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

Fading Away and Coming Back

 
 
Fading Away and Coming Back Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By James Hulse, August 21, 2022
1. Fading Away and Coming Back Marker
Inscription. 1922 brought the discovery of oil, drought and a boll weevil infestation. Cattle ranches, dairy farms, and oil derricks gradually replaced cotton fields and gins closed one by one, but not Zedler's Mill. It survived by milling a bit of everything - cotton, cottonseed, cornmeal, flour, and animal feed. In the end it wasn't enough. The doors closed in 1960, nearly a century after they opened for business.

Captions
Lower Right: Edgar B. Davis discovered oil nearby in 1922, transforming Luling overnight into a boom town. Increasing demands caused the city to look elsewhere for water and power.
Lower Middle: The mill sat vacant for many years and its equipment sold for salvage. Thanks to the Zedler Mill Foundation and the City of Luling, the mill by the river still stands as a mute reminder of a bygone chapter in Luling's history, when cotton, corn and the railroad were the center of life.
Middle Right: This 1934 newspaper advertisement reflects the focus on feed and the continual search for new products.
Lowdr Right: With cotton declining, the Zedler's turned to animal feed as the focal point of business.


Timeline
1930
Feed mill opens. Charles takes his sons Paul and Charles David as partners.
1939
World
Paid Advertisement
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Please report objectionable advertising to the Editor.
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this page online
War II starts in Europe.
1945
World War II ends.
1951
Paul buys out Charles David and becomes sole owner.
1961
Mill closes.

 
Erected by Zedler Mill Museum and Park.
 
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: AgricultureAnimalsIndustry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1922.
 
Location. 29° 40.037′ N, 97° 39.094′ 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 south 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. The Lifeblood of Luling (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 (a few steps from this marker); Going with the Grain (within shouting distance of this marker); Responding to a Looming Need
The Fading Away and Coming Back Marker is on the right side of the markers image. Click for full size.
Photographed By James Hulse, August 21, 2022
2. The Fading Away and Coming Back Marker is on the right side of the 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,
The view of the Fading Away and Coming Back Marker from the entrance to the park image. Click for full size.
Photographed By James Hulse, August 21, 2022
3. The view of the Fading Away and Coming Back 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
One of the most significant events in Luling's history was the discovery of oil by Edgar B. Davis.Davis mortgaged everything he owned to finance drilling operations around Luling. On August 9, 1922, the Rafael Rios No. 1 well struck oil at 2,161 feet (659 m), producing 150 barrels per day (24 m3/d). To repay his loans, Davis contracted 2 million barrels (320,000 m3) each to Atlantic Oil and Magnolia Oil at $.50 a barrel, plus another 2 million barrels (320,000 m3) to Magnolia at $.75 per barrel.
(Submitted on August 27, 2022, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.) 
 
The Zedler Mill image. Click for full size.
Photographed By James Hulse, August 21, 2022
4. 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 64 times since then and 3 times this year. Photos:   1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on August 27, 2022, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.

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Mar. 29, 2024