Bee County Historical Commission - 195 Matching Results

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Celebrating the First Oil Well in Bee County - Maggie Ray McKinney #1 Celebration Barbecue
Photograph of people that attended a barbecue held by the McKinney Family in celebration of the new oil well Bee County. More than 500 people attended the event. On December 29, 1929 as the Houston Oil Company drilled for gas, the first oil well in Bee County was brought in on the JJ McKinney land east of Pettus. Humble Oil and Refining Company completed McKinney No. 1 Oil Well, Bee County, January 31, 1930.
Chambliss Home
Photograph of the Chambliss home located on 403 South Tyler. The house was built by F.G. and Louanna Chambliss in the 1890’s, on property once owned by the first medical physician in Beeville, Dr. Leander Hayden. Dr Hayden came to Beeville from San Antonio in the 1850’s. The house was later occupied by Miss Sara Chambliss. Fred G. Chambliss was judge of the Thirty-sixth Judicial District from 1912-1919. Judge Chambliss was active in the formation of the Citizen’s Party, a political party formed in Bee County in the 1920’s by Protestants and Catholics to break the the KKK's hold on the county’s politics. Mrs. F.G. Chambliss (Louanna W.) was the daughter of Joseph Wilson, who settled on the Aransas in 1852 where he engaged in the cattle business. Mrs. F.G. Chambliss was a charter member and past president of the Rosetta Club. She was an early member of St. Philips Episcopal Church (1888). Chambliss Hall, a large room with kitchen facilities connected to the west side of the church, is named for Mrs. F.G. Chambliss and her daughters, Mrs. J.T. (Dorothy) Hall, and Miss Sara Chambliss.
Chase Field Swimming Pool
Postcard of the "Swimming Pool, Chase Field, Beeville, Texas" as printed at the bottom of the card. On June 1, 1943, Chase Field was commissioned as a Naval Air Auxiliary Station to train naval aviators during World War II. The base was named for Lt. Cmdr. Nathan Brown Chase, who went down in the Pacific on a training flight in 1925. After the war, Chase Field was closed until 1953, when it was reopened during the Korean War to help with the over-crowding at NAS Corpus Christi. In July 1968, Chase Field was elevated in status to a full naval air station. With the end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the number of armed forces was greatly reduced and on July 1, 1991, Chase Field was put on the list for closure. VT-26 was decommissioned May 22, 1992, with VT-24 and VT-25 de-commissioned on September 18, 1992. Finally, on February 1, 1993, Chase Field was officially disestablished, bringing an end to fifty years of service in naval training.
Cleo Ray Home
Photograph of Cleo Ray's home located on 312 South Kathleen. Robert Nutt, Sr. built the house, and then sold it to John Timon who added the porches. The John Wilson family was the next owners. They removed the kitchen and dining wing from the main building to make servant quarters at the rear of the lot. Mrs. Ray was Clara Elizabeth Wilson. The home is now owned by Mark and Debbie Parsons.
Cleveland Street in Early Beeville
Postcard of Cleveland Street in Beeville. The large church on the right side of the street is the First Methodist Church which was erected in 1904-1905.
Commercial Hotel in Skidmore 1912
Postcard showing people sitting on the porch of the "Commercial Hotel" in Skidmore. The picture was taken on December 4, 1912. The names of the individuals sitting on the porch are on the back of the postcard going from left to right. The Commercial Hotel was destroyed by fire.
