Zavala, Texas

Named for empresario Lorenzo de Zavala, the town was founded on land owned by Thomas Huling and situated along the Angelina River.

Thomas Huling purchased some of this land, and in 1834 founded the town of Zavala, named for the empresario, and also known as Muster Point.

In 1847, Huling sold much of the town, as well as 5,000 acres (2,000 ha) of land in Jasper County, to Englishman Jerich Durkee in exchange for $1000 and 5000 "tin boxes of Green Mountain Vegetable Ointment.

[3] Positioned "on a rise near the east bank of the Angelina river", Zavala lay along the Beef Trail, which ran from Texas into Louisiana.

Although Durkee promised to settle immigrants in the area, he was unable to attract enough families to enable the community to survive.