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Wanted: Information on Wood County's Sawmills & Railroads      
         
         
 

Murry Hammond is working to produce Rusty Rails & Dusty Trails history newsletters on the following Wood County subjects. In general, I am looking for photographs to illustrate these histories, and surviving family stories to personalize them. If you have any pictures or stories on these old log railroads or sawmill life that you would be willing to let us copy for our publication, I'd love to speak with you by mail or e-mail or telephone. Contact: Murry Hammond (click for e-Mail) or call anytime at 818-653-4626.

Here are our needs:

Texas Southern Railway (1897 - 1908) and Marshall & East Texas Railway (1908 - 1918). Winnsboro to Elysian Fields, headquarters and shops at Marshall. After the line ceased operations in 1918, the Winnsboro to Gilmer portion operated for a few years in the 1920's as the Winnsboro & Gilmer Railroad, while the portion from Marshall to Elysian Fields was sold to the Marshall, Elysian Fields & Southeastern and operated until the early 1940's.

Winnsboro & Gilmer Railroad, 1922 - 1926. East Winnsboro to Rhonesboro, operating that portion of the abandoned Marshall & East Texas. As near as we can tell, the W. & G.'s sole piece equipment was a Model-T or similar highway truck that was converted to run on rails, and it's sole freight was a large fruit farm at Rosewood or Rhonesboro, and also cotton, all of which it hauled to Winnsboro. We need to know who operated this line, who were its customers, stories from those who rode it, and any photographs of the line operating, including any photos in general of the towns of Rhonesboro and Rosewood during those years.

Texas Short Line Railway at Alba. Looking for photographs of the Texas Short Line's Alba depot, and good overview photos of the Alba Coal Mining Company's shaft and mine buildings.

Thank you!

     
         
 
 
 
 
 
Directories and Lists      
         
         
  Alba      
  1914 Texas State Gazetteer & Business Directory      
         
  Merrimac      
  1914 Texas State Gazetteer & Business Directory      
         
  Ogburn      
 

1914 Texas State Gazetteer & Business Directory
1919 Dun's Mercantile Directory

     
         
  Peach      
  1914 Texas State Gazetteer & Business Directory
1919 Dun's Mercantile Directory
1923 Dun's Mercantile Directory
     
         
  Winnsboro      
  1914 Texas State Gazetteer & Business Directory
1919 Dun's Mercantile Directory
1923 Dun's Mercantile Directory
     
         
 
 
 
 
 
Maps      
         
     
         
 

Alba, Texas, 1936, showing route of the Texas Short Line Railway.
Source: Texas Highway Department.

 
 
       
         
 
 
 
 
 
Articles and Publications      
         
       
  Publications      
         
 

Logging Railroads of East Texas, 89-Page Magazine on CD-Rom Format.
The history of the logging railroads and tram operations in East Texas between 1840 and 1964. PDF file containes 100 photographs in 89 pages, on a CD-Rom.

 

 
       
         
 
 
 
 
 
Genealogy pages are maintained by Murry Hammond. Contact Murry for all corrections, additions and contributions of new material.