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History
in a Pecan Shell
The
town of Remlig was one of many set up as a lumbermill by Alexander
Gilmer in 1905. The company opened in 1905 and so did the post
office. The Upshur County
seat of Gilmer had already
been named for another Gilmer, so postal authorities nixed the application
for one with the same name in
Jasper County. But they readily accepted Remlig - a simple reversal.
(See Bob Boman's article: Town
Names.)
Gilmer, born in Ireland, transmigrated to Texas via Georgia. First
making ship's masts from Georgia pines, he ventured into shipbuilding
with his brother. He branched into shingle-making and building sawmills,
becoming a millionaire lumber magnate in the process. Gilmer died
in 1906 and was buried in Orange,
where he had married and (with his brother) ran one of his most successful
businesses. Gilmer's operation at "Remlig" was vast, with extensive
tram roads built to exploit the timber reserves. But with the demise
of the forest, the town too, disappeared. The company operation closed
in 1926 and so did the post office. |
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| Texas
Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing
Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history, stories,
landmarks and recent or vintage photos, please contact
us. |
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