The Hamilton Herald-News (Hamilton, Tex.), Vol. 83, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 3, 1958 Page: 10 of 72
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St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, Hamilton
ri
Hamilton with
a
TEXAS NEWS 100 YEARS AGO
Great numbers of sheep are
annually raised in Northern
Texas and shipped to the New
Orleans market, where they are
sold readily at from four to five
dollars a head.
following members: Mrs. E. R.
Williams, Mrs. E. D. Bell, Mrs.
John L. Spurlin, Mrs. C. W.
Cotton, Mrs. G. B. Fletcher, Mrs.
J. T. James, Mrs. Sumner D.
Felt, Mrs. A. S. Boynton, Mrs. G.
R. Freeman, and Misses Annie
Bell and Alice Freeman. They
decided their first objective
should be the construction of a
church building and each mem-
ber pledged $1.00 per month to-
wards a building fund. Major C.
W. Cotton gave them a building
lot and by 1891, with E. R. Wil-
liams, John L. Spurlin and S. D.
Felt, as building committee, their
hopes were realized. At first,
the seats were plain wooden
benches and canvas served to
cover the windows, but by 1896,
all was completed and Bishop
Garrett came from Dallas to Con-
secrate the new church as St.
Mary’s of Hamilton”-
Hamilton and Dublin, which
had also built a church, were
made Missions and placed in
charge of Reverend W. W. Pat-
rick. He lived in Dublin, but
came to' Hamilton to hold a ser-
vice every other Sunday.
Unfortunately, the early re-
cords of St. Mary’s were lost,
but by 1904 the Ladies Guild
Register shows the additional
names of Mrs. R. O. (Miss Mamie)
Meisner, Mrs. W. T. (Lillian Law)
Bolding, Mrs. M. N. Baker, Mrs.
C. C. (Alma) Baker, and Misses
Alice Price, Ella Moore, Maude
Durham, Vivian Graves and Kate
and Ethel Felt, and early that
Alter- Rail; Harold Hitt, who
built and contributed the beau-
tiful oak pulpit; the Baptismal
Font given by his family in
memory of Father Charles La-
Bagh and $10,000.00 Endowment
Fund bequeathed in the will of
the late Mrs. Margaret Jones,
daughter of E. R. and Maude
Williams.
Dedicates Song
To Grandparents
(Editor’s Note — The song
below was written by Mrs. Mar-
garet Rice Embrey and dedicated
to her grandparents, J. M. and
Elizabeth Rice, pioneer Hamil-
ton Countians. It is sung to the
tune of “Tramp, Tramp, Tramp!
The Boys Are Marching.”)
OUR TOWN
same year a movement was in-
augurated to build a rectory. This
was accomplished and Reverend
F. C. Berry and wife came to
Hamilton to take charge of this
Mission and also the one which
had been established at Merid-
ian.
Dr. Berry was followed by
Reverend Thomas Booth in 1910,
Reverend Lee Heaton in 1915
and Reverend Charles G. La-
Bagh in 1918. Mr. LaBagh, with
his wife and daughters, Helen and
Mary, lived in Hamilton until
his death in 1934.
In 1950 an Austin Stone Par-
ish House was built on the
church lot, with auditorium, a
kitchenette, Sunday School
rooms and rector’s study. This
is open to the use of the public
for any good cause and especial-
ly enjoyed by teen-age and high
school groups for their activities.
A Sunday School has always
been maintained, the first super-
intendent being E. R. Williams,
followed by Cecil B. James, Dr.
Charles C. Baker, Jr., and M.
Brents Witty, who still serves in
many troubles,
There’s a town among the hills
That we love with all our
hearts.
It has pretty homes, and streets
so broad and gay.
It has people that are good,
it has everything that it should.
It’s the best town of its size
just anywhere.
CHORUS:
Shout boys, shout for this our
home town,
Greet old
cheer,
It’s a good town, you can see,
It’s the town for you and me.
It’s the best town of its size
just anywhere.
‘Twas one hundred years ago,
our forefathers came this way.
Seeking then, a better place in
which to live,
There were
trials,
There was much to undergo, J
Men and women faced the B
hardships with a will. ;
CHORUS: ■
Now away with everyone I
To the work that’s to be done.^j
Lend a helping hand to better
things ahead.
We must onward, onward go
Or we shall be counted slow,
And a town that does not move
Will soon be dead.
