|
Riverside Cash
Store with Mr. Homer and Mr. Jake
Photo
courtesy Trinity County Historical Society & SHSU Collection
See Texas Stores
| More Vintage Photos |
History in
a Pecan Shell
When Riverside
was established in 1872 by the Houston and Great Northern Railroad,
the combination of river and railroad gave the town unlimited potential.
That same year a post office was moved from its former location at
Newport.
Cotton was the town’s first economic
engine, then lumber. As the trees thinned out, Riverside started raising
cattle. By 1880 the population was 200 and besides essential businesses,
the town also had two hotels and two general stores.
By 1990 Riverside added a saloon and restaurant as well as three churches
and two schools. But even with a railroad and river, the town started
losing population. By 1914 it had decreased to a mere 50.
Fuller's earth* was discovered in the
area in 1920, and two plants were opened, giving the town a reprieve
from impending oblivion. The population increased in the early 1930s,
to 300 and remained at that number until the Riverside schools were
merged into Huntsville’s ISD in
the 1960s. From a 1990 census figure of 451 residents, the 2000 population
had declined slightly to 425.
*a clay-like material used to decolorize
and purify oils. |
 |
Riverside Bridge
turned for the first time
1904 photo courtesy Trinity County Historical Society |
Riverside turning
bridge damaged in 1925
Vintage
photo courtesy Trinity County Historical Society
See Texas Bridges
| More Vintage Photos |
The old bridge
in Riverside today
TE Photo
2004
More Texas Bridges |
Town of Riverside
Historical Marker
On FM 980 near the intersection of SH 19 & FM 980
TE photo |
Town of Riverside
Founded 1872 when
Houston & Great Northern Railroad (later, International & Great Northern)
was being built into the area. Walker
County landowners gave earth, timber, and rock to the road in
order to gain shipping facilities. Post office was moved here Feb.
23, 1872, from Newport (6 mi. SE),
where wharves were idle when Trinity River was low.
Riverside developed churches, a 4-teacher school, and two blocks of
businesses, including stores, blacksmith shop, livery stable, saloon,
barber shop, 2-story hotel, cotton gin. In the 1920s, Fuller's earth
refining plants were built.
(1972) |
| 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. |
|
|
HOME
Texas
Gulf Coast
East
Texas
Central
Texas North
Central
Texas South
Texas
Panhandle
South
Texas
Texas
Hill Country
West
Texas
Texas
Ghost Towns
Texas
Counties
