Town of Newton

Newton grew with the railroad and shrank with the timber. The Handbook of Texas dates the Orange and Northwestern's arrival to 1906 and says that by 1913 Newton had 15 mercantile establishments, including a turpentine plant with 200 employees, and about 1,000 people. Falling prices, depleted timber and the Great Depression ended the boom, and by World War II many workers commuted to Beaumont or Orange. Cotton, cattle, hogs, county government and oil cushioned the fall. The weekly Newton Herald began in 1924 and ran into the 1970s.

What the plaque says

Town of Newton Located in the easternmost county of Texas, this town was little more than a forest of oaks and beeches when laid out in 1853. Due to its central location, it was elected county seat the same year, winning over Burkeville, the former county seat. Maj. John Moore, an early settler, built the first house in Newton and also the first courthouse-- a two-story frame structure. It was finished in 1856. The second (present) courthouse was finished in 1903. With the arrival of the Orange and Northwestern Railroad in 1905, Newton began to grow. Buildings increased from four in 1859 (two homes, a store, and a saloon) to 15 in 1913. The town was incorporated (1935) and is the county's only incorporated town. A formal education system began with the W. H. Ford Male and Female College in 1889. It became part of the public school system in 1906. The first bank-- Newton County Bank-- was established in 1906. The "Newton News" was printed prior to 1920. Over the years forest products have been the basis of town's chief industries. Sawmills provided employment, as did plants for manufacturing baskets, turpentine, tool handles, and furniture. The town is now the county's main trade center. (1970)

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• Martin Dies, Jr. State Park — 27 mi
  A 705-acre state park on Steinhagen Reservoir at the meeting of the Neches and Angelina rivers, with about 14 miles of paddling trails through sloughs and more than 200 campsites.

More markers nearby

• Newton County Pre-War Maneuvers — steps away
• William Blewett — steps away
• Newton County — 3.4 mi
• Newton County, C.S.A. — 3.4 mi