This Diboll Cemetery Reveals The Tragic Tale of Emporia, Texas
On the south side of Diboll, just east of Highway 59, you'll see a convenience store just before leaving the southern city limits. For anyone not familiar with Diboll, it's just another gas station. Still, locals will tell you that just behind that store is a cemetery that is probably a marker for an East Texas ghost town that was once full of promise and people, only to fall victim to tragedy.
The Lumber Town of Emporia, Texas
Nobody documented and reported the history of Deep East Texas as well as Bob Bowman. He passed away in 2013, but his wonderful narratives about the people and places of Angelina County and beyond are still the gold standard of history-telling for our area. So, it was no surprise that when I Googled Emporia, Texas ghost town, an article by Bob Bowman was the top hit.
A purchase of nearly 6,000 acres of woodlands between the Neches River and present-day Diboll marked the beginning of Emporia in 1892. A wood mill would give rise to a growing workforce of approximately 125, which eventually led to the construction of a church, school, hotel, and post office. Shipments of its wood products were taken east, west, and to Houston via railroads.
Catastrophes Erase Emporia
According to Bowman, a massive fire destroyed the mill at Emporia in 1897. By 1900, a new mill was built. Six years later, another fire consumed the mill. Although unconfirmed, it's reported that over 30 workers died in the blaze, most of whom were black. It's believed these men were buried in a mass grave, possibly somewhere near the current-day South Meadows area in Diboll. No more attempts to rebuild were made, and any evidence of the town's buildings was gone by the 1920s.
The Emporia Cemetery
Just a few steps behind the convenience store mentioned earlier is the Emporia Cemetery. It is considered one of the oldest in Angelina County. The first burial at the cemetery was the infant son of Emily and W.E. Waltman, who passed away in 1882. There are also several unmarked graves here. Below is a photo of the list of graves at Emporia Cemetery.
A historical marker is located at the entrance of the cemetery, giving a brief history of Emporia and the cemetery. For more details on the ghost town of Emporia, read more of Bob Bowman's article here.
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