieth century, the population continued to hover around 170. Although Sacul is unincorporated, it has a post office, with the ZIP code of 75788.
Events
Sacul hosted the first of its annual Folk Festivals in June 1986. On the fourth Saturday of each month, a Bluegrass musicBluegrass music
Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and a sub-genre of country music. It has mixed roots in Scottish, English, Welsh and Irish traditional music...
festival known as the "Sacul Opry" attracts hundreds of fans to the community.
Education
Public education in the community of Sacul is provided by the Cushing Independent School DistrictCushing Independent School District
Cushing Independent School District is a public school district based in Cushing, Texas .The district is located in northwestern Nacogdoches County and extends into a southwestern Rusk County....
. All of the district's campuses are located in the city of Cushing.