According to the Census of 1870, Bill Lodge operated a sawmill and grist steam mill (valued at $2,000) in Shelby County, according to the 1870 Census. He employed eight men for three months at the saw mill for a total wage of $275. One man was employed at the grist mill. With $300 in raw logs and 750 bushels of grain, the mill produced 120,000 feet of lumber worth $1,200 and cornmeal worth $825.
The Handbook of Texas noted that Neuville, founded in 1904, was named for a family that had lived in the area since the 1840s.