CHORUS:
1858-1958
V
W»V-
We are proud to be a part of this thriving community!
PRIDE in the Past...
CONFIDENCE
in the Future!
Bert Schrank IP Gas Company
Magnolia Petroleum Company Consignee
K
fj
The things that made Hamilton County's
first 100 years such a success are still here
in abundance . . . The choice location, the
good, strong hands of working folk, the
courage of pioneers. That is why Hamil-
ton County's future looks as bright as its
past.
Episcopal Church
Organized Early
(By C. B. James)
About 1868-70 many old south-
ern families who had lost their
slaves, plantations and other pro-
perty in the war decided to move
west and make a new start in
life.
Central Texas, with its wide
prairies, springfed streams and
favorable climate looked partic-
ularly attractive to them. How-
ever, they missed many things
of the more civilized states from
which they had come, especially
their schools and churches and
the women of the families de-
cided they would see what could
be done about it.
Among the families coming to
Hamilton County, where Mrs. E.
D. Bell, whose husband, a noted
surgeon had lost his life at Get-
tysburg, and her son, Charles, a
young lawyer who later became
U. S. Senator, and his sister, An-
nie, a gifted musician. The fam-
ily had been prominent members
of the Episcopal Church and soon
after they came to Hamilton, Mrs.
Bell began looking for others of
the same faith. To her surprise
she found eight or ten Cum-
municants. She sent this word to
the few established churches in
Texas and arrangements were
made for an occasional visit
from an Episcopal clergyman,
who would come and hold a ser-
vice in the Bell home. Among
the first of these, about 1873,
Bishop Gregg, probably of Gal-
veston, came and at this service,
Mary T, the daughter of Capt.
H. M. Bouldin and wife, was
baptized, the first Episcopal bap-
tism in Hamilton County. Mary
T. Bouldin later became the wife
of John T. James.
In 1874, The Right Reveren-
ed Alexander C. Garrett, Bishop
of the Missionary District of
North Texas, arranged to visit
this section of the state several
times a year. Driving a team of
horses he would make stops at
Waxahachie, Meridian, Hamil-
ton, Comanche, Brownwood and
San Angelo, and return by Cole-
man, Dublin, Stephenville and
Cleburne. The trip took three
weeks. Services in Hamilton
were held in the recently com-
pleted Presbyterian Church,
Hamilton’s first church building,
which the Presbyterians gener-
ously shared with all ’the other
denominations to become almost
a Community Church, loved and
revered by Christians of every
faith.
By 1888, Episcopalians had in-
creased to fourteen families and
at the suggestion of Mrs. E. R.
H (Maude) Williams a Ladies Guild
was formed. The Williams lived
on a ranch a few miles east of
Hamilton, so the first meeting
was held in Mrs. Bell’s home and
the Guild organized with the
We Salute...
Hamilton
County
On Its 100th BIRTHDAY!
★
Phone 620
We are indeed happy io have had a small
part in the growth and progress of Ham-
ilton County, and our contribution io
the past represents our pledge for
the future.
GEO. W. CHAMBLESS
SPORTING GOODS
119 North Rice
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fite
that capacity, with Mrs. Kathryn
(Baker) Witty, Mrs. Katherine
(Henderson) James, Keith James
and Robert Miller as teachers.
Father Wm. L. Burkhardt is the
present rector, and M. Brents
Witty, Senior Warden, J. Keith
James, Junior Warden and the
treasurer, Malcolm G. James,
John C. Latham, Robert Miller
and Calvin Thomas compose the
Vestry. Mrs. Blitz is Organist
and Cecil Dow James, great
grandson of Mrs. J. T. James.
Acolyte.
Many outstanding contribu-
tions in time or substance to the
advancement of St. Mary’s
Church have been made over the
years. E. R. Williams serving as
superintendent of the Sunday-
School more than 20 years; Mrs.
S. D. Felt, organist and choir
director, 27 years; Mrs. J. T.
James, president of the Ladies
Guild 24 years; Mrs. Mamie
Misener, organizer of the Kings
Daughters and many years work
with the young people; George
Hickey, who designed and as-
sisted in the building of the
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Billingslea, W. F. The Hamilton Herald-News (Hamilton, Tex.), Vol. 83, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 3, 1958, newspaper, July 3, 1958; Hamilton, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1313712/m1/10/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Private Collection of Mary Newton Maxwell.