COOKE COUNTY HISTORICAL MARKERS Contributed by: Joan Renfrow ******************************************************************************** USGENWEB ARCHIVES(tm) NOTICE All documents placed in the USGenWeb Archives remain the property of the contributors, who retain publication rights in accordance with US Copyright Laws and Regulations. In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, these documents may be used by anyone for their personal research. They may be used by non-commercial entities so long as all notices and submitter information is included. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit. Any other use, including copying files to other sites, requires permission from the contributors PRIOR to uploading to the other sites. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net ******************************************************************************** COOKE COUNTY HISTORICAL MARKERS The Texas Historical Commission http://www.thc.state.tx.us/index.html JOSEPH WELDON BAILEY Marker # 2868 Location: 710 Fair Avenue, in Fairview Cemetery, Gainesville. (Near south road in cemetery). City: Gainesville Marker Erected: 1994 Marker Text: (October 6, 1863-April 13, 1929) Democrat Joseph Weldon Bailey served in the U.S. House of Representatives (1891-1901) and in the U.S. Senate (1901-1913). A colorful and controversial politician, he was known for his superb oratorical skills and his fiery temper. His career was damaged by his involvement in the notorious Waters-Pierce Company anti-trust case, but in the 1920 Democratic Gubernatorial Primary runoff election he placed second to Pat Neff. He moved his law practice to Dallas in 1921. Recorded - 1994. BARBED WIRE IN COOKE COUNTY Marker # 301 Location: 100 E. California City: Gainesville Marker Erected: 1986 Marker Text: The development of barbed wire fencing had a revolutionary impact on the economy and settlement pattern in Texas. In 1874, Joseph Glidden of Illinois received a patent for his barbed wire. By 1875, Henry B. Sanborn had come to North Texas as Glidden's barbed wire salesman. Cleaves & Fletcher Hardware, once located at this site, and other Gainesville businesses began to stock Glidden's Barbed Wire as it came into demand by Texas ranchers. Sanborn's 1875 transaction with Cleaves & Fletcher may represent the earliest sale of two- stranded modern barbed wire in Texas. Texas Sesquicentennial 1836-1986. BUTTERFIELD-OVERLAND STAGE LINE Marker # 590 Location: Grand Avenue and Star City: Gainesville Marker Erected: 1936 Marker Text: Gainesville was a station on the Southern Overland Mail Line (Butterfield Route), which provided semi-weekly mail and stage service between St. Louis and San Francisco, 1858-1861. The line was 2795 miles long--one of the longest stage transportation routes ever established. 1964 CITY HALL-FIRE STATION, OLD Marker # 3709 Location: Dixon and Pecan Streets City: Gainesville Marker Erected: 1968 Marker Text: Erected 1884. First floor was fire station, with ladder truck, hose wagons and horse stalls. Insignia for the three fire companies appear above doors. Second floor contained city offices. Jail or "Calaboose" was in rear. Architect was J. J. Kane. Second story and bell tower were removed in 1933. The Cooke County Heritage Society saved building from demolition, 1966. Renovated through generosity of G. C. and Gladys Morton. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark--1968. RANDOLPH LEE CLARK Marker # 4193 Location: 1525 West California, on campus of North Central Texas College, Cooke County Campus (next to flag poles). City: Gainesville Marker Erected: 1986 Marker Text: A native of Fort Worth, Randolph Lee Clark worked as a cowboy on the XIT Ranch as a young man. After graduating from Add-Ran Christian University, he worked for state educational offices in Austin. He served as school superintendent in Wichita Falls from 1915 to 1923, when he moved to Gainesville to accept a similar position. With the help of the Kiwanis Club, he convinced the city to open Gainesville Junior College in 1924. Active in state and national educational organizations, Clark was considered a pioneer in the Texas Junior College movement. Texas Sesquicentennial 1836-1986. CLOUD-STARK HOUSE Ref. # 82004498 Location: 327 S. Dixon Street City: Gainesville Narrative: The Cloud-Stark House at 327 South Dixon Street is a two story wood frame structure located in one of Gainesville's oldest and most affluent neighborhoods. Constructed circa 1885, the house retains much of its original Victorian Italianate detailing as exemplified by its low pitch roof, off-center cupola, broad eaves, and heavy brackets. A major renovation between 1902 and 1908 added classical elements such as the pedimented portico and Ionic capitals atop the east facade