You’ll find the ghost town of Remlig deep in East Texas, where Alexander Gilmer built a cutting-edge sawmill in 1904. He named the town by spelling his surname backward, and it quickly grew into a bustling lumber community with 400 workers, modern amenities, and a thriving social scene. Though the mill produced up to 160,000 board feet daily at its peak, timber depletion and rising costs eventually forced the town’s abandonment. The story of this company town’s rise and fall reflects the broader saga of Texas lumber towns.
Key Takeaways
- Remlig was a thriving Texas lumber town established in 1904, named by spelling Alexander Gilmer’s surname backward.
- The town supported nearly 1,000 residents with 190 tenant houses, modern amenities, schools, churches, and a company commissary.
- At its peak, the sawmill employed 400 workers and produced up to 160,000 board feet of lumber daily.
- The community operated as a company town where workers were paid in scrip redeemable at the company store.
- The town declined and was abandoned due to timber depletion and high maintenance costs of railroad and machinery.
The Birth of a Lumber Empire
As the Texas lumber industry boomed in the late 1800s, Alexander Gilmer planted the seeds of what would become the thriving town of Remlig.
You can trace the roots of his lumber empire to 1867, when he bought a two-thirds stake in James Wood’s modest sawmill on the Sabine River, which only cut about 7,000 board feet per day. After multiple devastating mill fires, including one causing $150,000 in damages, Gilmer persistently rebuilt with improved technology.
Seeing the potential for massive economic growth, Gilmer dreamed bigger.
In 1904, he contracted New Orleans builders to construct a state-of-the-art sawmill that could handle 140,000 board feet in just ten hours.
By September 1905, the new mill was up and running, and Gilmer named it by spelling his own name backward.
The operation quickly grew to include 2½ miles of tram roads connecting logging camps to what became one of Jasper County’s largest enterprises. The mill employed 250 workers and featured modern amenities like schools, churches, and a commissary.
Daily Life in a Company Town
You’d find daily life in Remlig revolved around the company’s unique paycheck system, where workers collected daily scrip to spend at the commissary before getting their actual cash on monthly payday.
If you’d worked a shift at the sawmill or in the surrounding forest, you’d head straight to the company store to exchange your day’s earnings for necessities like food and household goods.
Your entertainment options weren’t fancy, but you’d likely join your neighbors for simple pleasures like baseball games, community socials, or weekend fishing trips when you weren’t working those long 10-hour shifts.
The mill’s operations had been highly successful, shipping an impressive 800,000 shingles each week during its peak years.
The town prospered under George W. Gilmer’s leadership until a devastating fire in 1899 destroyed much of the mill operations.
Mill Paychecks and Commerce
The economic heartbeat of Remlig flowed through its company-controlled paycheck system.
You’d receive your daily wages in paycheck scrip, redeemable at the company commissary where you’d find your basic necessities. While you could cash out your remaining balance once a month, the system created a tight economic dependence on the company store.
You’d see $1 taken from your pay if you were single, or $1.50 for families, covering your health and hospital insurance.
The commissary wasn’t just a store – it was where you’d run into your neighbors and catch up on town news.
But make no mistake, your financial freedom was limited. With few alternatives in this remote timber town, you’d find your earnings cycling right back to the company that paid you.
Community Activities and Entertainment
Life in Remlig revolved around more than just lumber and paychecks. You’d find folks gathering at their respective churches and schools, where community gatherings helped break up the routine of long workdays.
While there weren’t any fancy entertainment venues, you’d see families making their own fun around town, especially near the mill pond where folks could catch a break from the Texas heat. Just like in Plemons Crossing, neighbors looked out for one another and found ways to stay entertained despite limited options.
Social clubs weren’t formally documented, but you’d notice the town’s “classier” atmosphere in the way neighbors looked after each other. White bungalows dotted the landscape, and with modern amenities like electricity and running water, you’d have found Remlig more comfortable than your typical sawmill town. Some residents even held church Mass monthly, similar to the traditions of other Texas ghost towns.
The commissary served as an informal meeting spot where townsfolk could catch up on local happenings.
Mill Operations and Industrial Success
Situated along the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railroad, Remlig’s bustling sawmill operation kicked into high gear when Harry S. Filson, Alexander Gilmer’s son-in-law, took charge in 1905.
You’d have seen cutting-edge industrial technology at work, with three locomotives hauling timber to the mill pond and 80 log cars moving product along two miles of track.
Like many of Texas’s 511 ghost towns, Remlig’s industrial success was short-lived despite its technological innovations.
The mill’s lumber production was impressive, churning out up to 160,000 board feet daily during peak shifts.
With 250 mill hands working the machinery and 150 flatheads felling timber, the operation was one of the most advanced in Texas.
The massive workforce of 400 skilled laborers helped establish Remlig as a pioneering force in Texas lumber production.
Similar to Thurber’s decline, the town’s workers received their wages through a once-a-month paycheck system that kept them dependent on company credit.
The fully equipped planning mill and dry kilns meant they weren’t just cutting rough lumber – they were delivering finished products that kept the region’s construction boom rolling.
Community Spirit and Social Activities
You’d find plenty of community spirit in Remlig through its organized dances and social gatherings, where folks came together for entertainment despite their remote location.
The town’s social calendar kept busy with community meals, holiday celebrations, and performances by local musicians who’d set up at church functions or mill-sponsored events. Like many small Texas towns facing population decline, residents worked hard to maintain their social connections and preserve their way of life. The Gilmer Lumber Company provided steady employment that helped sustain these community activities for over two decades.
Local sports and informal clubs gave mill workers and their families ways to bond after long days at work, creating the kind of tight-knit community you’d expect in a Texas lumber town.
