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Settlers

Beeville Picayune, Thursday, Nov. 11, 1915

   Old Settlers Register

     The following is the register of the "Old Settlers' Meeting," held at the court house last Thursday:

     Patrick G. McGloin, San Patricio (lived in San Patricio county 63 years, born in Ireland); W. B. Hatch, Bee county, (lived in Bee county 43 years); Mrs. John Hodges, (85 years in Bee County); Mrs. James Lincoln, Charco, Goliad county; Mrs. Hugh May, Blanconia, Bee county (60 years); Mrs.  J.N. Porter, Pettus, Bee county; Mrs. C. S. Page, Pettus, Bee county (49 years); Mrs. J. W. Toomey, Beeville (age 37, lived in Bee county 17 years, Live Oak county20 years); J. E. Kelley, Beeville (southwest 61 years, Bee county 25 years); W. G. Rupe, Blankett, Brown county, (southwest 61 years); A. O. Coleman, LaSalle county, (lived in Bee county 38 years ago); B. P.  Stephenson, Beeville, (first white child born in Beeville); Mrs. M. E. Lee, Beeville, (came to Bee county in 1856); Mrs. W. R. Richburg, Beeville  (1888); Mrs. J. C. Jenkins, (born in Bee county 1863); J. C. Jenkins, Beeville (1898); B. S. Cornett, Papalote, (Bee county in 1883); H. F. Clare, Beeville, Bee county, (1856); Mrs. P. Borroum (came here 1881); P. Borroum, (came to Bee county, Pettus postoffice, in 1882); Mrs. L. F. Crow, Skidmore (40 years old); Mrs. Amelia V. Cox Beeville, (86 years old, settled in Goliad county in 1850, lived in Southwest Texas ever since); Mrs. L. A.  Heflin, Beeville, (settled in Bee county in 1860); R. L. West, (came to Bee county in 1884); B. B. Atkins, (Bee county, 1856); Mrs. P. Borroum (Bee county in 1860); R. L. West (came to Bee county in 1884); B. B. Atkins (Bee county since 1860); P. A. Cox, San Antonio, (56 years in Southwest Texas, 35 years in Bee county); J. C. Myers, since 1857) ; W. S. Brown (since 1886); Z. Martin (in south Texas 60 years); Mrs. Geo. J. Dahl (came here in 1890); R. C. Barfield (came to Bee county in 1887); E. B. Uzzell (25 years in Bee

county); W. B. Roberts (48 years in Bee county); C. S. Page (54 years in Bee county); W. T. Roberts, Pettus, Tex., (aged 77, Bee county 50 years); Mrs. W. T. Roberts, Pettus, Texas (aged 75 years, Bee county 50 years);A.  Shinn, (aged 62 years); Mrs. A. Shinn (aged 42); Mrs. M. E. Sheive (aged 67 years); Mrs. Pat Martin (Oct. 29 1875); John McCollom (1857); Mrs. Ellen McCollom, (1852); Mrs. W. B. Roberts, (48 years); Mrs. M. M. Ransom (56 years); Mrs. J. W. Timon, (58 years); Mrs. J. F. Ray (54 years in Bee county); D. R. May (57 years in Bee  County); C. P. Sparkman (20 years in Bee county); M. McKinney (born in Alabama, 68

years old, lived in Bee county 25 years); Milam Gill (born in Mississippi 1849, came to Texas 1852, lived in southwest Texas 63 years); A. G. Hartman (born in Yorktown, 1849, lived in DeWitt and Bee counties ever since); Mrs. S. R. Taylor (lived in Bee county 55 years); Mrs. J. B. Franklin (40 years); Mrs. N. B. Walker, (25 years); Mrs. A. M. Stovall, (30 years); Mrs. Joel W. Adkins (aged 73, Bee county 25 years); Mrs. A. J. Thompson (43 years in Bee county); Mrs. M. A. Flemming (27 years in Bee county); David Myers, (born 1850, Bee county 59 years); R. H.Gillett (born 1849, Bee county 47 years); P. A. Sherran (born 1847); R. A. Ezell (born in Missouri, lived in Refugio county, Tex., 30 years, Bee county 24 years); Caroline Jane Fields Jones (born in Mississippi, but here long enough to be an old settler-in Beeville over 44 years); Miss Phene Sullivan (San Patricio county 57 years); W. J. McMurray (born in San Patricio county 1851); Mrs. Nannie Tuttle (48 years in Bee county); Mrs. Sallie Flowers (46 years in Bee county);

