Marker Inscription
On the evening of March 2, 1913, an explosion destroyed the Houston, East & West Texas Railroad depot at this site, disrupting the town's vital source of transportation and trade. Although a body was not discovered, it was presumed a railroad employee had been killed in the mishap. He was later declared legally dead and his stepmother collected on his insurance. In 1916, however, he was returned to Lufkin by Judge E. J. Mantooth, a local attorney acting on behalf of the insurance firms. The railroad employee stood trial for insurance fraud, but was subsequently acquitted. (1982)
About this site
Depot Explosion and Mystery is a historical marker in Lufkin, Angelina County, dedicated in 1982. It is one of 45 historical markers documented in Angelina County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 176 historic sites cataloged across the county.
The site sits at 31.3408, -94.7293 near Lufkin. The nearest cataloged historic site is Collins-Shotwell House (historical marker), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include Hoo Hoo Band, Site of Rehearsal Hall for, First Baptist Church of Lufkin, and KRBA-AM Radio Station.
This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5005006988. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.