columns. Despite having altered the original Victorian Italianate character, these changes represent an important segment in the structure's evolution and, therefore, are significant in their own right. Other more minor alterations have slightly modified the building's exterior; however, the Cloud-Stark House remains much as it did in 1908. The residence stands just south of the original town site, two blocks southeast of the Cooke County Courthouse, and three blocks south of the historic Butterfield Stage Route (now California Street). Facing east onto South Dixon Street, the house is located in a neighborhood of mostly Victorian, Queen Anne, and early 20th century residences. A concrete sidewalk with alternating colored slabs and an iron fence run parallel to Dixon Street and indicate the east boundary of the lot. Resting upon a concrete base, the fence was manufactured by the Champion Iron Fence Co. of Kenton, Ohio, as its nameplate reveals, and displays highly ornate posts at each end. An equally elaborate gate marks the main entrance to the house, and the first owner's name, "Cloud," is imprinted in the sidewalk just outside the gate. The builders of the house, reflecting a popular trend of the late 1800s, utilized an asymmetrical plan. A variation of the central hall plan, the design called for the sitting room at the southeast corner to be brought forward, thereby achieving its off balance though typically Victorian composition. The two story structure rests upon a two room cellar and is capped with a small third floor cupola. All original outbuildings associated with the house have been demolished, but a small, contemporary one story, open carport stands at the southwest corner of the lot. The front or east elevation is dominated by a two story portico with massive square but slightly tapered columns. Added in the early 1900s, the gable roofed portico exhibits elements of two distinct architectural styles and reveals the aesthetic "conflict" of the building's exterior. The broad eaves and heavy brackets are a carry over from the original Victorian Italianate design. However, the construction of the portico and its use of a pediment and fluted columns with Ionic capitals reflect a desire to bring order and balance to the original asymmetrical plan and are characteristic of the Colonial Revival movement. A one story porch with balcony extends across the entire front as well as a portion of the south elevation and serves as another prominent visual feature. The porch displays a cornice with dentil molding and fluted columns with Ionic capitals. The columns are identical in design but smaller in scale to the portico's, thus indicating that the porch was probably included in the early 20th century renovation. Interestingly, the columns do not completely extend to the cornice but instead are linked with simple, unadorned brackets. The original balustrade of the balcony was replaced in 1952 with the present wrought iron railing. 2/2 wood sash windows are framed with architrave molding and provide natural light for the interior. Capping the structure is a small rectangular cupola with a low pitch hip roof. The 1/1 wood sash windows with round arches are paired- -one set pierces the east and west elevations while two sets pierce the north and south--under molding which suggests an almost semi-elliptical arch. A one story bay window with balcony highlights the north facade, and its 2/2 wood sash windows, brackets, cornice, and dentils are similar to those of the front. The original balcony posts have been replaced with wrought iron supports, but the elaborate jig cut spandrels remain intact and represent some of the house's most outstanding woodwork. Numerous additions through the years have significantly altered the rear (west) and south facades. With the exception of a 1936 second story bathroom addition, the rear porch retains most of its original detailing. This ell shaped porch exhibits a turned balustrade for the balcony and slender, chamfered ground level columns. These columns could have possibly resembled the pre-1902-1908 columns of the front porch. Main access into the house is gained through a double door entrance within the two story portico. These doors are pierced with round arched etched glass and are capped with a single light transom. No doubt intended to impress visitors, the central hallway displays some of the structure's most outstanding interior detailing such as the inlaid wood floor and spiral staircase. The floor exhibits a hexagon chain and diamond shaped patterns framing the alternating bands of light and dark flooring. A six pointed star and a smaller Greek cross motif highlight the center of the floor. The remaining ground level rooms have unadorned hardwood floors. The library to the north