Morgan Moore, Normanna, (born in Dallas county, 1855, came to Bee county 1873); P. D.  Turner, Bee county (May, 18i56); H. Dahl, Pettus, Texas., (80 years old, Bee county 33 years); D. E. Beedy, Beeville, 31 years); L. C. Ross (Beeville 40 years); Mrs. (Dr.) J. N. Long, Beeville, (born 1839, 24 years in Bee county); Mrs. S. A. Osborn, Beeville, (born 1878, Bee county 21 years); W.  R. Cryer, Beeville

(born 1852, Bee county since 1864); Susan Elizabeth Grisham (Bee county 15 years); Miss Elizabeth Rush (Bee county 30 years); Mrs. Margaret Brister, Beeville (Bee county 64 years); Mrs. Elen Goynes, George West, Texas. (Live Oak county 60 years); Mrs. Martha McMurray (San Patricio and Live Oak counties 60 years); G. A. Ray, Pettus (Bee county 58 years); P. S. Clare, Beeville (Bee county 64 years); Mrs. J. W. Flournoy, Beeville (over 25 years in Bee county); Mrs. Walter Teal,

Beeville (over 25 years in Bee county); Mrs. R. H. Berry, Beeville (over 25 years in Bee county); Mrs. E. M. Dugat, Beeville (over 25 years in Bee county).

Friday, Friday, 3 May 1907 (front page)

TWENTY-ONE YEARS AGO

The Bee Looks Back to the Days of Its Infancy Interestingly

 With its last number the BEE began its twenty-second year.  For twenty-one years it has hebdomenally chronciled the doings of the town and county, and contains for that time the county's history.

 A copy of its first issue shows an entire change in the personnel of the business men of the town in the twenty-one years that have elapsed since its first number.

     Capt A. C. Jones, for many years Beeville's leading merchant, had gone out of the mercantile business twenty-one years ago.  When the first number of the BEE  as printed, the business of the town, as well, as for many years after, was wholly confined to two blocks on the square.  L. F.Roberts conducted a mercantile establishment on the east side in the building now occupied by Dr. Moffett as a residence.  A.  P. Smith was his clerk.  Will Smith carried on a grocery business and a saddle shop under the same roof on the corner where he afterwards erected a new building, which he some years later sold to Patterson & Blair and was used by them as a saloon.  Robert Hodges acted as Mr. Smith's clerk and Tom Sonley ran the saddlery.  Mr. Smith was also county treasurer.  H. T. Clare & Sons had just built the livery stable now owned by Teas & Scogin.  It was run by the Messrs. Clare until about ten years ago,and has had several owners since then.  Just north of the Clare stable stood the Barclay hotel, run by Mrs. C. M. Barclay, now deceased.  It was shortly afterwards bought by R. H. Nations of Oakville and moved to the corner where it now stands and additions made to it.

Back of Smith's grocery store was a small building owned by G. F. Mills, a veteran of the English navy who operated both a restaurant and a barber-shop under the same roof.  He is now a resident of Alice and has been for some years.  The building next to the grocery and fronting the square had just been sold by Capt. Slavetchek to Sheriff D. A.T. Walton, who had used it as a shoe shop.  Mr. Walton purchased the lot and building for $400, about half its value.  In explanation of Slavetchek selling so cheap, it was said he violently opposed the coming of the railway for which the citizens had subscribed a large bonus and declared he would move away.  He did not, however, and is on this side of the vale of tears and the only artizan of Beeville of twenty-one years ago now here.  The building now occupied by Clem's restaurant then contained the town's only butcher shop. It was run by Cready & Everhardt.  The latter was from Goliad and shortly sold to John Zowarka who became sole proprietor and retired on competence several years ago.  Al. Cready the other proprietor has been dead some years.

