|
||||
| HOME | EVENTS & EXHIBITS | PERMANENT EXHIBITS | ABOUT US | LINKS |
| < > | ||||
 A room dedicated to the old Ice House Company has been installed next to the art gallery. It includes photographs and diagrams of the interior and exterior of the facility during the days of operation, tools, an old wooden icebox, and a documentary video of an interview of Newt Hopkins describing the unique manufacture of ice.   Above is a photograph of the carved emblem of Santa Fe by local craftsman Gilbert Dominguez. Dominguez had been a long time employee of the Santa Fe Railway Company.  Above is a photograph of a collection of Santa Fe employees in Silsbee. Circa 1924.  Charles Lee, a retired trainmaster and railroad consultant, graciously donated his enviable collection of items including lanterns, maps, switch locks, timetables and photos. Dating and Ore Branding Nails from the Santa Fe Railway were given to Cecil Cobble from the collection of Isaac Hollis, Jr., Secretary General, Committee of Adjustments - ATSF Representative - All were donated by Frances Cobble. A spoon from the Harvey House in Silsbee engraved Fred Harvey was donated by Marie Tennison. This windfall, combined with a few choice items already in the museum's collection, gives a historic perspective on the railroad that was essential to Silsbee's development.  The Kirby Lumber Company was the largest timber industrial corporation that operated in Hardin County. John Henry Kirby, a leading figure of Southeast Texas, began his career in timber in 1885. In 1889, Kirby with Nathaniel D. Silsbee and other Eastern captialists formed the Texas Pine Land Association and the Texas & Louisiana Land and Lumber Company. In 1893, Kirby and Edward Pratt of Boston chartered the Gulf, Beaumont and Kansas City Railroad, which was built from Beaumont to Silsbee in 1894. By 1902, the East-West line of the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railroad connected with the GB&KC at Silsbee, which opened the entire county's timber lands to rail service for use by the Kirby Lumber Company. Kirby and his partners sold the GB&KC Railroad to the Santa Fe system for a profit and loans, which Kirby utilized to purchase additional timber and oil lands. In July of 1901, Kirby announced the organization of his two Southeast Texas empires, the Houston Oil Company and the Kirby Lumber Company. The Great Depression led to the eventual transfer of ownership by the Santa Fe Railway Company. The Kirby Lumber Company became the Kirby Lumber Corporation in 1936. In 1977, the company name changed again to Kirby Forest Industries, Inc.   |
HOME
EVENTS & EXHIBITS
PERMANENT EXHIBITS
ABOUT US
LINKS