| Marker Number |
11804 |
| Atlas Number |
5073011804 |
| Marker Title |
Site of Kilraven |
| Index Entry |
Kilraven, Site of |
| Address |
CR 2734 |
| City |
Forest |
| County |
Cherokee |
| UTM Zone |
15 |
| UTM Easting |
311519 |
| UTM Northing |
3487323 |
| Subject Codes |
lumber topics; ghost towns |
| Marker Year |
2000 |
| Recorded Texas Historic Landmark |
No |
| Marker Location |
CR 2734 (Forest Rd.), 1.8. mi. SE of Forest. Map dot approximate. |
| Private Property |
No |
| Marker Condition |
In Situ |
| Marker Size |
18" x 28" |
| Marker Text |
Merchant and miller William Henry (Bill) Spinks rebuilt his sawmill near this site in 1891 after a fire destroyed his earlier venture in southwest Cherokee County. The mill occupied 20 acres of land beside the railroad called Spinks' Switch. Many employees lived near the mill in company houses. In 1900 Spinks sold his mill to the Arkansas Lumber Company, which improved milling facilities and added a boardinghouse. The village was renamed Morton when a post office was located there from 1902 to 1904. Harry C. and Allen Kiley and Alfred Craven purchased the mill in 1909, combining their names to form "Kilraven." The mill supported a community of about 250 people until it was dismantled in 1921 due to the depletion of raw materials. The town disappeared, and only the mill pond remained in the early 21st century. (2000) |