of the hallway, the sitting room to the south, and the bedroom exhibit marbleized slate mantels. The library displays an operating chandelier light fixture originally intended for gas but later modified to accept electricity. Displaying elaborate carved wood work in the newel post and balustrade, the staircase opens onto the second floor central hall. This hallway presents an inlaid wood floor with geometric designs similar to the ground level. The two front bedrooms with marbleized slate mantels, as well as the balcony door open onto the hall. The rear portion contains another bedroom, a nursery room, two bathroom additions, and a rear balcony. The Cloud-Stark House formerly had a one story frame service structure to the west of the main house. It appeared on the 1888 Sanborn Insurance Map, and was gone by 1932. The only extant outbuilding is a one story carport of recent vintage and currently slated for demolition. Constructed about 1885, the Cloud-Stark House stands as one of the oldest extant residences in Gainesville, Texas and is a vital physical link to the city's early prosperity as a cattle boom town during the late 1800s. The two story structure represents a rare example of Victorian Italianate architecture in the city even though an early 20th century Colonial Revival portico has somewhat altered the residence's original appearance. The house was also the birthplace of Rose Lewin Franken who later achieved fame as a novelist and playwright during the 1940s and 1950s. Purchased in 1906 by H.W. Stark, the structure has remained in the same family for over seventy-five years, and its current owner is planning to rehabilitate the building for use as law offices. During Gainesville's cattle boom of the late 1870s and 1880s, many successful cattlemen and businessmen erected majestic residences to demonstrate their newly acquired wealth. One such prosperous cattleman was Isaac Cloud who purchased lot two of block sixty-three in 1881 from A.C. Guthrie for $800. Although the house's exact date of construction is not known, Cloud sold the property in 1891 for $5750, and this significant rise in property value indicates that the house was erected prior to 1891 (Information obtained from an 1883 "bird's eye view" of the city - the two story house does not appear on the map - and the 1888 Sanborn Fire Insurance map suggests that the residence was constructed between 1883 and 1888). Michael Lewin, part owner of the Schiff, Lewin and Co. Dry Goods Store, bought the house in 1891 and with his family lived there for nine years. During their residency on South Dixon Street, the Lewins were blessed with the birth of a daughter, Rose, who later became a prominent writer. The Lewins sold the house in 1900 and moved to New York City. Educated in New York, Rose married Dr. Sigmund Franken in 1917 and soon began to pursue a writing career which was to span four decades. Although she wrote numerous short stories, plays, magazine articles, novels, and screenplays, she is best known for Claudia, a novel published in 1939 and later brought to the stage and screen. Her other works include Pattern (1925), Twice Born (1935), Of Great Riches (1937), Claudia and David (1940), The Fragile Years (1952), Rendezvous (1954), The Return of Claudia (1957), and When All is Said and Done (an autobiography - 1963). She also collaborated with her second husband, William Brown Meloney (who she had married four years after Sigmund's death in 1933) on several works under the penman's "Franken Meloney" and "Margaret Grant." The third owner of the Cloud House, W.E. Calhoun, and his son were apparently both murdered. Calhoun's widow then sold the property to Harlin Walter Stark in 1906. Stark was a successful businessman and owned the Stark Drug Store and Furniture Co. An active member of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Stark served on the Board of Trustees of Texas Christian University for over forty years and was an important benefactor to the college, particularly during the Depression of the 1930s. The present owner, Richard S. Stark, is the youngest of H.W.'s four children. A former member of the Texas House of Representatives, Stark has been a prominent civic leader in Gainesville for many years. He is presently planning to rehabilitate the structure for use as offices for his law practice. BIBLIOGRAPHY ON FILE IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER. COOKE COUNTY Marker # 1053 Location: East of Elm Fork Bridge on SH 51, in Moffett Park City: Gainesville Marker Erected: 1936 Marker Text: Created March 20, 1848. Organized March 10, 1849. Named in honor of William G. Cooke 1808-1847. Captain of the "New Orleans Greys," 1835; Assistant Inspector General at San Jacinto, 1836; member of the Santa Fe Expedition, 1841; Secretary of War and Marine, 1845; Adjutant General, 1846-1847; County Seat, Gainesville. 