Angelina N.F. - Aldridge Sawmill Historic Site

See "East Texas Throwback" piece on Aldridge on KTRE.

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The Aldridge Sawmill was first constructed by Hal Aldridge in 1905. The original mill was of wooden construction, and the equipment both for the construction and for the actual mill operations was brought into the site by ox cart. In 1906, the Burr's Ferry, Browndel & Chester Railway built a spur into the mill, and a town grew up around the mill. By 1911, there were 76 buildings at Aldridge including houses, a warehouse, hotel, company store, and company offices. Later that year, the wooden mill structure burned down and a new mill was constructed using hand- poured concrete. The new mill with its updated equipment produced 125,000 board feet of lumber per day. In 1918, the mill was sold to Kirby Lumber Company who continued to run it on a limited basis until 1923 when it was finally closed. The last of the township itself was abandoned in 1927, and the site was subsequently acquired by the U.S. Forest Service in 1935.

While the town itself is gone, the abandoned shells of the four concrete mill buildings, various concrete foundations, the mill pond, and portions of the old railroad tram still remain.

Hikers are welcome but, due to archeological concerns, no off-road vehicles or horses may be ridden in the Aldridge area.

Aldridge Sawmill Historic Site Info

The site includes four buildings: the mill, a power plant, a fuels building and a dry kiln.

The Aldridge site is a recorded historic property and is protected under CFR 261.9 of the Code of Federal Regulations. No digging, collecting of artifacts, use of a metal detector, damaging or defacing of the site is allowed. Violators will be prosecuted.

Forestwide regulations, are posted at the Aldridge trailhead.
 

Directions

From Lufkin follow Highway 69 south to Zavalla; turn left (east) on Highway 63 and follow 10.5 miles to Boykin Springs road; turn right (south) for 1.5 miles to fork; bear left onto dirt road and follow 3 miles to Aldridge.

For More Information

Angelina National Forest
111 Walnut Ridge Road
Zavalla, TX 75980

(936) 897-1068
(8 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. M-F)