Diboll

The company that built Diboll also rented it. Houses went for $6 to $12 a month with no charge for utilities, and a school opened in 1894. In 1907 a segregated school served Black children, with about 40 pupils attending daily and a seven-month term; its teacher, J. W. Hogg, held a Prairie View Normal diploma, according to county school records. When the company neared bankruptcy in 1931, owing about $4 million, many employees lent it savings. Diboll incorporated in 1962 with Clyde Thompson as its first mayor, and schools were fully integrated by 1968.

What the plaque says

Diboll A sawmill established here in 1894 by T. L. L. Temple gave rise to a town that by 1900 contained a commissary, post office, churches, homes, and schools run by the Southern Pine Lumber Company. The town was named for the Diboll family of New Orleans from whom Temple initially purchased timber rights. Diboll remained a company town until Southern Pine Lumber Company began promoting private ownership of homes and businesses in the 1950s. Diboll was incorporated in 1962 and today boasts a multiethnic citizenry which supports numerous community activities. (1994)

Where it stands

More markers nearby

• Thomas Lewis Latane Temple — steps away
• Southern Pine Lumber Company Commissary — 0.5 mi
• Emporia — 1.1 mi
• Ryan Chapel — 2.1 mi