Commercial National Bank
Photograph of the Commercial National Bank in Beeville Texas. Beeville’s second oldest bank, Commercial National Bank was organized on January 11, 1893. It was during this meeting that officers and directors were elected and the capital stock was set at $50,000, or 500 shares at $100 each. The bank opened for business on May 15, 1893. Dr. L.B. Creath, a retired doctor who had moved to Beeville from the Austin area some years before; and D.C. Stone were listed as the Commercial’s organizers. Dr. Creath served as the bank’s first president and Stone served as its cashier. Following the organizational meeting, the bank’s first building was erected on the northwest corner of the courthouse square, at the intersection of Washington and West Corpus Christi Streets. The original building was razed when a new one was erected in 1965, but when it was built it was considered to be “one of the most substantial and modern bank buildings in the county.” The trimmings were made of Pecos red sandstone and Burnet granite and the interior had furniture of antique oak and brass mountings and openings. The vaults were made by the Hall & Marvin Safe and Lock Co., and being encased in solid masonry were considered to be absolutely burglar-and fire-proof. Because of droughts and the "panic' of the 1890's, the bank experienced many difficulties from its beginnings until 1900 when the county finally had a banner crop year. Under the leadership of John W. Flournoy, who served as president from 1898 until his death in July, 1916, and new supporters, the bank flourished from then on. On October 1, 1999, Commercial National Bank was sold and became First Prosperity.
Confederate Veterans Reunion
Photograph of Confederate Veterans at a reunion in Beeville in the late 1890's. Texas furnished about 75,000 soldiers to the Confederate cause. Even though Bee County was only three years old in 1861, many men from the county served the Confederacy. Some died for it. When the war started there were seventy slaves in Bee County. There were many hardships for the citizens of Bee County during the War. A severe drought in 1863 and 1864 made it hard for the people of the county. There was not enough corn to supply local needs. Coffee was not available. Some made a substitute coffee out of parched corn, rye, okra, beans, and even potatoes. There was no sugar available. Calico was worth $50 a yard in Confederate money. Corn cobs were burned and the ashes was used for soda. For medicine, those who were ill used herbs, roots, and bark of certain trees. Women carded cotton into fluffy wads, spun it on spinning wheels into thread, and wove the thread into corse cloth. In 1865 the war ended and the men came home.
The Cook Home
Photograph of the Cook home located on 1001 West Cook Road, built by John Cook himself. Born in 1846, in a Texas-bound wagon train, cattleman John Cook fought in the Civil War at age 17. He married Frances Miller in 1866. The cooks lived in a rock house nearby until their tarried Victorian mansion was wired for electricity and completed in 1897. In 1918, the U.S. Cavalry established a camp here..
Cook Home
Photograph of John Cook's Victorian style home. Built by John Cook, who was born in 1846 in a Texas-bound wagon train; at 17 he was in the Civil War; in 1866 he married Frances Miller. They first lived in rock house near this site. With his son, R.J., John Cook contributed much to area cattle industry, he raised fine registered Herefords. The house was erected 1897 of select long-leaf pine placed to catch Gulf breezes. Each room opens on a porch. It has 4 fireplaces, with mantels of mahogany, maple, oak. The architecture is Victorian. It was later owned by the Dugat and Warner Families. The house was recorded as a Texas Historic Landmark in 1966
Cotton Gin and Stock Pens in Skidmore
Two photographs taken in Skidmore, Texas. These two pictures of a cotton gin and stock pens represent two important economical activities in early Skidmore. In the early part of the 1900’s, Charles Blaschke and Joe Beyer built a cotton gin near the old overpass. The cotton was carried by hand in baskets from the ginstand up to the press to be made into bales. This gin was sold and later burned. T.C. Buerger built a gin on the Blaschke property in the residential section of Skidmore. Charles Blaschke bought a partnership in the gin. The gin was eventually closed and moved to Olmos where J.S. Hall of Beeville rebuilt it. Thomas R. Atkins, who came to Beeville in 1860, wrote that there were vast herds of Longhorn cattle and thousands of Spanish horses roaming through the tall grass. These cattle and horses were here because of early Spanish ranches in South Texas. Stock raising began in Skidmore about 1840, when cattle were brought from Gonzales and Austin. Mr.Skidmore brought the first registered Hereford cattle to the area in the 1870’s. One rancher settled in the bend of the Aransas Creek with a herd of almost eight hundred cattle. At that time, there were no timber or brush obstructions. Since there were no fences until the late 1800’s, the stockman ranged his cattle on this vast expanse of prairie land, employing riders to keep his cattle from straying. Frank O. Skidmore gained statewide attention with his barbed wire fence in 1877. The invention of the windmill helped grazing beyond natural water sources. By 1895 this area was virtually a windmill forest. A number of early ranchers took part in the old cattle drives to points north, including Kansas. The original Chisholm Trail was surveyed north of the Red River, but feeder …
Cotton Hauled by Mules in Oakville
Photograph of James and Lee Crawford Brother's Freight Co. located in Oakville, Texas. In the foreground, loads of cotton are piled onto mule-drawn wagons. F. H. Church stands in front of the mules in the foreground. Three wagons are visible in front of wooden building. The driver of the first wagon is James Crawford. The photograph was taken at or near where Monroe Fink's office is now. If cotton was hauled to the coast for shipment, it came through Beeville.
