Historical Marker

Port Bolivar & Iron Ore Railroad

Historical marker location:

Ore City, Texas

( corner of E. Main & Front Sts.)

Though an Antebellum community associated with the Murray League School once existed here, it declined following the Civil War. It wasn’t until around 1911, when construction was completed on a railroad, that ore city was platted and residents repopulated the area. Col. L.P. Featherstone, a charter member of the Port Bolivar & Iron Ore Railway Company, was instrumental in connecting Longview (Gregg Co.) and the ore fields of this region. The rail line sparked the town’s population and economic growth. Although the freight business slowed and the railroad stopped running in 1926, its operation made a lasting impact on ore city, which continues to thrive today.