Near Palestine in Anderson County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Site of Old Magnolia
Photographed By Jeff Leichsenring, July 12, 2022
1. Site of Old Magnolia Marker
Inscription.
Site of Old Magnolia. . (one-half mi.S) Founded in 1840s as a ferrying point on the Caddo Trace; later became a major landing for flatboats and steamers on the Trinity River, where cotton and other products were shipped by a four-day trip to Galveston to be exchanged for flour, salt, and sugar. Magnolia -- named for a huge tree in center of town -- reached its zenith in 1863, when it had several hundred people and eight major stores. Focus of social life then was Haygood's Magnolia Tavern, where board and lodging for a man and two horses cost $2 a day. Haygood's was the scene of many gala parties feting riverboat passengers, for when a deep-throated steamer whistle blew a few miles from port, it signaled a rush of people from miles around eager to greet arrivals and collect long-awaited parcels. Growing river traffic spawned many towns like this, and from 1830 to 1880, Texas waterways were dotted with boats. From the first, though, the state's rivers were unsuited for extensive trade, because even the largest were shallow, winding, and often choked with debris. After 1880, trains replaced riverboats. An irony of the transition was that one of the last steamers to pass Magnolia, in 1872, carried rails for the tracks being lad through nearby Palestine.
(one-half mi.S) Founded in 1840s as a ferrying point on the Caddo Trace; later became a major landing for flatboats and steamers on the Trinity River, where cotton and other products were shipped by a four-day trip to Galveston to be exchanged for flour, salt, and sugar. Magnolia -- named for a huge tree in center of town -- reached its zenith in 1863, when it had several hundred people and eight major stores. Focus of social life then was Haygood's Magnolia Tavern, where board and lodging for a man and two horses cost $2 a day. Haygood's was the scene of many gala parties feting riverboat passengers, for when a deep-throated steamer whistle blew a few miles from port, it signaled a rush of people from miles around eager to greet arrivals and collect long-awaited parcels. Growing river traffic spawned many towns like this, and from 1830 to 1880, Texas waterways were dotted with boats. From the first, though, the state's rivers were unsuited for extensive trade, because even the largest were shallow, winding, and often choked with debris. After 1880, trains replaced riverboats. An irony of the transition was that one of the last steamers to pass Magnolia, in 1872, carried rails for the tracks being lad through nearby Palestine.
Erected 1967 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 8786.)
Location. 31° 39.591′ N, 95° 43.991′ W. Marker is near Palestine, Texas, in Anderson County. Marker is at the intersection of State Highway 294 and County Road 2117, on the right when traveling east on State Highway 294. SW corner of SH 294 and CR 2117 intersection, 11 mi. SW of Palestine. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Palestine TX 75801, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regarding Site of Old Magnolia. Site of Old Magnolia Ferrying Point on the Trinity River
Credits. This page was last revised on September 13, 2023. It was originally submitted on November 14, 2022, by Jeff Leichsenring of Garland, Texas. This page has been viewed 299 times since then and 93 times this year. Last updated on September 12, 2023, by Alan Hare of Irving, Texas. Photo1. submitted on November 14, 2022, by Jeff Leichsenring of Garland, Texas. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.