Page Contents for Diboll, Texas

Statistics & Facts

Location

History & History-related items

---

Statistics & Facts

The Texas state capital is Austin.
The population of Diboll is approximately 4,341 (1990), 4776 (2010).
The approximate number of families is 1,504 (1990), 1366 (2010).
The amount of land area in Diboll is 12.123 sq. kilometers.
The amount of surface water is 0.064 sq kilometers.
The distance from Diboll to Washington DC is 1165 miles.
The distance to the Texas state capital is 188 miles. (as the crow flies)
Diboll is positioned 31.18 degrees north of the equator and 94.78 degrees west of the prime meridian.

Location

on U.S. Highway 59 three miles north of the Neches River in southern Angelina County
Return to Index

History & History Related Items

Thomas Lewis Latane Temple is credited with the founding of Diboll. He built a sawmill when the railroad came to town in 1893. He bought 7,000 acres of forestland from J. C. Diboll and began business in June of 1894. His sawmill was called the Southern Pine Lumber Company. His business prospered and he expanded. By 1908, he built a second sawmill and enlarged his land holdings. Most of the homes and businesses in town were owned by the Lumber company making it quite the "company town." Up until the 1950's, the lumber company had a large business in Dibold which included a grocery, postoffice, drugstore and feed store among other businesses. The first official post office opened in 1897 with William P. Rutland as postmaster. The first school opened in Diboll in 1894. As with most areas, the great Depression of the 1930's affected the town. The Lumber Company struggled, but was able to hang on by selling off some of its acreage and by receiving loans from loyal employees. In the mid 1900's, the company sold many of the homes to the employees and encouraged private building to take place. The old company commissary was closed and was replaced by a shopping center. More business came to town, including a radio station and a new library. Diboll was incorporated in 1962. By 1984, the population had risen to 5,500. It remained oriented to forest products, though other businesses also prospered. By 1990, the population has gone up to 4,341.
Return to Index

The founding of Diboll

1894

---