It was named for Zella Bland, the daughter of Col. Howard Bland, one of the town's developers. The Zella Townsite Company developed the site on the San Antonio, Uvalde and Gulf Railroad in 1913. The company drilled an artesian well and built a number of buildings, including a railroad depot, a one-room schoolhouse, and the Zella Hotel. It also printed and distributed thousands of promotional broch
ures which portrayed the area as a farmer's paradise. Another land promotion that failed is the story of Zella. The promotional scheme was to sell thousands of acres of range land to farmers. Although some land was sold, the promoters lacked sufficient capital to construct the large irrigation system to bring water to the agricultural fields. This after having laid out the townsite covering several hundred acres consisting of 189 city blocks, after having built an imposing two-story hotel, a schoolhouse and a general store and post office signaled the death of Zella almost before it was born. It began in 1912 and ended with the drought in 1917. The current owners of the property now use the hotel as quarters for hunters during the deer season.
