Luling in Caldwell County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)

The Lifeblood of Luling

Photographed By James Hulse, August 21, 2022

1. The Lifeblood of Luling Marker

Inscription. What started as a grist mill quickly became a focal point of life in Luling. The gin sparked the town's first industry, the saw mill cut lumber for construction, and the grist mill churned out cornmeal. The steady stream of farmers, merchants, builders and townspeople made the mill by the river a gathering place for doing business and exchanging news and gossip.

"I was a teenager in the late 1930s & early 40s... All during the year people would go down to the mill and get corn meal that he (Zedler)] would grind." Alton J. Redenburg

Captions
Lower Left: The mill began supplying Luling with water in 1890 and power in 1894. Herman and Charlie Zedler built a concrete dam and new powerhouse in 1914 to keep up with the needs of the growing community.
Lower Middle: Merchants bought cotton baled at the mill, sold it to eastern markets, and purchased goods and sundries to stock their shelves.
Lower Right: By 1881 Luling was thriving. Note the downtown stretching for 4 blocks along main street. The mill is just south of the area covered by the map.

Timeline
1902
Fritz Zedler sells mill to his sons Herman and Charles.
1914
Concrete dam and powerhouse built. World War 1 starts

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in Europe.
1917
Zedlers start milling flour.
1922
Charles buys out Herman and becomes sole owner.
1929
Great Depression begins.

Erected by Zedler Mill Museum and Park.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Industry & Commerce • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1890.

Location. 29° 40.036′ N, 97° 39.093′ W. Marker is in Luling, Texas, in Caldwell County. Marker is at the intersection of South Laurel Avenue and South Magnolia Street (State Highway 80), on the right when traveling east on South Laurel Avenue. The marker is located in the central section of the Historic Zedler Mill Museum and Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1170 South Laurel Avenue, Luling TX 78648, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Fading Away and Coming Back (here, next to this marker); Why Here? Why Then? (here, next to this marker); From Boll to Bolt (a few steps from this marker); Mixing to Match (a few steps from this marker); Zedler's Mills (within shouting distance of this marker); Going with the Grain (within shouting distance of this marker); Responding to a Looming Need

The Lifeblood of Luling Marker is the marker in the middle of the three markers image. Click for full size.

Photographed By James Hulse, August 21, 2022

2. The Lifeblood of Luling Marker is the marker in the middle of the three markers

(within shouting distance of this marker); The Same Old Grind (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Luling.

More about this marker. The Zedler Mill Park and its parking are free to the public daily. Donations are appreciated when visiting the Zedler Mill Museum.

Also see . . .
1. Zedler Mill Museum & Park. The City of Luling, Texas

In 1885, Bob Innes, John Orchard, J.K. Walker, and a German immigrant mill expert named Fritz Zedler, purchased the site and mill equipment naming it the "Luling Water Power Company". Soon they added a lumber sawmill and Fritz Zedler replaced the existing stone dam with a wooden dam and penstock that could generate more power. Buying out his three partners within a few years, Fritz Zedler became sole owner in 1888 and invited his oldest son, Berthold, to be his partner. Not long after the acquisition, the entire three story facility caught fire in October 1888 and was totally destroyed. The citizens of Luling promised to hold the sale of their cotton crops for the Zedlers to rebuild. Devastated, but not giving up, the Zedler family rebuilt the mill factory and within seven weeks,
Photographed By James Hulse, August 21, 2022

3. The view of the Lifeblood of Luling Marker from the entrance to the park
it was operational.

(Submitted on August 27, 2022, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.)

2. Luling, Texas. Wikipedia

Luling was founded in 1874 as a railroad town and became a rowdy center for the cattle drivers on the Chisholm Trail. Contempt of the law by the cowboys helped Luling become known as the "toughest town in Texas". After the great cattle drives ended in the late 1880s, Luling quieted down to a town of about 500 and cotton ruled the local economy. Perhaps due to arrival of immigrants, including a sizeable Jewish population, in the late-19th century, Luling began a long, slow, period of growth, and by 1925 the population reached 1,500.

(Submitted on August 27, 2022, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.)

The Zedler Mill and Dam image. Click for full size.

Photographed By James Hulse, August 21, 2022

4. The Zedler Mill and Dam

The Zedler Mill image. Click for full size.

Photographed By James Hulse, August 21, 2022

5. The Zedler Mill

Credits. This page was last revised on August 27, 2022. It was originally submitted on August 25, 2022, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 145 times since then and 65 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on August 27, 2022, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.