cities and towns; mills - textile, fiber, gristmills, cotton gins; water topics; ghost towns
Marker Year
1997
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark
No
Marker Location
FM 574, 10 mi. W. of Goldthwaite
Private Property
No
Marker Condition
In Situ
Marker Size
18" x 28"
Marker Text
Mary (Robins) and J. W. Jones built a dam of live oak logs and sandstone on the Colorado River about 8 miles south of this site between 1876 and 1879. The dam provided power to Jones' grist mill and cotton gin. The community became known as Jones Valley. The grist mill became a trade center, the dam a favorite recreation spot for area settlers. In 1883 the Jones' properties were sold to J. D. Willis. When Mills County was formed in 1885, the U. S. Postal Service set up a station in the Willis store, renaming the town Ratler. In 1933 Willis sold to B. F. Renfro, who rebuilt the dam of sandstone. The 1936 flood destroyed everything but the dam. (1998)
