The community of Platt flourished as a small sawmill town during the few years of World War I. It was located on the tracks of the Texas & New Orleans, several miles northwest of Manton and on the south bank of the Angelina River. Among the sawmillers were Luke Wright, J. V. Lankford, and F. L. Dunham, who operated mills there.
Luke Wright had a mill at or near Davisville at the same time.