1925—Fayette County Happenings One Hundred Years Ago, Part 2

Part II

Footprints Of Fayette

Fayette County is one of the most historic counties in Texas. In this weekly feature from the County Historical Commission, a rotating group of writers looks back at local history.

The following Footprints of Fayette article is a continuation and retelling of some of the articles which appeared in the La Grange Journal in the year 1925. The stories of events that occurred long ago will be shared with new generations of Fayette county residents. The Journal reported the following the first week of July: “The courthouse fence of Fayette County is offered for sale.” Sealed bids for the fence were due by 2:00 P.M., Saturday, July 11, 1925.

Also mentioned was the fact that plans had been made, and the public was invited to come together to celebrate the Fourth of July in the local communities. These communities included Round Top, Winchester, and Bellville.

The Journal also noted the bizarre news that Eddie Smith, a farmer of near Winchester, was walking back to his home through his cotton patch. While carrying an axe on his shoulder after cutting some firewood, and when within fifty yards of his house, he was struck by a bolt of lightning from a passing shower which killed him instantly.

The middle of July brought a request by the editor of the Journal for the County Commissioners to fence and maintain the badly neglected graves at the Poor Farm, located on the east side of the city. Apparently, a visit by the editor to the Poor Farm and the adjacent cemetery brought him the realization that the “city dump,” located off the Ellinger Road [present Highway 71] carried quite an odor and was, as he described it, an “unsightly thing.”

By the 23rd of July, the report was given that by “Monday morning the farmers of the Hostyn neighborhood and a delegation from the Holman section came in early and entered upon the work of removing the iron fence from the courthouse square … A part of the old iron fence will be used at the Holman Catholic Church, the greater part, however, at the Hostyn Church.” [The iron cemetery fence at Hostyn was recently replaced.] With the August 27, 1925 issue of the Journal, came the news of an airplane which “encircled the city [La Grange], and when just above the city the people were attracted by the flames, but the machine flew on.” The story continued that in failing to decide upon a landing place, the pilot in charge of the machine must have decided to go further and on sped the machine, when a forced landing was made in the pasture in charge of J. H. Wessels…near Halsted. Sunday afternoon two planes reached the scene of the forced landing and took the two stranded airman— Flagg and Buchanan—back to Killington [Kelly] Field near San Antonio.”

An ad was taken out in the September 10th edition of the Journal for Fayette County real estate. The reader can only compare and reflect upon the current values of these offers: “200 acres near Cistern, $25 per acre; 100 acres near Black Jack, $25 per acre; 150 acres near Rutersville, 2 houses, 50 acres in cultivation, $50 per acre; 1 5-room residence, $3500.” In October of 1925, the La Grange Journal printed an ad taken out by the Tietjen Brothers, Chevrolet dealers in Rutersville and La Grange, which displayed the costs of the popular new Chevrolet line, which included: Touring car-$525, Coupe-$625, Sedan-$775, Express truck chassis-$550. Also, the dealership had on display “a special photographic exhibit illustrating the precision methods by which quality is achieved in the manufacture of the modern motor car.”

By the middle of November, the County Commissioners Court, upon the recommendation of the La Grange Chamber of Commerce had decided to place lights on each of the four clock dials located in the Courthouse tower clock.

Also, the November 19th issue made note of the fact that “all day Sunday there was a stream of visitors at the Jefferson street river bridge, despite the cool weather … and the workmen were busy.” It was added that “folks who stood on the banks of the river noted with what ease the laborers were moving about on the top of the span.” It should be noted here that this was a reference to the construction of the first Highway 77 river bridge leading up to the Bluff. Many still remember that truss bridge’s narrow width.

The next installation in this series, Part 3, will be solely designated to the severe drought which struck the county in 1925. Stay tuned …