Cotton in Front of Wimmer Store in Oakville, Texas 1907
Photograph of loads of cotton piled onto mule-drawn wagons outside of Wimmer Store in Oakville,located in Live Oak County, Texas. The wagon driver is Lee Crawford. Similiar scenes took place across Bee County in the early 1900's.
Dedication of Marker for Saint Rose Cemetery in Beeville, Texas
Saint Rose Cemetery was designated a Texas Historical Cemetery during a dedication ceremony in August 2008. Dr. Barbara Welder, chair of the Bee County Historical Commission, spoke at the dedication which was attended by Lawrence Oaks, Executive Director of the Texas Historical Commission. This historical African American burial ground was formally deeded in 1921. However, some burials took place prior to that; with the earliest known burial being that of a former slave, Nancy Williams, dating from 1901. Among the prominent individuals interred here are Mose Lott and Allen Canada, the two men who built the first Beeville schoolhouse for African Americans; several veterans of conflicts dating back to World War I; and Mrs. Mary Canada, who was a mediator between the black and white communities during the “incident free” desegregation of the Beeville Independent School District.
Densil Ellis
Photograph of Densil Ellis as an infant.
Dick Scott Home
Photograph of Dick Scott's home located on 710 South Saint Mary's. At the end of the first decade of the twenty century, W.C. and Zella Buerger built the large two-story house. In 1915, the Buergers sold the house to a nephew of Captain A.C. Jones, John R. “Dick” Scott and his wife, Sudie. Later owned by O.D. and Sylvia Rudeloff and then by Mrs. Lois Mueller, the grand old mansion was purchased by Mr. and Mrs. Cruz Alaniz, Sr. in 1958. In the late 1990’s, their daughter-in-law and son, Olga and Luis Alaniz, restored the old Scott house, where they enjoyed its close proximity to their business, Alaniz and Perez Garage, just across the street.
Downtown Beeville in 1917
Postcard of Washington Street in Beeville in 1917. The person who sent it mentioned going on an "auto ride".
Downtown Skidmore 1904
Photograph of early Skidmore in 1904. The Elite Hotel on the corner was where Dr. I.N. Thompson had his office. A devastating fire in 1919 took its toll of Skidmore. A large block of business houses burned to the ground at the time, and it is thought to have started in an empty saloon. Businesses burned in this fire were the Elite Hotel, W.R. Miller’s Dry Goods Store, Andy Tedford’s Saloon, Gus Staples’ Garage, Howard Faupel’s Barber Shop, M.M. White’s Store, Mrs. Murray’s Café, Midway Saloon, Galloway’s Confectionery, Kemp’s Tailor Shop, a millinery store, Borcher’s Hardwar Store, and Ed Crow’s Palace of Sweets Confectionery, featuring the first popcorn machine and the first moving picture show in the back of the store.
Early Beeville Resident on a Donkey
Photograph of Densil Ellis riding on a donkey.
