Manning, Texas

Manning is a ghost town in Angelina County, Texas in East Texas. The town is named for Dr. W. W. Manning who constructed a small sawmill at the site in 1885. The Carter-Kelly Lumber Company built a large sawmill in the area in 1903. The mill processed pine trees from the surrounding forests into lumber. The mill had a capacity of thirty-four million board feet a year and employed 300 people. Manning prospered around the new sawmill, and by the mid-1930s, had a population of about 1,500. The town had a hotel, two theaters, a church, jail, train depot and grocery store. The finest house in the town belonged to the mill manager.

In January, 1935, the sawmill caught fire and was destroyed. Most of the area pine forests had been cut so the company did not rebuild the sawmill. The townspeople were forced to move to find employment and the company dismantled the homes. The only house that remains is the mill manager's house, which is now a bed and breakfast.

See also

• List of ghost towns in Texas

References

Coordinates: 31°08′20″N 94°32′11″W / 31.13889°N 94.53639°W / 31.13889; -94.53639