the Salado Sawmill:
-The Romanticized Legend
-The Real History
The Legend of the Salado Sawmill
The descendants of Sam Houston who settled in this area constructed
the sawmill in 1867. Sam's Daughter Rebecca and her husband,
Jeddahdia Parker, were the original owners. Both Rebecca and
Jeddahdia died in the tornado of 1876 which devastated the
community, but left the mill standing. Ownership passed to their six
children, but squabbles between the siblings over the estate soon
found the Sawmill tied up in a court struggle. Eventually, the attorneys
of the Parker estate, Wilber Smith and Cooper Michels acquired
ownership of the mill as payment for their legal services. Smith and
Michels ran the mill until the Safruns, who let the building fall into
disrepair when the power source dried up, acquired it.
Originally powered by the waters of the Treaty Spring, which bubbled up
near the corner of Salado Plaza and Van Bibber, the mill supplied
lumber for the local settlers and timbers for the Santa Fe and MK&T
railroads as they expanded into Texas. Much of the materials used in
the current Salado Methodist Church were milled at the Salado Sawmill.
The original bridge over Salado creek was milled here. The bridge was
washed away in the flood of 1928 and replaced with the existing
concrete structure.
Treaty Spring got its name form the events of 1768, when the Native
Americans of the area and the advancing Mexicans settlers reached an
accord on co-existing in the area. Over grazing, farming and
development took their toll on the water sources in the area, and Treaty
Spring dried up in 1913. As rural electrification had not yet reached
Salado (circa 1943) the mill was put out of business. Used as a
storehouse, dance hall, speak-easy, and the first schoolhouse in
Salado, the mill finally succumbs to disuse and disrepair in 1957. It lay
dormant until 1997, when locals attempted to revive it as a dinner
theater. But alas, a kitchen fire destroyed most of the south side of the
building, taking with it the original log sled mechanism, saw table, and
storage racks.
The Pascoe family acquired the proterty in 2003, and after months of
repaire it is now open as a custom cabinet workshop.
Don't believe any of that, like most legends, it's all
made up!
The Real History
The sawmill was designed and built by Robert Pascoe with a little help
from his friends and family. Construction began in August of 2003 and
was occupied in February of 2004.
Sorry for the spoof, we just couldn't resist!
