Ratler, Texas and the Renfro Dam

Ratler, which may also have been known as Jones Valley, was a farm community on the Colorado River eleven miles southwest of Goldthwaite. By 1915 it had two stores, a cotton gin, a gristmill, a school and thirty-five people, and the Willis mill and vineyards also produced wine. After 1915 the town declined quickly. Its school was consolidated with Goldthwaite's, the post office closed in 1929, and by 1990 Ratler no longer appeared on maps. The Colorado, the county's western boundary, now draws anglers and hunters who support a small tourist trade.

What the plaque says

Ratler, Texas and the Renfro Dam Mary (Robins) and J. W. Jones built a dam of live oak logs and sandstone on the Colorado River about 8 miles south of this site between 1876 and 1879. The dam provided power to Jones' grist mill and cotton gin. The community became known as Jones Valley. The grist mill became a trade center, the dam a favorite recreation spot for area settlers. In 1883 the Jones' properties were sold to J. D. Willis. When Mills County was formed in 1885, the U. S. Postal Service set up a station in the Willis store, renaming the town Ratler. In 1933 Willis sold to B. F. Renfro, who rebuilt the dam of sandstone. The 1936 flood destroyed everything but the dam. (1998)

Where it stands

More markers nearby

• Jackson Massacre — 3.5 mi
• Rural Communities of Western Mills County — 4.1 mi
• Site of Chesser Valley Community — 5.2 mi
• John Williams — 5.7 mi