Entertainment and Social Events
While many sawmill towns of the era earned reputations as rough-and-tumble places, Remlig stood apart with its remarkably “classier” and family-oriented social scene.
You’d find folks gathering at the commissary, which served as more than just a store – it was a bustling social hub where neighbors caught up on local happenings.
The town’s churches and schools hosted regular social gatherings throughout the year, from community picnics to holiday celebrations.
With electric lights illuminating the streets, evening activities flourished, bringing life to the community after the workday ended.
Though social events were typically segregated, with separate venues for each race, both communities maintained active social calendars.
During weekends and holidays, when the mill’s demands eased up, you’d see residents coming together to enjoy their hard-earned leisure time.
Community Clubs and Sports
Despite limited records of organized activities, Remlig’s community spirit thrived through informal sports and social clubs that brought folks together after long days at the sawmill.
You’d find makeshift baseball fields where workers and their families gathered for friendly games, while others enjoyed hunting and fishing in their spare time. Community sports often took place at open fields or basic courts, where you might catch a pickup basketball game or track competitions.
Local volunteers maintained these spaces, ensuring everyone had a chance to participate.
The community center served as a hub for recreational clubs and social gatherings, where you could join various activities or attend town meetings.
Churches also pitched in, organizing events that united residents regardless of their background, though facilities remained segregated during those times.
Town Band Performances
Music brought another dimension to Remlig’s social scene through the town band, which first organized in the early 1900s during the sawmill’s peak years. The band’s significance went beyond mere entertainment – it helped forge a stronger sense of community among mill workers and their families during a time of rapid industrialization.
You’d find the band performing at all sorts of venues around town – from lively parades and picnics to school events and church gatherings.
Though these performances reflected the era’s segregated social structure, with separate events for white and African American residents, the music served as an essential cultural outlet for all of Remlig’s people.
The band helped establish Remlig’s reputation as one of Texas’ more refined mill towns, a legacy that survives in ghost town histories today.
The Architecture and Infrastructure
The architecture and infrastructure of Remlig centered around its massive sawmill, which first fired up in September 1905 after nine months of construction.
You’d find a bustling operation with architectural significance reflected in its 190 tenant houses supporting nearly 1,000 residents, while white bungalows housed select employees. The infrastructure evolution included modern amenities like electricity and running water throughout the town.
You couldn’t miss the 2-mile standard gauge railroad connecting to the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe line, or the 2.5 miles of tram roads linking to logging camps.
The mill’s industrial might boasted planning facilities, dry kilns, and three locomotives hauling 80 log cars. While segregated, the town offered schools, churches, and a commissary, creating a self-contained community that flourished until its closure in 1926.
Working Conditions and Employee Benefits
Working at Remlig’s bustling sawmill meant joining a workforce of 400 strong, with 250 mill hands running the daily operations and another 150 “flatheads” harvesting timber in the surrounding forests.
You’d find steady work here, with job security tied directly to the mill’s success in churning out up to 160,000 board feet of lumber daily.
The company took employee welfare seriously, providing more than just a paycheck.
You’d live in one of 190 white bungalows equipped with modern amenities like running water and electricity – luxuries most rural Texans didn’t have back then.
Your family could shop at the commissary, worship at church, and send kids to school right in town.
It wasn’t perfect with its segregated facilities, but it offered better living than most mill towns of that era.
The Final Days and Abandonment
Despite operating at full steam for decades, Remlig’s sawmill operations ground to a halt as accessible timber grew scarce in the surrounding forests.
Progress ceased when the forests ran dry, leaving Remlig’s once-bustling sawmills silent and still.
You’d have witnessed a rapid economic decline as the town’s lifeblood – its lumber industry – dried up, leaving folks without work and hope.
The environmental degradation from years of over-harvesting took its toll, with no trees left to feed the mill’s hungry saws.
The railroad and machinery became too costly to maintain, and the town’s businesses shuttered one by one.
Schools and churches held on the longest, but they too had to close their doors.
With no sustainable practices in place and no alternative industries to turn to, Remlig’s residents packed up and moved on, leaving behind empty buildings and memories of better days.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Happened to Alexander Gilmer After the Mill Closed?
You can’t know what happened to Alexander Gilmer after the mill closed since he’d already died in 1906 at St. Vincent’s Hospital in New York, nearly 20 years before the mill’s 1925 closure.
Were There Any Major Accidents or Disasters at the Remlig Sawmill?
While sawmill accidents were common in East Texas, you won’t find any documented major disasters at Remlig. Though dangerous work conditions existed, there’s no evidence of catastrophic events during its 1905-1926 operation.
How Did Native Americans in the Area Interact With Remlig?
While you might expect stories of Native Relations, there weren’t any – Remlig was founded in 1905, long after Native Americans had been forced from the area, leaving no Cultural Exchange.
What Was the Average Wage for Workers at the Remlig Mill?
You’d have made $1.50 per day as a regular mill worker at Remlig, while skilled workers earned $3.00 daily. Most folks got the lower wage since skilled positions were pretty limited.
Did Any Original Buildings or Structures From Remlig Survive Today?
You won’t find any surviving structures from Remlig today – the wooden buildings didn’t last after the mill closed in 1926. Unlike other ghost towns, there’s no historical preservation of the original town site.
References
- http://www.wtblock.com/gilmer.htm
- https://texashighways.com/travel-news/four-texas-ghost-towns/
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phjUE19A8HM
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ghost_towns_in_Texas
- https://www.texasescapes.com/EastTexasTowns/Remlig-Texas.htm
- https://www.texasescapes.com/TOWNS/Texas-Ghost-Towns-6-East-Texas.htm
- https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2014&context=ethj
- https://orangeleader.com/2020/11/28/and-now-you-know-alexander-gilmer-was-oranges-second-largest-industrialist/
- https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/remlig-tx
- https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/lumber-industry