The building so long occupied by A. Praeger as a hardware store, twenty-one years ago was occupied with a similar business belonging to Little & Mitchell. Bob Little, the senior partner, after the sale of the business about a year afterwards, built the Queen Hotel.  He is now a resident of Oregon. D. P. Mitchell only a couple of years ago removed from here.  He is a resident of Coleman.  The only drug store of the town was owned by R. B.  Skaggs.  He died in the summer of 1886 and his business was sold to John R. Martin of St.Mary's who conducted it for a number of years at the same stand and then built the brick in which the Partain Drug Co., his lineal successors are.  The original building was in time acquired by A. P.  Smith and moved to Washington street, where it is occupied by Craven & Co.

     The next bulding then on the north side of the square is now occupied by Paul Bauer, the saddler.  T. J.Skaggs carried on a dry goods business on the lower  floor.  He is now a resident of Mexico.  The upper floor was used by the BEE and it was from there it was issued for several months until removed to the upper floor of a new building erected in the rear of the Clare livery stable where it made its home until it acquired its present location in 1890.  The next building on the north side of the square occupied the site of Praeger's hardware store.  It had been occupied by its owners, R.  W. Archer and F. O.  Skidmore with a stock of dry goods but they had some months before closed out their stock.  The rear of the building was used for the postoffice.  John W.  Flournoy was postmaster, but the work of the office was performed by R. W. Archer.  Mr. Flournoy was devoting his time to the study of law and was admitted to the bar that summer.  Other members of the bar here at that time were W. S.  Dugat, now deceased, and J. C. Beasley.  The latter had just returned from a two year's residence in Abilene and during his absence Beeville afforded but the one lawyer.  Mr. Beasley's eldest son and present law partner was just beginning to learn to talk and his second son, Robert, was an infant in arms.  The next building in order was the Ellis hotel.  It was then a two story and a half structure, the latter,  lighted by dormory windows.  The upper part had no partitions and was known as "Room No. 40," because it was the custom of the proprietor, when crowded to put as many guests there to sleep as could find room on mattresses laid on the floor. The same year it was transformed into its present shape, and had a number of owners before being acquired by J. C. Short ten years ago.

Washington street, leading north from the Ellis hotel, was then the road that led to Mineral and Oakville, and was overhung with guisacle and mesquite bows.  A stable occupied the southwest corner of the hotel block  and the balance was a cabbage patch.  The public school building, an unceiled, box structure, stood in the center of the block now occupied by the Aransas railway depot.  On the west side of the square, was a low,  two-story frame structure once used as a court house.  It belonged to the Masons, the lodge room being in the upper part.  The lower floor was used by G.  H. Craigie, a Canadian painter, who was believed to have been lined with metal because he could drink the alcohol that rose on his paint bucket overnight.  He drifted away shortly after the railroad came,   as did A. M.  Faulconer, a builder and contractor the reilway era found here.  The Masonic building was mysteriously burned a year or so later,  the lot sold to B. Cahn of Rockport who erected a metal clad building on it and ran a business in it several years.  The property was bought some  years ago by J. J. Meinrath and the building removed to the corner of St.  Marys & Hefferman.  The next and only other building on the west side was a small office that had been occupied by Dr. McGrew for some years up to his death a year or so before the railway came. On the south side the entire block was occupied by the modest cottage and out buidlings that had been for many years the homestead of Capt. A. C. Jones.  It continued to be until he built his suburban home twelve years ago.  Three  physicians were amply sufficient to attend to the ills of the entire county at that time.  Dr. Brashaer was located at Mineral City, and Drs. Julius Nott and T. W. Johnson at Beeville.  Of the three the latter is the only survivor.

