Village Mills, Texas
Encyclopedia
Village Mills is an unincorporated community
in north central Hardin County, Texas
, United States
. It is part of the Beaumont
–Port Arthur
Metropolitan Statistical Area
.
The Warren Independent School District
serves area students.
trade to ship its products. The Long Manufacturing Company out of Beaumont
purchased 40,000 acres (160 km²) of timberland and built a sawmill
at the site. A short while later, the Texas Tram and Lumber Company of Beaumont purchased this mill in 1883, the majority stockholder being William A. Fletcher. The post office was established this same year. By 1889, this sawmill was churning out 75,000 feet (23 km) of lumber daily. At this time, this mill consisted of two sections of town, one of which was the mill operations (called Long Station), the other being Village Mills one mile (2 km) away which contained the housing. As an interesting note, one day in 1895 this mill broke a world record by sawing over 250,000 feet (76 km) in eleven hours time.
In 1902, the lumber baron and businessman John Henry Kirby
purchased the mill which was dubbed “Mill L”, an asset of the Kirby Lumber Company. As of 1907, the annual production of lumber was almost 17 million feet (5,200 km).
The mill closed in the early 1930’s which caused Village Mills' population to drop from 300 down to 80 within the next decade. In 1945, the discovery of natural gas
and oil
deposits boosted the local economy. Over the next quarter-century, over 31 wells would be drilled, with 17 of these still operating into the 1980’s.
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 north central Hardin County, 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...
. It is part of the 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...
–Port Arthur
Port Arthur, Texas
-Demographics:As of the 2000 census, there were 57,755 people, 21,839 households, and 14,675 families residing in the city. The population density was 696.5 people per square mile . There were 24,713 housing units at an average density of 298.0 per square mile...
Metropolitan Statistical Area
Beaumont–Port Arthur metropolitan area
The Beaumont–Port Arthur Metropolitan Area is defined by the United States Census Bureau as a three-county region in Southeast Texas, east of the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. The area is also known as the Golden Triangle...
.
The Warren Independent School District
Warren Independent School District
Warren Independent School District is a public school district based in the community of Warren, Texas .Located in Tyler County, the district extends into a small portion of Hardin County...
serves area students.
Historical development
This town was known on some maps as Village, and also Village Station, with the name coming from nearby Village Creek. In late 1881, the Sabine and East Texas Railroad reached the area for the lumberLumber
Lumber or timber is wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural material for construction, or wood pulp for paper production....
trade to ship its products. The Long Manufacturing Company out of 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...
purchased 40,000 acres (160 km²) of timberland and built a sawmill
Sawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
at the site. A short while later, the Texas Tram and Lumber Company of Beaumont purchased this mill in 1883, the majority stockholder being William A. Fletcher. The post office was established this same year. By 1889, this sawmill was churning out 75,000 feet (23 km) of lumber daily. At this time, this mill consisted of two sections of town, one of which was the mill operations (called Long Station), the other being Village Mills one mile (2 km) away which contained the housing. As an interesting note, one day in 1895 this mill broke a world record by sawing over 250,000 feet (76 km) in eleven hours time.
In 1902, the lumber baron and businessman John Henry Kirby
John Henry Kirby
John Henry Kirby was a businessman whose ventures made him arguably the largest lumber manufacturer in Texas and the Southern United States. In addition to serving two terms in the Texas Legislature, he would also establish the Kirby Petroleum Company...
purchased the mill which was dubbed “Mill L”, an asset of the Kirby Lumber Company. As of 1907, the annual production of lumber was almost 17 million feet (5,200 km).
The mill closed in the early 1930’s which caused Village Mills' population to drop from 300 down to 80 within the next decade. In 1945, the discovery of natural gas
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
and oil
Oil
An oil is any substance that is liquid at ambient temperatures and does not mix with water but may mix with other oils and organic solvents. This general definition includes vegetable oils, volatile essential oils, petrochemical oils, and synthetic oils....
deposits boosted the local economy. Over the next quarter-century, over 31 wells would be drilled, with 17 of these still operating into the 1980’s.