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Sabine
before Hurricanes Rita and Ike
Photo courtesy Bryan D Reynolds, 2005 |
History
in a Pecan ShellThe
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.
See Sabine
Pass Battleground State Historic Site |
 |
Sabine
before Hurricanes Rita and Ike
Photo courtesy Bryan D Reynolds, 2005 |
| Vintage
area map showing railroad terminus at Sabine "City"
Courtesy of
Museum of Gulf Coast |
| Residents
of Sabine
TE Photo |
1940s
Jefferson County map showing Sabine
(Near Sabine
Pass. Below "N" in "JEFFERSON")
Courtesy Texas
General Land Office |
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
of their town, please contact
us.
Where
to Stay - Sabine Area Hotels
Beaumont
Hotels |
| |
| Save on Hotels
- Book Here | |