Among the local advertisers in the first number of the BEE aside from those mentioned, were J. T. Byus, generalmerchant, as Mineral, now dead, and W. B. Hatch ina like line at Papalote.  Mr. Hatch is still in the land of the living, hale and hearty, but retired from business.  John Impson offers to do contracting work, and R. McMenemy advertises all kinds of blacksmith work.  Both these worthy citizens are now dead.  Jas. George is another contractor advertising.  He built a large two story business house on the corner of the block across the railway, opposite Ben Mattingly's property.  It burned down and he moved away.  Hugh Moore, a real estate man, extols the advantages of southwest Texas in a column advertisement for which he never paid.  He was a newcomer and spent so much time in telling others how to run their affairs that he neglected his own, played out and left after a few months' residence.  T. P. Brundrett advertises the Halliday windmill.  The mill is no longer sold in this section, but Mr. Brundrett is still in the windmill business. The court directory of twenty-one years ago showed that H. Clay Pleasants was district judge, S. F. Grimes, district attorney, W. R. Hayes, county judge, R. E. Eeds county and district clerk, D. A. T. Walton sheriff, W. M. Smith treasurer, W. S. Howard assessor and R. W. Fenner surveyor. Four of the seven are yet alove, and two, Messrs. Smith and Fenner hold the positions they did then.Instead of the nine church buildings that Beeville now has, twenty-one years ago there were but two, the Methodist and Baptist, with services alternating.  Rev. J. F. Denton was pastor of the Methodists and Rev. G. H. M. Wilson of the Baptists.  The latter survives and is still engaged in church work in this section.  The public school of Beeville twenty-one years ago showed an enrollment of sixty pupils.  It now aggregates nearly 800.

Early file copies of the BEE show many changes in the twenty-one years the paper has been published, and many things have been printed and forgotten not only by those to whom they were news when fresh from the press but even by the person who wrote them.  Twenty-one years in future seems a long time; in the past they are quickly lived over.  In the twenty-one years of the BEE's existence it has seen the population of the town change several times.  Some who migrated here and lived long enough to become identified with the place have either died or moved away, their places filled with others and been forgotten, and it may be said that the Beeville of the past is only preserved in the files of the paper that began its existence with the railroads that made the county accessible and has since been a faithful exponent of the progress of the town.  

Beeville Bee, Friday 21 June 1907, page 3:

 An Important Anniversary

     Last Friday, the 14th of June, was the twenty-first anniversary of a rather important event in the history of Beeville - the entry of the first railway train into the town.  Track-laying had begun on the Aransas Pass early in 1886, and its expansion southward had been watched with keen interest by the citizens of the little town of three hundred inhabitants, whose communicationwith the outside world had been a rumbling stage coach to Victoria, the nearest railway station.  Almost every man, woman child and dog had gathered under the mott just west of the present depot to welcome the "iron horse," and it is no wonder that no small part of the juvenile population had their preconceived impressions of a locomotive dispelled because the monster drawing the train wasnot really a horse of iron, so frequently had the figure of speech been applied.

On the first train were the principal railway officials, among them B. F. Yoakum, now high up in the railway world, and Colonel Uriah Lott whose magic genius had built the road from bonuses secured from the people of the counties through which the road runs.  Beside these were fifty or sixty of the leading business men of the San Antonio of that day, who came down to meet the people and to lay the foundation of future trade.  On alighting from the train the party was met by a delegation of citizens, headed by the late Capt. A. C. Jones, who had been the inspiration of the movement which resulted insecuring the railway through a bonus of $60,000 in money and 600 town lots in Beeville,besides depot grounds and right of way through the county.  The population of the county then was estimated to be only 1100, inclusive of negroes, Mexicans, and people of high and low degree, financially.  It was a stupendous undertaking, the raising of that bonus and citizens of Live Oak and Goliad counties assisted, but Bee county people raised the most of it.  The county now has a population of about 10,000, but it is doubted with that number so large a bonus for an object as important could be raised as easily as that $60,000 twenty-one years ago.

When Beeville gets to be the city it is destined to be, and its sons and daughters need history to commemorate they can find no more important event in annals of the town than that which happened on June 14, 1886, when many of their forbears saw a locomotive for their first time and hid in awe behind their mother's skirts at the scream of the first locomotive whistle they ever heard.