The History of Mineola, Texas
Mineola sits in southwestern Wood County, at the crossing of U.S. highways 69 and 80, about eighty miles east of Dallas and twenty-six miles north of Tyler. Its history is bound up with the railroads — born of a literal race between two rail lines and earning the nickname 'Gateway to the Pines' as East Texas timber country opened up.
Here's how Mineola came to be.
From Sodom to Mineola
Before 1873 the place was known by the unflattering name of Sodom. Everything changed when the railroads arrived. In 1873 the Texas and Pacific and the International-Great Northern (I-GN) raced to see which line could reach the new townsite first — and the I-GN won by just fifteen minutes. A city government was organized that same year, a post office opened in 1875, and the town incorporated in 1877.
The town's distinctive name came from the man who laid out the townsite, Maj. Ira H. Evans, an I-GN railroad official. By most accounts he combined the name of his daughter, Ola, with that of a friend, Minnie (Minna) Patten — 'Min' and 'Ola' — to create Mineola. A name born of family and friendship has stuck for more than 150 years.
Gateway to the Pines
Sitting in the heart of the East Texas timber belt, Mineola had plentiful wood for railroad tiemaking and lumber, and the rails gave farmers and mills a way to ship cotton, livestock, fruit, and berries to market. The town grew quickly: it counted about 1,175 residents in 1880 and around 2,000 by 1890, with seven churches, schools, hotels, and banks. A fire in the 1880s destroyed eighteen buildings, but Mineola rebuilt.
Industry took root alongside agriculture. A chair factory opened in 1886 and later converted to making crates and baskets, and in 1895 the town became the site of the Wood County Fair. The discovery of oil and the busy railroad shops added to the economy in the twentieth century, along with watermelons, sweet potatoes, a creamery, and a nursery trade — the foundations of a steady Wood County town.
A Town That Invested in Itself
Mineola's modern story is one of a community that put resources back into civic and cultural life. Since 1962 the Meredith Foundation has funded educational and cultural projects, giving the town a Memorial Library, the Meredith Hall civic center, and other amenities larger than a town its size might expect. Lake Holbrook was completed in 1960, the Wood County Airport in 1984, and a new city hall complex in 1986.
Today Mineola is a town of roughly 4,800, anchored by Mineola ISD and its Yellowjackets, a National Register downtown historic district, and a functioning Amtrak depot still served by the Texas Eagle. The 'Gateway to the Pines' has held onto its railroad heritage while becoming a destination for its historic main street, festivals, and the vast Mineola Nature Preserve.
Timeline
Pre-1873
The settlement is known as Sodom before the railroads arrive.
1873
The T&P and I-GN race to the townsite; the I-GN wins by fifteen minutes, and a city government is organized.
1875
A post office opens; the town is named Mineola for Maj. Ira H. Evans's daughter Ola and friend Minnie Patten.
1877
Mineola incorporates as a city.
1886
A chair factory is established, later converting to crate and basket making.
1948
The Mineola Watermelon Festival begins, becoming a lasting local tradition.
Notable People
Maj. Ira H. Evans
The International-Great Northern railroad official who laid out the Mineola townsite in the 1870s and is credited with the town's name, combining his daughter Ola's name with that of friend Minnie Patten.
Kacey Musgraves
Grammy-winning country music singer-songwriter who was born in Mineola and grew up in the area before her rise to national stardom.
Noble Willingham
Character actor born in Mineola in 1931, best known for playing C.D. Parker on 'Walker, Texas Ranger,' with a long film and television career.
FAQ: History of Mineola
Mineola was named by Maj. Ira H. Evans, an International-Great Northern railroad official who laid out the townsite. He is said to have combined the name of his daughter, Ola, with that of a friend, Minnie Patten — 'Min' and 'Ola' — to create Mineola. Before 1873 the place was called Sodom.
Mineola was literally born of the railroad. In 1873 the Texas and Pacific and the International-Great Northern raced to reach the new townsite, with the I-GN arriving just fifteen minutes ahead. The rails opened the East Texas timber belt and let farmers ship cotton, fruit, and livestock, earning Mineola its 'Gateway to the Pines' nickname.
Before 1873, the settlement that became Mineola was known by the unflattering name of Sodom. When the railroads arrived and the townsite was platted, it took the new name Mineola, and a city government was organized that same year.
Mineola is the birthplace of Grammy-winning country star Kacey Musgraves and of character actor Noble Willingham, known for 'Walker, Texas Ranger.' The town's namesake credit goes to railroad official Maj. Ira H. Evans, who laid out the townsite.
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