MOUNT ENTERPRISE, TEXAS

History in a Pecan Shell

First settled in the early 1830s by the Vinson brothers, the name was an exaggeration of an elevated area and the hopes of success for the brother’s “enterprise.” The hopes were realized when Charles Vinson’s factory produced enough plows, furniture and caskets to warrant opening a chain of stores.

The Mulberry Grove post office was established in 1846 and three years later it was changed to Mount Enterprise.

Like the rest of East Texas, lumber played an important part in the area economy. Prior to the Civil War there were many plantations nearby and as early as 1851 the town supported the Mount Enterprise Male and Female Academy (although it only lasted three years).

In the 1880s Mt. Enterprise had a 150 residents, many of which were employed at the town’s three sawmills or two cotton gins.

The Caro Northern Railroad came within 1.5 miles of Mt. Enterprise in 1894, forcing the town to relocate to the tracks. The line was a connection to the much larger Texas and New Orleans Railroad.

This move created a “New” Mt. Enterprise and an “Old” Mt. Enterprise. The railroad failed during the Great Depression but the town had diversified businesses by then and the population had grown to over 900.

A decline set in after WWII and in the early 1980s the population had reached 485. The 1990 census reported just over 500 people which increased to 525 for 2000.