Early Picture of the McClanahan House
This picture is of G.W. McClanahan’s first house in Beeville. George W. McClanahan was born in Craig County, Virginia in 1824. He graduated from Emory and Henry College in 1853, and came to Texas where he became the principal of Paine Female Institute in Goliad. In 1858 he resigned that position and moved his family to Beeville in 1859. He established a mercantile business on two blocks of land in the vicinity of present Klipstein Park. His son, William, born in January 1861, was the first Anglo child born in Beeville. When the county seat was moved from the Medio to Maryville (Beeville) Mr. McClanahan purchased some lots around the Public Square. In 1866 he moved his family to Corpus Christi where his wife died during a yellow fever epidemic in 1867. After his wife’s death, Mr. McClanahan moved back to Beeville with his four children, Mary, William, George, and James. He opened another store which he operated until his death in 1874. Mr. McClanahan and his wife taught school in his first store for children who lived in Beeville in 1860. Mr. McClanahan was a storekeeper, farmer and gardener, deputy clerk in the county clerk’s office, postmaster, land owner, and had a few head of cattle. He is known as the first merchant in Beeville. His store, built by Viggo Kohler, is preserved and maintained by the Beeville Historical Society, and is now located in the 200 block of Corpus Christi St. The inscription at the bottom of the picture says, "1st house built in Beeville by G. W. McClanahan. Storeroom built first and dwelling house later."
Early Skidmore Hotel
In 1890 Thomas R. Atkins started a hotel in Skidmore and for eleven months published the first newspaper, the Skidmore Pioneer. In 1894, Atkins traded his Skidmore hotel to J.K. Street for the Beeville newspaper, the Picayune. Other Skidmore hotels were the Commercial Hotel, owned by Mr. and Mrs. R.S. Summerville; the Elite, where Dr. I.N. Thompson had his office; and the Benham Hotel. As with most of the early businesses in Skidmore, they were all destroyed in one of the several fires of the early 1900’s and were never rebuilt.
Early Theatre Production
Photograph of three cast members in costume from the play "Kentucky Mountaineers" which was given in C.P. Eidson's Opera House. In the late 1800's the opera house was located on Washington St. across from the courthouse, and had a store, Eidson and Miles Gent's Clothiers, located on the first floor.
Educational Day at Bee County Fair, 1912.
Photograph of educational day at the Bee County Fair in Bee County, Texas in 1912. The photograph was taken from a high vantage point overlooking the large crowd of school children and teachers holding up banners. Beeville Superintendent W. E. Madderra is visible in the central foreground standing in front of the large crowd. The Fair was a speculator event in Beeville until its demise in 1933.
Ellen O'Toole Corrigan
Photograph of Ellen O'Toole Corrigan widow of John Corrigan. In 1826, Ellen's father, Jeremiah O’Toole, rode horseback from New York to the Aransas Creek after he heard that Irishmen could get land grants from the Mexican government. By 1831 he had 12,000 acres on the Aransas Creek six miles east of present Skidmore. Mr. O’Toole’s brother and his family later joined him. In 1848 Ellen married John Corrigan, and the settlement was name in his honor. Several times the settler had to flee because of attacks by Indians and Mexican raiders. Ellen Corrigan and her brother, Martin O’Toole, donated the Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church in 1871. Campo Santo Cemetery still exists on private land.
Entry of the McClanahan House in Beeville
Photograph of McClanahan House entry way. The McClanahan House is the oldest business structure in Beeville. The building, the second store built in Beeville by George W. McClanahan, was erected around 1867 on the east side of the courthouse square, near Poesta Creek. The house served as general store, lodging house, and post office. It was built in the pioneer western style, with southern porches.In 1962, the building was purchased by the Historical Society for $600, and moved to its present site. The building is still the “home” of the society, and meetings are held there periodically.
The Evergreen Cemetery
Photograph of four different photographs from the Evergreen Cemetery. The Evergreen Cemetery is on Block one of the original town site map of Beeville. It is the town’s oldest cemetery and is bounded by Polk, Bowie, Filmore, and Hefferman Streets. First owned by G.W. McClanahan, the land was bought in 1862 by the county for “public burying ground”. In 1872, H.W. Wilson donated the northeast strip, land was added on the northwest, and the court gave consent for a fence. The cemetery was restored in 1970. Thanks to the efforts of the Evergreen Cemetery Association’s efforts in 1998, the cemetery is lighted at night and blanketed with wildflowers in the spring.
