Texla

Texas ghost towns run the full arc: cattle railheads, cotton towns the boll weevil broke, and oil booms that went bust.

Texla is a ghost town in northern Orange County, Texas, United States, in the southeastern part of the state. It is located northwest of Orange, just west of Mauriceville. The site was originally called Bruce, after the postmaster Charles G. Bruce, who served when the office opened in 1905. The first sawmill to operate there was known as the Harrell-Votaw Lumber Company with proximity to the Orange and Northwestern Railway. The following year, the R. W. Wier Lumber Company out of Houston took over operations. The site (and the post office) was renamed Texla, due to its proximity to Louisiana.

The on-the-ground condition of Texla is unverified — it's listed here with unknown status. That could mean standing buildings, or an empty field. Go prepared for either, and consider sharing what you find so the record improves.

Nobody has confirmed the access situation, so treat any visit as reconnaissance: verify land ownership first, and be ready to admire from the road.

Here's the honest truth: access to Texla is unverified. We couldn't confirm whether the site sits on public land, private property, or something in between — so verify land ownership and local rules before visiting, and respect private property at all times. The mapped point for Texla is roughly 30.2203, -93.8811 — use it as a starting point and cross-reference a current topographic map before leaving pavement.

Ghost-town etiquette is simple: take only photographs. Removing artifacts is illegal on public lands and disrespectful everywhere else — and on federal land it can be a serious offense.