Established in 1912, the C. M. Tomme and Sons mill at Gist appeared in a 1915 directory of sawmills as having a daily cutting capacity of 20,000 feet. Board stock and timbers could be cut up to 24 feet, but most of production was in ties. C. M. Tomme & Sons began a hardwood mill at Hartburg in 1917.
Gist, located between Buna and Mauriceville, and just north of Texla, was located on the Orange and Northwestern tracks. The town was the western terminus of the Sabine and Neches Valley Railroad. The community was named for J. W. Gist, an early settler. Gist was also the location for a logging camp called Slade's.