Evergreen Cemetery
Beeville’s oldest cemetery, Evergreen Cemetery, is on Block 1 of the original town site map which was donated in 1859 by Anne Burke. First owned by G.W. McClanahan, the land was bought in 1862 by the county for a “public burying ground”. In 1872, H.W. Wilson donated the northeast strip. Land was added on the northwest, and the court gave consent for a fence. The cemetery was restored in 1970. The cemetery is bounded by Polk, Bowie, Filmore, and Hefferman Streets. The graves shown in the picture are those of the Jones and Carter families.
First Airplane Crash in Bee County
Photograph of a man and C. A. Pressey standing behind his plane that has crashed. This is the first plane crash that occurred in Bee County. In 1911 Charley A. Pressey arrived from Georgia in a Curtiss flying machine. It was the first airplane most of the residents of Beeville had ever seen.
First Airplane in Bee County 1911
Photograph of C. A. Pressey flying the first plane in Bee County. In 1911, Charley A. Pressey arrived from Georgia in a Curtiss Flying machine to the thrill of the people of Bee County. Mr. Pressey returned to live in Beeville after his retirement. Trans-Texas Airways made the first air passenger and air-mail flight into Beeville in July, 1949, but it contiued for just a little more than a year. Oscar Travland opened Travland Airport north of the city during the 1940's, and operated it for a number of years. In February, 1967, the city of Beeville opened a municipal airport about three miles west of town.
First Airplane in Beeville
Photograph of C. A. Pressey sitting in his airplane, which is the first airplane for Bee County. In 1911 Charley A. Pressey arrived from Georgia in a Curtiss flying machine. Charley Pressey is also known for establishing the first moving picture theater in Beeville in 1906. The name of the business was Superba Family Theatre and the admission price was five cents.
The First Christian Church, Pettus
Photograph of the First Christian Church in Pettus. On August 20, 1906, the First Christian Church was organized in Pettus with a membership of 25. The first building was completed in the summer of 1905. Before any church was built in Pettus the early settlers of the Pettus City community used the school building for religious services. In the summer time a brush arbor was erected in front of and joining the schoolhouse. Lanterns were used for light; they were hung on the arbor posts. Pallets were made on the ground for the children when they became sleepy. The pitch of the song was given with a tuning fork and the people came from far and near by horseback, wagon, buggy and sulky. Often these sermons would extend far into the night.
First Methodist Church Beeville
Postcard of First Methodist Church of Beeville, Texas. In 1861, three years after Bee County was organized, the Rev. Berry Merchant of Corpus Christi assisted Beeville Methodist in establishing the Methodist-Episcopal Church. Circuit-riding preachers served the congregation and held services in the courthouse until the early 1870’s, when they built their first church on the corner of Bowie and Monroe Streets. Relocated to 106 East Cleveland in 1904, and blessed with a new sanctuary in 1955, the church continues its role in the religious life of the community.
First National Bank Building and World War I Postcard
Postcard of the "First National Bank Building, Beeville, Texas". This first bank in Beeville opened its doors in 1890. In 1894 it moved to this location at Washington and Bowie Streets. Notice that there are no powerpoles in this picture. According to the message on the back, this postcard was part of a package of letters sent by family members to a soldier in WWI. The writer mentions a hope for peace. “The Express said last night that the Germans only had until 11 o’clock Mon Nov. 11 to give their answer whether they surrender or fight. Of course we are all praying anxiously as I know you boys are too.”
First National Bank of Beeville
Postcard showing Washington Street in Beeville Texas. The ornate building on the left, at the intersection of Bowie and Washington, was the First National Bank of Beeville's location from 1894 to 1960. The First National Bank of Beeville was organized on December 30, 1889, and opened on the courthouse square in 1890. Prior to the opening of First National Bank, people left their money either in sacks under loose floor boards behind the counter of Captain A.C. Jones’ store on the east side of the Public Square, or in kegs under that same counter. The increase in population and trade volume brought on by the arrival of SA&AP, and the Gulf, Western & Pacific Railroads in the late 1880’s made the establishment of a bank necessary. Note the electrical lines along Washington Street. Electrical lights went on in Beeville on November 30, 1896.
