Zavala, Texas
Encyclopedia
Zavala, Texas, was a town in Jasper County, Texas
(USA) from 1834 until the late 19th century. Named for empresario
Lorenzo de Zavala
, the town was founded on land owned by Thomas Huling along the Angelina River
. The approximately 40 families who lived in the town survived by farming or logging. The town last appears on a list of communities in the county in 1878 and has since been abandoned. It is not to be confused with the city of Zavalla
, which lies only 20 miles to the northwest, in Angelina County
.
government granted empresario
Lorenzo de Zavala
land in eastern Texas
. The land grant covered an area that is now Jasper County. Thomas Huling purchased some of this land, and in 1834 founded the town of Zavala, named for the empresario, and also known as Muster Point. The town was incorporated on December 24, 1838 by the Republic of Texas
, and a post office was erected in 1839.
In the 1840s, a fire destroyed much of the town, including the courthouse, many homes, and most of the town records. In 1847, Huling sold much of the town, as well as 5000 acres (2,023.4 ha) of land in Jasper County, to Englishman Jerich Durkee in exchange for $1000 and 5000 "tin boxes of Green Mountain Vegetable Ointment." Although the post office was discontinued in 1856, the town remained on a list of Jasper County communities as late as 1878. It has since been abandoned. All that remains of the town is a cemetery which includes a granite marker commemorating the town's previous existence.
and 85 miles (136.8 km) north of Beaumont
, and 50 miles (80.5 km) west of the Sabine River, which marks the border between Texas and Louisiana. Positioned "on a rise near the east bank of the Angelina river
", Zavala lay along the Beef Trail, which ran from Texas into Louisiana
. The landscape was very wooded, featuring loblolly pine
s, shortleaf pine
s, and oak
trees.
, with Beaumont as their final destination. At one point in the town's history, a railroad line either went through or came very near the town.
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...
(USA) from 1834 until the late 19th century. Named for empresario
Empresario
An empresario was a person who, in the early years of the settlement of Texas, had been granted the right to settle on Mexican land in exchange for recruiting and taking responsibility for new settlers. The word is Spanish for entrepreneur.- Background :...
Lorenzo de Zavala
Lorenzo de Zavala
Manuel Lorenzo Justiniano de Zavala y Saenz was a 19th-century Mexican politician. He served as finance minister under President Vicente Guerrero. A colonizer and statesman, he was also the interim Vice President of the Republic of Texas, serving under interim President David G...
, the town was founded on land owned by Thomas Huling along the Angelina River
Angelina River
The Angelina River is formed by the junction of Barnhardt and Shawnee creeks three miles northwest of Laneville in southwest central Rusk County, Texas ....
. The approximately 40 families who lived in the town survived by farming or logging. The town last appears on a list of communities in the county in 1878 and has since been abandoned. It is not to be confused with the city of Zavalla
Zavalla, Texas
Zavalla is a city in Angelina County, Texas, United States. The population was 647 at the 2000 census. The town is named for Lorenzo de Zavala, a Mexican rancher, politician, and signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence who served as the first Vice-President of the Republic of...
, which lies only 20 miles to the northwest, in Angelina County
Angelina County, Texas
Angelina County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. Angelina County was formed in 1846 from Nacogdoches County. As of 2000, the population was 80,130. Its county seat is Lufkin. Angelina is named for a Hainai Native American woman who assisted early Spanish missionaries and was named...
.
History
In 1829 the MexicanMexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
government granted empresario
Empresario
An empresario was a person who, in the early years of the settlement of Texas, had been granted the right to settle on Mexican land in exchange for recruiting and taking responsibility for new settlers. The word is Spanish for entrepreneur.- Background :...
Lorenzo de Zavala
Lorenzo de Zavala
Manuel Lorenzo Justiniano de Zavala y Saenz was a 19th-century Mexican politician. He served as finance minister under President Vicente Guerrero. A colonizer and statesman, he was also the interim Vice President of the Republic of Texas, serving under interim President David G...
land in eastern 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...
. The land grant covered an area that is now Jasper County. Thomas Huling purchased some of this land, and in 1834 founded the town of Zavala, named for the empresario, and also known as Muster Point. The town was incorporated on December 24, 1838 by the Republic of Texas
Republic of Texas
The Republic of Texas was an independent nation in North America, bordering the United States and Mexico, that existed from 1836 to 1846.Formed as a break-away republic from Mexico by the Texas Revolution, the state claimed borders that encompassed an area that included all of the present U.S...
, and a post office was erected in 1839.
In the 1840s, a fire destroyed much of the town, including the courthouse, many homes, and most of the town records. In 1847, Huling sold much of the town, as well as 5000 acres (2,023.4 ha) of land in Jasper County, to Englishman Jerich Durkee in exchange for $1000 and 5000 "tin boxes of Green Mountain Vegetable Ointment." Although the post office was discontinued in 1856, the town remained on a list of Jasper County communities as late as 1878. It has since been abandoned. All that remains of the town is a cemetery which includes a granite marker commemorating the town's previous existence.
Geography
The town was located in Jasper County, Texas, approximately 12 miles (19.3 km) northwest of JasperJasper, Texas
Jasper is the county seat of Jasper County, Texas, in the United States. The population was 8,247 at the 2000 census. Jasper is situated in the Deep East Texas subregion, about northeast of Houston. The city is best known for the 1998 murder of James Byrd, Jr., an event which gained national...
and 85 miles (136.8 km) north 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...
, and 50 miles (80.5 km) west of the Sabine River, which marks the border between Texas and Louisiana. Positioned "on a rise near the east bank of the Angelina river
Angelina River
The Angelina River is formed by the junction of Barnhardt and Shawnee creeks three miles northwest of Laneville in southwest central Rusk County, Texas ....
", Zavala lay along the Beef Trail, which ran from Texas into Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
. The landscape was very wooded, featuring loblolly pine
Loblolly Pine
Pinus taeda is one of several pines native to the Southeastern United States, from central Texas east to Florida, and north to Delaware. It is particularly dominant in the eastern half of North Carolina, where there are huge expanses consisting solely of Loblolly Pine trees...
s, shortleaf pine
Shortleaf Pine
Pinus echinata is a species of pine native to the eastern United States from southern New York south to northern Florida, west to the extreme southeast of Kansas, and southwest to eastern Texas. The tree is variable in form, sometimes straight, sometimes crooked, with an irregular crown...
s, and oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
trees.
Demographics
At its peak, approximately 30–40 families lived in Zavala. Although Durkee promised to settle immigrants in the area, he was unable to attract enough families to enable the community to survive.Economy
Many of the town's residents were farmers. Others worked in logging. Trees would be cut and floated down the Angelina River to the Neches RiverNeches River
The Neches River flows for through east Texas to its mouth on Sabine Lake near the Rainbow Bridge. Two major reservoirs, Lake Palestine and B. A. Steinhagen Reservoir are located on the Neches. Several cities are located along the Neches River Basin, including Evadale, Tyler, Lufkin, Silsbee,...
, with Beaumont as their final destination. At one point in the town's history, a railroad line either went through or came very near the town.