East Texas landowners gathered this past Saturday at Fairchild State Forest for the second of three State Forest Centennial Celebration events hosted by the Texas A&M Forest Service.
Attendees toured the 2,788-acre forest, learning about its rich history and current management efforts, including pine plantation and genetic operations, native grass establishment, and conservation initiatives for turkey populations and the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker. The forest is primarily composed of shortleaf pine, a fire-adapted species critical to local ecosystems.
Originally owned and operated by the Texas State Prison System, the site once housed the Mewshaw Mill, constructed in 1907. Staffed by convict labor, the mill produced approximately 35,000 board feet of lumber per day. Much of the timber was sent to the prison in Rusk and converted into charcoal to fuel the prison’s iron smelter.
Transferred to Texas A&M Forest Service in 1925, the property was initially designated State Forest #3. In 1956, it was renamed the I.D. Fairchild State Forest in honor of the late state representative and senator from Lufkin.
For more information about Fairchild State Forest and the State Forest Centennial events, visit Texas A&M Forest Service.
Image Credit: Texas A&M Forest Service
Texas Reporter 