ALL THAT’S LEFT IS THE SIGN - Big Tin Barn employees Billy White (left) and Tracie Roden stand by helplessly as fireman battle to contain a blaze that completely destroyed their workplace. Firefighters from the Diboll Fire Department as well as volunteers from the Hudson, Fuller Sprikngs and Corrigan departments arrived on the scene to find it fully engulfed in flames and were able to contain it to the immediate property. (Staff photo by Billy Longino)
The Big Tin Barn as we know it today, began as a retail lumber yard belonging to Temple Lumber Company in 1951 and supplied building materials to Diboll and surrounding area customers interested in building homes and businesses. Although the yard received materials from the supply house along household lines, the newly erected lumberyard was one of the best-stocked yards in the vicinity.
Persons interested in building could find the answer to all their needs at the one-stop station located at the “corner of the concrete loop and Hwy. 59 across from the rodeo arena” which at the time was known as the Village Shopping Center, (the building now occupied by East Texas Printing). In addition to lumber, the yard carried paint, wallpaper, hardware, and other building materials such as roofing and fencing materials.
In May 1963, the name of the retail lumberyard was changed to Great Texas Lumber Company but the name was short lived. In 1965, construction began on a new building located on Hwy. 59 north of Diboll and was completely operational by 1966. At that time, the lumberyard became known as Great Texas Lumber's Big Tin Barn. Charlie Wilson, former Congressman served as general manager of the yard in the 1960s prior to his political days. The Big Tin Barn was known for its “cheap, cheap, cheap” prices and at one time displayed a huge bird house featuring ‘big bird and little chicks' in advertising campaigns and during special events.
Brenda Elliott, a long-time Temple employee, was at one time the Retail Operations manager for the company's Building Products Division and administrator of activities of the Big Tin Barn said, “I can't believe its gone. We all have such fond memories of the business and the people involved with its day-to-day operation and now, that's all we have left - our memories.”
In December 1997, Temple sold the operation of Big Tin Barn to Parker Lumber Company, who in turn sold it to current owner Rufus Duncan Jr. of parent company Higginbotham Holdings, LTD.
Duncan, the great-grandson of one of the founders Higginbotham Brothers Lumber, Rufus Higginbotham, purchased the company in 2002 from Parker Lumber Company. “There are many words that can be used but I think everyone involved has used is “indescribable”. I was away on business, but my wife received the call at a little after 7 a.m. and arrived in Diboll shortly thereafter to find it was completely gone. At the present time, our insurance carrier is in the process of investigating the loss and the cause has not yet been determined,” said Duncan. Loss of merchandise, including a company truck and forklift is estimated at over $300,000.
The building and the property at North Temple Drive is owned by Temple-Inland, Inc.
“Higginbotham's has come a long way and continues to grow to meet the needs of its customers, a tradition that started many years ago. We started out as a general merchandise store over 122 years ago and have grown into a hardware and lumber supply chain with 46 locations in Texas, including the Big Tin Barn in Lufkin. Communities, like Diboll, need a hardware store and we are discussing plans to rebuild the Big Tin Barn, only on a smaller scale.”
The Big Tin Barn in Diboll has seen many renovations over the past 42 years, but has always kept pace with the changing times and needs of its customers, something we hope will continue in the future.
Editors note: Some content of this story is courtesy of The History Center in Diboll.
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