1964 COOKE COUNTY C.S.A. (2ND FRONTIER REGIMENT) Marker # 1054 Location: East of Elm Fork Bridge on SH 51, in Moffett Park City: Gainesville Marker Erected: 1963 Marker Text: Military, defense center in Civil War. Cooke voted 231 to 137 anti-secession, yet nine military units served Confederacy from here. In constant danger of Federal or Indian attack. Col. Wm. C. Young of Cooke, with 1,000 men took Indian Territory forts from Federals April-May 1861. Commissioners set up regular patrols. Forted a home as refuge for dependents. Gave $4,000 for munitions and wool cards to make cloth. Cotton gin, grist mill, gunsmiths, blacksmiths made war goods. C.S.A. was furnished epsom salts from Indian creek. Corn, beef, pork, wheat, other produce fed the military, home front. County swapped 25 steers for salt for dependent families. People worked hard, sacrificed much, protected homes of fighting men of Confederacy. (Back of Cooke County, C.S.A.) Organized Oct. 1863 with Gainesville as headquarters, the Second Frontier Regiment, Texas Cavalry C.S.A. guarded counties along Red River, to keep down outlaws, Indians, deserters. Col. James Bourland (1803- 1868) was appointed Commander and it became known as "Bourland's Border Regiment." Union invasion from north of Red River was constantly threatened. These mounted troops patrolled, maintained posts along river and in Indian Territory. Confederate Seminole troops served with the unit. Famous Confederate Indian Gen. Stand Watie and his Cherokee Brigade shared duty along perilous border. Bourland also worked with Frontier Regiment, state troops, that maintained line posts 100 mi. west, a day's horseback ride apart, from Red to Rio Grande rivers, and with a state militia line 30 mi. to the west. Erected by The State of Texas 1963. COOKE COUNTY COURTHOUSE Ref. # 91000336 Location: Public Square; California, Dixon, Main and Commerce Streets City: Gainesville Narrative: The Cooke County Courthouse of 1911 is a composition of Beaux Arts design in its massing and exterior classical references-- with Sullivanesque interior details in a modern interpretation of established courthouse design. It is a three-story cruciform-plan building set on a raised basement and surmounted by a central domed tower. The courthouse is finished in limestone and beige brick with glazed terra cotta used for decorative elements. The building occupies an entire block in the middle of Gainesville, Cooke County. Cooke County borders Oklahoma in north central Texas, roughly 75 miles north of the Dallas/Fort Worth metropolitan area. Surrounding the building, within the four corners of the cruciform footprint, are planted areas of grass and pecan trees where memorial statuary has been placed. Facing the courthouse square are low-scale commercial buildings of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The plan of the courthouse is a rectangle with projecting entry wings on the east and west elevations, creating the cruciform plan. On the north and south ends a central entry bay projects slightly from the facade. Access to the courthouse is at the piano nobile level from all four facades, with the primary entrance in the east elevation. The east entry stairway is wide, broken by one landing, and is flanked by chunky stepped parapets. A similar but narrower stairway is on the west facade. The north and south entries are accessed by camelback stairways set against the building face. The first two levels of the courthouse are built of ashlar limestone. The raised basement has a flat wall surface and creates a plinth for the building. It is pierced by large, flat- arch windows admitting light to the lower level. Access to the basement is made beneath the entry stairways on all four facades. The limestone walls of the second story are rusticated with segmental-arch window and door openings highlighted by prominent keystones and voussoirs. Above the piano nobile the courthouse is finished in buff brick, referred to as Gainesville gray brick. On the east and west fronts there are five bays of second and third floor windows within the recessed temple front of each facade; the bays of windows are divided by two-story limestone Ionic columns in antis. The three central window bays on the north and south elevations have two engaged columns each. The capitals of the columns and the escutcheons around the cornice of the building are of glazed terra cotta matching the creamy limestone and are detailed in a slightly stylized, angular manner, suggesting a modernistic influence. The current metal-frame windows replaced the original wood frame windows and are set in sets of two or three with a small lower sash. The original windows were 1/1 wooden sash. The