Milam is the oldest town in Sabine County, which is Sabine Parish's closest neighbor in Texas. Milam is located at the junctions of Texas State Highways 21 and 87, six miles north of Hemphill. The highway passing through Milam (Hwy. 21) is the oldest roadway on the North American Continent.
Indians were the first travelers on this historical route and Milam was a trading post before the white men came to Texas. The site was originally an Indian watering place called Las Borregas by the Spanish. Louisianan John S. Roberts established a trading post as "Red Mound" in 1834, and the name was changed to Milam one year later in honor of Benjamin Rush Milam.
The new Town of Milam was made the first county seat of Sabine County in 1836 (later to be replaced as county seat by Hemphill). The Post Office at Milam is the oldest post office in Texas that has been in use ever since it started. Under the Republic of Texas, Milam was a port of entry with a customs collector.
C.A. Nethery Sr. and his wife, the former Amanda Speights, opened a general merchandise store and saloon in Milam around the turn of the century. The store continued to be operated as a general and/or hardware store by Nethery and family until December 2000, at which time the store began selling antiques. Having never closed, the store maintains its title as the oldest continually operating business in Sabine County. Even with the changes through the years (the additions of lights, a bathroom, ceiling fans, even an air conditioner), the store looks much the way it always has, with original fixtures, shelves, and a 100-year-old wood burning stove. An antique display case houses old store pictures, ledgers and other memorabilia from the past.
Nethery's Antiques offers a large inventory of antiques and collectibles and old goodies. Every effort is made to maintain the atmosphere of an old general store. Visitors and buyers enjoy the vintage setting, which truly offers a "step back in time."
NOTE: Thanks to Nethery's Antiques for the above information.
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