Bosque County: Land and People (A History of Bosque County, Texas) Page: 66

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STEINER (FOWLER)
C36
One of the first settlers in the Bosque
County Territory was Albert Barton, who
settled with his family near the junction of
Steel Creek and the Brazos River about 1850.
He established a ferry on the Brazos River
near Ft. Graham. In the summer of that year
he was drowned when his ferry boat capsized
because of a sudden rise of the river during
a crossing. A few years afterwards his widow
married Sam Barnes. They continued to live
in the area and to operate the ferry.

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Cottonwood logs taken from Brazos River bottom
near Steiner awaiting shipment on Katy Railroad.
Willie Belle Newton and William Pallmeyer.

Cotton bales on loading dock at depot at Steiner
66

John W. McKissick, a hotel owner in Waco,
came to the Bosque area in 1847 and
purchased a league of land between Steele
and Cedron Creeks for 25 cents an acre. He
built a loghouse in 1847, but because settlers
were few and Indian danger so prominent, he
returned to Waco. In 1849 he came back to
Bosque County with his family.
In 1869 James Lane bought a large acreage
of land in the James Steele Survey from Jane
Gorman Stamps. It was located north of
Steele Creek about a half mile from the
Brazos River. On this land the town of Fowler
was located.
In 1880 the Houston and Texas Central
Railroad Company built a line through
Fowler. The company was later the Missouri,
Kansas, and Texas Railroad.
In November, 1880 the Fowler Post Office
was established with Albert G. McMahan as
first postmaster. However, in 1916 its name
was changed to Steiner. Will Pallmeyer was
the first postmaster under the new name. He
had been postmaster under the Fowler name.
Dr. Ralph Steiner was a pioneer citizen and
one of his daughters married A.S. Burleson.
When Burleson became Postmaster General,
it is said he changed the name of the office
to honor Dr. Steiner.
Steiner had a pump station at which steam
engines for the railroad got their water.
Steiner had two general stores, a gin, a
blacksmith shop, two churches, a school, and
later a central telephone office. The first
school was a one-room building. Later a two-
story building was constructed. The lower
floor was used to house the school, and the
upper story was used as a lodge hall. Still later
a two-room building was used.
Among the early families in the area were
the Claybrooks, Jones, Cooks, Etchisons,
Goldens, Lighterners, Bryants, Vinsons,
Steens, Wrights, Ogdens, McKissicks, Jen-
kins, Brooks, Nevins, Byroms, Clardys, Wal-
laces, and others.

Old windmill on the Johns farm at Ste

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Steiner Railway Depot. Willie Belle Newton and
Beatrice Mitchell, teachers at Steiner School.
Bridge over Lake Whitney converted from Katy
Railroad Bridge; built after completion of Whitney
Dam.

C.D. Johns owned a farm adjoining the
Steiner depot. He used men from the convict
farm across the Brazos River to work the
land. Their guards rode a mule and carried
a gun. Major Durham was boss. Their
blacksmith was run by Ernest LaFon. Mr.
Johns owned the general store, also.
Later William C. Pallmeyer bought the
general store from Mr. Johns. Mr. Pallmeyer
became postmaster as well as railroad sta-
tionmaster.
In 1935 the E.M. Cole family rented the
store. He became postmaster and station-
master. He also operated a garage, a
blacksmith shop, and a gristmill.
In the late 1940's it became known that
Steiner would be in the flood area of Lake
Whitney. In 1950 official word came to
evacuate. All that is left is the Baptist Church
which was moved to the Buddy Nitcholas
iner pasture not far from Poeville.

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Bosque County History Book Committee. Bosque County: Land and People (A History of Bosque County, Texas), book, 1985; Dallas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth91038/m1/82/ocr/: accessed March 29, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Denton Public Library.

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