First National Bank of Beeville
A 1913 postcard with an image of a two-story, brick building labeled "First National Bank Building, Beeville, Texas." The postcard was sent from Beeville January 24, 1913 and addressed to Mr. & Mrs. W. M. Billingsly in Mineral, Texas. Part of the postcard is damaged, but the text reads "...certainly did...ourselves while w...all day think I will fo...my good time any ways...You must come and see us when you come...With Love from R[..]erta & Lonnie"
First Oil Well in Bee County: Maggie Ray McKinney 1929
Photograph of the Maggie Ray McKinney Oil Well in Pettus, Texas in 1929. There are cars parked around the well as people came to the well to see it "brought in." On December 29, 1929 as the Houston Oil Company drilled for gas, the first oil well in Bee County was brought in on the JJ McKinney land east of Pettus. Humble Oil and Refining Company completed McKinney No. 1 Oil Well, Bee County, January 31, 1930. The discovery brought a rush of people to the community of Pettus, and relieved the pressure of the Great Depression. By 1937, the county boasted of 53 gas fields, with 212 wells, and 62 oil fields, with 456 wells, producing 1,863,806 barrels of oil. Oil and gas are still important industries in Bee County.
First State Bank, Opera House and Tuell Drug Store Skidmore, Texas
Photograph of First State Bank in Skidmore. In 1907 this two-story red brick building was built which housed the bank, a drug store and the Opera House. The top story featured a large stage and was used as a movie house for theatrical plays and dances. On the ground floor adjacent to the bank was a drug store which was operated for many years by Rupert Tuell. In 1929 the bank closed its doors after the Wall Street crash. The Opera house continued to be the scene of home talent plays and other entertainment including movies. As the building became old and frail it was condemned for usage, and finally vacated.
Fizer Home
Photograph of the Fizer home, where G. W. Fizer and his family lived. Mrs. Fizer, sister of H.P. Mathews, was an early teacher in Beeville Schools.
Fowler Saloon in Skidmore
Postcard showing men standing in the Fowler Saloon in Skidmore. Skidmore In the early 1900’s the population of Skidmore was close to 3,000. Skidmore had eight stores, three saloons, two drug stores, three garages, three churches, a lumber yard, bakery shop, two gins, a newspaper, and the First State Bank of Skidmore (1907-1937). Most of these businesses were burned in the fires that almost destroyed Skidmore through the early years of the 1900’s.
Frit'z Restaurant and Saloon
Photograph of Fritz's Restaurant and Saloon. The restaurant building is two stories with a balcony and a porch. A sign can be seen at the front of the restaurant that reads "Fritz's Restaurant."
Fritz's Restaurant Interior
Photograph of the inside of Fritz's Restaurant. Frtiz is standing behind the counter with his fist on his hip.
Galveston, Harrisburg, and San Antonio Railroad Beeville Depot
Photograph of the Galveston, Harrisburg, and San Antonio Railroad Beeville depot. The marker for the railroad in Bee County is on the site of the old depot. On June 14, 1886, the first San Antonio and Aransas Pass train arrived in Beeville to a cheering crowd. The arrival of the railroad to Bee County came after Uriah Lott, the man responsible for building the S.A.&A.P. railroad, made a formal railroad proposition to Frank O. Skidmore, a wealthy stockman on the Aransas River, asking for a $100,000 bonus to bring the railroad to Bee County. Mr. Lott appealed to stockmen interested in hauling their cattle to market. The committee in charge of raising the bonus was made up of A.C. Jones and John W. Flournoy. In January 1886 Sheriff D.A. T. Walton showed Mr. Lott around Bee County by buggy, and the committee informed him that they had already raised $55,000. Uriah Lott then headed his railroad through Bee County. After the takeover of S.A.&A.P by Southern Pacific in 1925, the depot became an S.P. station. In 1958, the depot was razed, and the last train left Bee County in 1994. Before the railroad all freighting was done by wagon, and most of it came from Saint Mary's on the coast. D.B. Stafford was the first depot agent for S.A.&A.P. and later the first agent for the S.P. Railroad.
