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| Photo
courtesy Lauren Meyers, 2006 |
History in a Pecan
Shell
The Texas Gulf Sulphur Company built the town in 1928 - before
most of Wharton county had paved roads. Named by contest (open to employees only),
Newgulf was comprised of 400 one, two, and three bedroom houses that were leased
to employees. The town even had its own downtown - a single four-lane road with
essential businesses on either side, including a movie theater. |
The town had its own
post office and the company provided a hospital, library, school, and golf course.
The population of Newgulf was 1,586 in 1940 - the highest it would ever be. The
semi-isolated community was a world unto itself - and residents developed into
a very close-knit community - seldom venturing out - even to still-developing
Boling - just 3 miles away.
The year Newgulf "opened" an independent
school district was formed with three schools. Iago, Texas and Newgulf each had
elementary schools, and Boling hosted the region's high school. After WWII Newgulf
began to decline as the demand for sulphur deceased. Texas Gulf Sulphur built
new plants and local employees were laid off. |
| Company houses were
first sold to "civilian" buyers in the early 60s. More efficient mining practices
led to further layoffs and for the 1980 census there were just under 1,000 residents.
Only 100 houses remained by 1990 and residents did more of their shopping in Wharton.
The clubhouse and golf course continued in operation but in 1993 the post office
closed and the Newgulf school merged with the Boling school. |
The
mine site continued to maintain a skeleton crew through the 1990s but today Newgulf
and its landmark twin smokestacks are included in the long list of Texas ghost
towns.
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Newgulf, Texas
Forum
Subject:
Remembering Newgulf
I WAS RAISED IN NEWGULF. I WAS
BORN IN WHARTON IN 1946, MY PARENTS BONNIE JOHNS O'NEAL AND FATHER LL O'NEAL,
JR BOTH GRADUATED FROM BOLING HIGH SCHOOL. THEY LIVED IN OLD GULF AND WENT TO
SCHOOL THERE AND WHEN NEWGULF OPENED UP THEY MOVED. MY GRANDFATHERS BOTH WORKED
FOR TEXAS GULF SULPHUR. EVERYONE IN MY FAMILY DID. NEWGULF WAS ONE OF THE BEST
PLACES TO GROW UP IN. IT WAS SO COOL BECAUSE YOU NEVER HAD LOCK YOUR DOORS, HOLLOWEEN
WAS MORE FUN NO PROBLEMS, HOLIDAYS WERE GREAT , CHRISTMAS THEY DID LIKE ALL OF
THE OTHER TOWNS BECAUSE WE DECRATED OUR FRONT DOORS AND HAD PRIZES.
OUR
FRIENDS WE HAD WERE VERY CLOSE. THERE WERE ONLY 3 CHURCHES IN NEWGULF, CATHOLIC
IN WHAT WE CALLED MEXICAN TOWN, BAPTIST CHURCH NEXT TO THE ELEMTARY SCHOOL, AND
THE METHODIST CHURCH NEXT TO THE LIBRARY.
OUR LITTLE TOWN HAD A HOSPITAL
WITH TWO DOCTORS THAT I REMEMBER. DR. SIMONS, AND JOHNSON. IT WAS A GOOD HOSPITAL,
AND THE DOCTORS AND NURSES WHERE GREAT.
THE HOUSES YOU SHOW WERE NOT
BUILT UNTIL SOMETIME IN THE LATE 50'S THE HOUSES WE ALL LIVED IN WERE WOOD FRAME
HOUSE WELL BUILT AND WELL TAKEN CARE OF BY THE COMPANY. I KNOW WE LIVED IN 3 HOUSES
IN NEWGULF UNTIL WE MOVED IN 1963 TO WHARTON. ON OUR STREET WHICH WAS AVE. H THE
1ST HOUSE CLOSE TO DOWN TOWN ON THE LEFT WAS MY GRANDPARNETS THE JOHNS, YOU CAME
DOWN ABOUT 5 BLOCKS THE 1ST HOUSE ON RIGHT WAS OUR THE ONEALS, WHICH WAS THE HOUSE
MY DAD LIVED IN WHEN THEY MOVED FROM OLD GULF, AND AT THE END OF THAT BLOCK ON
THE RIGHT WAS MY AUNT AND UNCLE THE STAFFA'S MY WHOLE FAMILY LIVED ON THE STREET.
HOW GREAT IS THAT.
I CAN TELL YOU WHEN MY AUNT DIED THERE WERE SOME OF
US TALKING ABOUT GROWING UP IN NEWGULF AND WHAT A WONDERFUL THING IT WAS. YES
, WE HAD 2 GROCERY STORES, AT ONE TIME THERE WAS A SHOW, PHARMACY, BARBER SHOP
AND BEAUTY SHOP, DRY CLEANERS, 2 PLACES YOU COULD BUY CLOTHES AND SHOES, AND OTHER
THINGS. LATER THERE WAS A CAFE BUILT. THEN WE HAD A PLACE FOR THE KIDS TO GO WHERE
WE COULD GET HAMBURGERS, AND THE WORKS, JUKE BOX AND ALL GOOD THINGS. 3 SERVICE
STATIONS. THE GOLF COURSE WAS REALLY GREAT. MY GRANDFATHER JOHNS MADE A HOLE IN
ONE AT THE COURSE.
MY MOTHER KNOWN BETTER AS BILLYE O'NEAL AND MY AUNT
ELLEN STAFFA WORKED FOR THE COMPANY ALSO. YOU SAID WE DID NOT GO ANY WHERE WELL
WHEN THE TOWN WAS FIRST BUILT I GUESS SO. BUT WE WENT TO HOUSTON ALL THE TIME,
AND TO WHARTON ALSO. AFTER WAR WWII IT SEEMS THAT PEOPLE GOT OUT MORE AND WE DID
A LOT MORE. THERE ARE A LOT MORE I COULD SAY BUT THIS IS ENOUGH FOR NOW. AND I
HOPE YOU DO READ IT. IN OUR FAMILY THERE IS ONLY MY COUSIN GENE STAFFA, JR AND
MY SELF BONNIE MARIE ONEAL BUCEK LEFT.
I THINK IT IS NECESSARY TO SAY
WHILE MY FATHER NEVER HAD A BOY, HE WAS BIG INTO BOY SCOUTS. THE BOY SCOUTS FROM
NEWGULF IN THE 50'S WENT TO WASHINGTON, DC TO THE JAMBOREE. THAT TO ME WAS IMPORTANT.
MY MOTHER WAS BIG IN THE GIRL SCOUTS. THANK YOU - BONNIE ONEAL BUCEK, COLLEGE
STATION, December 20, 2006 | |
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