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Map
showing City of Sabine
Courtesy Texas General Land Office |
History
in a Pecan Shell
The town of Sabine
Pass was well-established by 1878. Investors from New York decided
to start a new town and dug a six foot channel to connect their new
town to the Gulf. A resort hotel opened and the town was the terminus
for the Sabine and East Texas railroad. Storms were taken in stride,
but particularly destructive ones in 1886 and 1900 hit the area hard
and discouraged investment.
Beaumont and
Port Arthur
offered better docking and maritime amenities, to say nothing of the
entertainment options, so arriving ships sailed right past Sabine
to the brighter lights.
A post office opened in 1899. The Texas and New Orleans Railroad came
in to use the existing rails and there were 300 people who mostly
made a living fishing, mining sulphur, or engaging in what limited
commerce was there. By 1925 the population had increased to 400.
In 1933 the railroad was dismantled.and by the late 40s the population
had declined to 250. By 1960 it had declined to only 100 with one
business reported. Latest population estimate was 75 from 1972 to
1988. |
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The 1856 Sabine
Pass Lighthouse
TE photo, March 2007 |
| Old postcard
of Windsor Hotel in Sabine |
Sabine before
Hurricanes Rita and Ike
Photo courtesy Bryan D Reynolds, 2005 |
Sabine before
Hurricanes Rita and Ike
Photo courtesy Bryan D Reynolds, 2005 |
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Vintage
area map showing railroad terminus at Sabine "City"
Courtesy of Museum of Gulf Coast |
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Residents
of Sabine
TE Photo |
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The Old Sabine
Pass Lighthouse is included in this oil painting that now hangs
in Port Arthur's
Museum of the Gulf Coast
TE Photo 2003
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Sabine
is featured in T. Lindsay Baker 's "More Ghost Towns of Texas."
Texas Escapes,
in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing Texas,
asks that anyone wishing to share their local history and vintage/historic
photos, please contact
us. |
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