fourth floor windows had a decorative upper sash divided by vertical and horizontal mullions in a pattern common to the Prairie School. A projecting cornice encircles the building just beneath the roof parapet. Consoles in the design of an eagle atop a shield surrounded by laurel swags are set beneath the cornice at the primary corners of the building. Smaller escutcheons are placed between window bays on the secondary facades of the building. Above the cornice a brick parapet with terra cotta coping conceals the courthouse roof. A large cartouche incorporating the symbols of justice is placed in the parapet wall directly above each entrance to the courthouse. The tower rises from the middle of the courthouse roof about three stories on a square plan with chamfered corners. On each face is a large louvered vent recessed in the facade and flanked by Tuscan pilasters set in antis. The vents replace the original windows in the tower. Laurel swags decorate the upper corner of the tower just beneath the cornice molding. The dome atop the tower has a copperclad roof with a decorative pinnacle. A parapet wall that surrounds the base of the dome rises on each elevation to enclose a clock face. Although the clock faces were part of the original design, the clock was not installed until 1920. The faces are highlighted by a geometric surround that echoes the prominent keystone and voussoirs of the first floor windows. The interior of the Cooke County Courthouse is distinctively detailed. The corridors from all four entries intersect at an atrium that is open from the basement to the base of the tower. The atrium is square in plan with chamfered corners, reflecting the tower. At the height of the space is an art glass domed skylight with an abstracted foliate design. Just beneath the skylight is a crown molding and around the top of the atrium walls are vertical decorative moldings suggesting columns, topped by ornate cast "capitals" in a foliate design in the style of Louis Sullivan. A multi-paned window is centered in each wall of the space. At the base of the atrium a semi-circular staircase with marble treads and risers connects the basement to the piano mobile. The floors of the corridors are terrazzo and the secondary stairs set off of the atrium are iron, as are the railings surrounding the atrium at the upper levels. While the offices and courtrooms of the building have undergone some alteration since their construction, the atrium survives in its original condition as the focus of the interior public space. The exterior alterations to the courthouse are limited to the replacement of the original doors and windows. While this significantly impacts the character of the building, it does not obscure the Beaux Arts design and modernistic details that distinguish it. On the northeast corner of the site is a Confederate War memorial with the statue of a soldier on top of a marble column. The memorial is surrounded by an iron fence. On the northwest corner is a World War II memorial consisting of a square column set on a pedestal. In front of the north elevation is a granite California Trails marker. When it was built in 1911, the Cooke County Courthouse, designed by the prominent Dallas architectural firm of Lang & Witchell, was an architecturally progressive design for a small-town Texas courthouse. It is nominated at the local level of significance under Criterion C in the area of architecture, demonstrating Beaux Arts design, Sullivanesque detail, and an emerging modernistic aesthetic in classical design. It is also nominated under Criterion A in the area of Politics/Government for its association over the past 80 years with the events of Cooke County government. Cooke County was organized in 1848 and its economy was built primarily on cattle ranching after the Civil War. Cattle driving could be a profitable endeavor and Gainesville, as the Cooke county seat, shows the prosperity of the 1870's and 1880's in its surviving commercial buildings of that period. In 1879 the Denison and Pacific Railway was built through town, and in 1886 the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe came through. The railway crossing in Gainesville both assured the town's continued prosperity and facilitated the evolution of its economy. As in much of Texas, cotton increasingly became the cash crop of the county, offering a very profitable industry around the turn of the century. Cooke County farmers continued to raise livestock, corn and wheat, maintaining a diversify agricultural base. The Cooke County Courthouse is among a relatively small group of Texas courthouses built in the early 20th century. The 1880's and 1890's were the most active years of courthouse building in the state; indeed, Cooke County's previous courthouse was