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Myrtis
James
Shennick, a ferry boat operator for the Caddo Indian
Agency from 1824 until 1835, moved to the area, which
would become Myrtis.1
Logging
began in the 1880’s, and the Black Bayou Lumber Company
established its operation at Myrtis. A large sawmill and
planing mill were built and milled lumber was stored in
barns prior to its shipment to Texas. The company
constructed a logging railroad, which ran from Myrtis
into Texas. The creek was dammed to form a mill pond,
and these remain today. During the peak days of logging,
the town was filled with workers’ houses.2
The Kansas City Railroad Company laid its
line past Myrtis in 1895. A depot was constructed there
in the 1920’s but was closed and torn down in the
1940’s. The town was named for one of the Kansas City
Railroad president’s daughters when the railroad came
through the area in 1895.3
In June of 1897 a post office was built at
what was officially known as Myrtistown. T. J. Cochran
served as postmaster from 1909 until November of 1910,
when S. M. Vardeman took over the position. Tilman Loyd
served as postmaster until 1911. The post office was
renamed Myrtis in June of 1914, but closed in May of
1922. The lumber company, known as the Southern Lumber
Company by this point, shut down in about 1920, and
people began to move away from Myrtis. With the oil boom
in Rodessa, the town had a small revival. The Rodessa
Gasoline Plant was located there. United Gas built a
compressor there, but after the oil boom, the company
dismantled the compressor.4
During an
epidemic of scarlet fever, the town was quarantined for
sixty days.5
References
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