Village Mills is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

in north central

Hardin County, Texas Hardin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas, United States. As of the 2020 census, its population was 56,231. The county seat is Kountze. The county is named for the family of William Hardin from Liberty County, Texas. Hardin ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. It is part of the

Beaumont Beaumont may refer to: Places Canada * Beaumont, Alberta * Beaumont, Quebec England * Beaumont, Cumbria * Beaumont, Essex **Beaumont Cut, a canal closed in the 1930s * Beaumont Street, Oxford France (communes) * Beaumont, Ardèche * Be ...

– Port Arthur

Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally Incorporated town, incorporate ...

. The

Warren Independent School District Warren Independent School District is a public school district based in the community of Warren, Texas (USA). Located in Tyler County, the district extends into a small portion of Hardin County. Other communities in the district include Fred, ...

serves area students.

Historical development

This town was known on some maps as "Village" or "Village Station", with the name coming from nearby Village Creek. In late 1881, the Sabine and East Texas Railroad reached the area for the

lumber Lumber is wood that has been processed into dimensional lumber, including beams and planks or boards, a stage in the process of wood production. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, wi ...

trade to ship its products. The Long Manufacturing Company of

purchased 40,000 acres (160 km) of timberland and built a

sawmill A sawmill (saw mill, saw-mill) or lumber mill is a facility where logs are cut into lumber. Modern sawmills use a motorized saw to cut logs lengthwise to make long pieces, and crosswise to length depending on standard or custom sizes (dimensi ...

at the site. 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 board feet 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 1 mi (2 km) away, which contained the housing. One day in 1895, this mill broke a world record by sawing over 250,000 board feet in 11 hours.
In 1902,

lumber baron A business magnate, also known as a tycoon, is a person who has achieved immense wealth through the ownership of multiple lines of enterprise. The term characteristically refers to a powerful entrepreneur or investor who controls, through perso ...

and businessman

John Henry Kirby John Henry Kirby (November 16, 1860 – November 9, 1940) was a businessman whose ventures made him the largest lumber manufacturer in Texas and the Southern United States. In addition to serving two terms in the Texas Legislature, he also est ...

purchased the mill, and dubbed it "Mill L", an asset of the Kirby Lumber Company. As of 1907, the annual production of lumber was almost 17 million board feet.Handbook of Texas Online - VILLAGE MILLS, TX
/ref> The mill closed in the early 1930s, 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 (also called fossil gas or simply gas) is a naturally occurring mixture of gaseous hydrocarbons consisting primarily of methane in addition to various smaller amounts of other higher alkanes. Low levels of trace gases like carbo ...

and

oil An oil is any nonpolar chemical substance that is composed primarily of hydrocarbons and is hydrophobic (does not mix with water) & lipophilic (mixes with other oils). Oils are usually flammable and surface active. Most oils are unsaturated ...

deposits boosted the local economy. Over the next quarter-century, over 31 wells were drilled, with 17 of these still operating into the 1980s.

References

External links

* {{authority control Unincorporated communities in Hardin County, Texas Unincorporated communities in Texas Beaumont–Port Arthur metropolitan area