The History of Buna, Texas
Buna sits in the timber country of southern Jasper County, about thirty-six miles north of Beaumont, on the watershed divide between the Neches and Sabine rivers. Its history is the story of the East Texas lumber boom — a sawmill camp that the railroads turned into a town, later given a second wind by oil.
Here's how Buna came to be.
From Carrolla to Buna
Buna began as a lumber operation. The Beaumont Lumber Company built a mill in southern Jasper County and first called the place 'Carrolla,' for the Carroll family — prominent Beaumont lumbermen and industrialists. The site was soon renamed Buna in honor of one of the family's cousins, Buna Corley, and a post office opened under that name in 1893.
Like so many East Texas communities, Buna owed its start to the vast pine forests of the region. By 1890 the Beaumont Lumber Company had substantial operations underway, and the settlement grew up around the work of cutting and milling the timber that surrounded it on every side.
Tram Roads and Railroads
Moving logs and lumber required rail, and Buna's growth followed the tracks. The Beaumont Lumber Company built a tram road from Buna to Ford's Bluff on the Neches River. Lumberman John Henry Kirby later bought the ten-mile tram line, and by 1896 had converted it to a common carrier and extended it south to Beaumont and north to Roganville — a line that became the Gulf, Beaumont and Kansas City.
Buna's position was solidified in 1902, when the Orange and Northwestern Railway linked the logging town with Orange to the south. Four years later, in 1906, that line was extended from Buna north to Newton. With rail running in two directions, a proper townsite was platted between the two lines on July 21, 1916.
Oil and a Lasting Community
As the great virgin pine forests were cut over, Buna's lumber-camp economy gave way to a more settled rural community of farms, families, churches, and second-growth timber. The town endured the slow decline that ended the East Texas sawmill era, but it did not fade away.
A new chapter opened in 1948, when oilfields were discovered to the west and north of Buna, augmenting the local economy. Today Buna is an unincorporated community of about 2,100 (2,137 at the 2020 census) in southern Jasper County, anchored by its Buna ISD 'Cougars,' its churches, and the surrounding Big Thicket country — a town that grew from timber, oil, and the railroads that connected them.
Timeline
1890
The Beaumont Lumber Company has substantial timber operations underway in southern Jasper County.
1893
A post office is established at Buna, the mill town first called 'Carrolla' and renamed for Buna Corley.
1896
By 1896 John Henry Kirby has bought the Buna–Ford's Bluff tram line and extended it to Beaumont and Roganville as the Gulf, Beaumont and Kansas City.
1902
The Orange and Northwestern Railway links Buna with Orange to the south.
1916
A townsite is platted between the two rail lines on July 21.
1948
Oilfields are discovered west and north of Buna, augmenting the local economy.
Notable People
Buna Corley
A cousin of the Carroll family of Beaumont lumbermen, for whom the town of Buna was renamed in the 1890s after first being called 'Carrolla.'
John Henry Kirby
The East Texas lumber baron who bought Buna's tram line and extended it into a common-carrier railroad reaching Beaumont and Roganville, helping turn the lumber camp into a town.
FAQ: History of Buna
Buna was first a Beaumont Lumber Company mill town called 'Carrolla,' for the Carroll family of Beaumont lumbermen. It was renamed Buna in honor of one of the family's cousins, Buna Corley, and a post office opened under that name in 1893.
Buna grew up as a lumber camp in southern Jasper County around 1890, with a post office established in 1893. Its formal townsite was platted between two railroad lines on July 21, 1916.
Timber and railroads built Buna. The Beaumont Lumber Company's mill and a tram road to the Neches River started it; John Henry Kirby and the Orange and Northwestern Railway connected it to Beaumont, Orange, and Newton. Oil discovered in 1948 later augmented the economy.
Buna is an unincorporated community — a census-designated place — in southern Jasper County, rather than an incorporated city, with a population of 2,137 at the 2020 census. County government and Buna ISD serve the area, which sits about thirty-six miles north of Beaumont in the Big Thicket country.
East Texas guides
Region-wide guides that put Buna in context — where to go, what things cost, and how people actually live here.
A Brief History of East Texas
From Caddo settlements to the oil boom and beyond, discover how centuries of history shaped East Texas communities like Tyler, Kilgore, and Henderson.
Read Guide →Best Day Trips from Tyler and East Texas
Drive-time guide to day trips from Tyler: state parks, small towns, museums, and lakes within about 30 minutes, an hour, and up to three hours.
Read Guide →East Texas Festivals and Annual Events
Season-by-season guide to East Texas festivals and events — Canton's First Monday Trade Days, the Texas Rose Festival, the Yamboree, Wonderland of Lights and more, checked against each host's own site.
Read Guide →East Texas State Parks Guide
Twelve East Texas state parks from TPWD: Tyler, Caddo Lake, Atlanta, Lake Bob Sandlin, Tawakoni, Purtis Creek, Cooper, Martin Dies Jr. and more. Camping, cabins and passes.
Read Guide →Business Owner?
Want Your Business Featured in Buna?
People are searching for businesses like yours in Buna. Get listed in our city guide and local directory so they can find you.