General Barnard E. Bee, Jr.
This portrait of Barnard E. Bee, Jr. in his military uniform hangs in the McClanahan House in Beeville. Barnard E. Bee, Jr. was the son of Anne and Barnard E. Bee, Sr. (for whom Bee County is named) and was born in Charleston, South Carolina in 1824. He moved to Texas with his family in 1836, but later returned to the east and graduated from West Point. He served with honors in the Mexican War. In 1861 he resigned from the US Army and joined the First South Carolina Regulars, a Confederate regiment of artillery. While assigned to the Army of Virginia at Manassas Junction, Bee is given credit for ordering his men to “Rally behind the Virginians! There stands Jackson like a stonewall!”. He fell mortally wounded at this First Battle of Manassas, or Bull Run, and died on July 22, 1861. His body is buried at Pendleton, South Carolina. He was the brother of Texas Statesman, Hamilton Bee.
The George Home
Photograph of the George home located on 801 North Adams. The house has raised cottage architecture. In 1890, Will J. and Julia George built their home with lumber from her father, Major J.H. Wood’s house. Cattle baron, J.H.Wood came from New York to join the War for Independence in 1836.
The Giles Carter Home
Photograph of Giles Carter's home, located on 306 West Carter Street. Later known as the Lutt’s Place and home of Mrs. A.J. Ryan.
H. F. Matthews Home
Photograph of a side view of H. F. Matthews' home located on Washington Street. It stood at the corner on Washington Street, across from the Queen Hotel. Also known as the Mathews Building where furniture was sold on the first floor and the second floor was rented. In its present location, it served as the Moose Lodge, the May Rooming House and was owned by Mrs. Ann Reed, owner of the Kohler Hotel.
Hatch/Long Store in Papalote
Photograph of M. Long's grocery and general store in Papalote, Texas. The store's first owner,William B. Hatch, originally from Tennessee and a veteran of the Confederacy, was one of the earlier merchants in Papalote. In 1873, he moved his family to the present townstite of Papolate to take over the management of a branch of the mercantile store he, and a partner, S. G. Borden, owned in Sharpsburg. Later he sold his interest in the Sharpsburg store for full ownership in the Papalote business. For many years his story served as post office and voting place. W. B Hatch operated the store until 1898 when he sold it to L.N. Scofield of Sinton. Mr. Schofield then sold the store to W.M. Long in 1901. Mr. and Mrs. Long operated the store until his death in 1929. Mrs. Long, and her son, W. C. Long, continued to operate the store and service station, which has been added to the business after the advent of the automobile. In 1946 Mr. Long closed the business for about six months after her son went into the cattle business. At the insistence of friends, Mrs. Long reopened the store and operated it until 1951 when it was closed for good.
Home Place on the Farm
Photograph of life on the Rendleman Farm. The farm is an example of a typical South Texas farm with a windmill, cistern, a shop, and barns or sheds.
Hugo Heldenfels Home
Photograph of the Hugo Heldenfels home located at 514 North Monroe Street and built in 1886. Hugo Heldenfels and Viggo Kohler formed a partnership known as Kohler & Heldenfels, and operated a lumber yard a the corner of Washington and Cleveland Streets in the 1880's. Mr. Heldenfels was born in Germany, and died in 1896.
Inside a Confectionary in Skidmore
Photograph of the inside of a confectionery in Skidmore. At one time Skidmore had two confectionary stories. One was called The Little Gem Confectionary, which was owned and operated by John Galloway. The store sold fish, toilet articles, stationery, Coca-Cola and sundry other items. It was also used for Mr. Galloway’s office since he was the Justice of the Peace. Another confectionary store in Skidmore was Ed Crow’s Palace of Sweets Confectionery, featuring the first popcorn machine and the first moving picture show in the back of the store. Both stores burned in the devastating fire in 1919 that took its toll of Skidmore.
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