built in 1880. However, when it burned in 1909, the effort began to rebuild in a style and scale appropriate to the aspirations of the county. By 1910, when the courthouse was being built, the price of cotton had declined and a lack of rain in preceding years had hurt the wheat and corn crops, causing a local recession. This was the climate in which the voters of the county approved a bond issue of $125,000 to finance the construction of the courthouse. Coverage in the Gainesville Register at the time that the courthouse was completed suggested that the construction of such a grand facility was not approved without controversy in the conservative and struggling farming community. The architectural standard for public buildings of the day was Beaux Arts or Classical Revival design. Of the approximately 40 surviving Texas courthouses built between 1908 and 1914, all but a very few are based on classical motifs. The most common form is that of the rectangular or square block with slightly projecting pedimented porticoes or entry wings incorporating a classical order. A tower traditionally crowned the courthouse and varied greatly in design from county to county. Characteristics of the Beaux Arts designs, as distinguished from the simpler Classical Revival, are the heavier use of ornamentation, the rustication of the lower levels or "plinth" of the building, a varying of wall depths, and a strongly formal plan. The county commissioners' selection of the prominent Dallas firm of Lang & Witchell as architects for the Cooke County Courthouse reflects both great optimism about the community's future and a surprisingly progressive bent. Otto Lang and Frank Witchell were known for their work in Dallas, a young city in the midst of rapid growth as a regional trade center. Their designs increasingly reflected the influences of Louis Sullivan, Frank Lloyd Wright and the Prairie School of architecture within a framework of Beaux Arts formality. When commissioned by Cooke County, Lang & Witchell had recently designed the Harris County Courthouse in Houston (1908-11, continuation page 8-4). Soon thereafter they were hired to design the Johnson County Courthouse in Cleburne (1913, N.R. 1988, continuation page 8-6). These three buildings illustrate wonderfully the evolution of Lang & Witchell's design while following a nearly identical formula in plan and massing for each. The Harris County Courthouse is the most traditional Beaux Arts design of the three. It is finished in granite and brick and, at six stories, is larger then the later two designs, but shows very similar proportions. It uses rusticated walls and segmental-arch portals in the piano nobile, built of a rough faced granite in a fairly established treatment. The composite columns are traditionally detailed and the portico projections are pedimented. The tower is round in plan, squattier than in the later designs, and has a dome supported on classical columns. The Cooke County design also respects the established Beaux Arts formula, but it is bolder in the geometrically of details: the ashlar rustication creates stark horizontal lines in the base of the building, the terra cotta details are executed in an angular style, and the tower is squared with classical columns as a less prominent element. The original fourth floor windows with their decorative upper sash suggested the Prairie School influence, and inside the Sullivanesque details are a dramatic departure from traditional detailing. In the Johnson County Courthouse the Prairie School details are moved to the exterior, the classical motifs are toned down, and the building takes on a distinctively modern angularity. The rusticated plinth with segmental portals, the engaged columns on the main elevations, plus theta basic form of the building remain. But flanking the projecting entry wings are blocky corner pylons that rise slightly above the parapet and have Wrightian abstracted swags at the top. They echo the design of the tower that is of exaggerated height, and has abstract, geometrical detailing. The small dome on the tower is a far cry from the traditional capital dome supported on classical columns of the Harris County Courthouse. The Lang & Witchell plans for the Cooke County Courthouse were accepted by the commissioners court on April 10, l9l0. The architectural firm of Garrett and Collins of Gainesville were contracted as supervising architects of the project. M.P. Kelly of Gainesville was selected to build the courthouse. The supervising architects and contractor were known primarily for their work around Gainesville on public buildings and public works projects. The cornerstone of the courthouse was ceremoniously laid on November 10, l9l0, and the courthouse was finished late in l9ll at a final cost of approximately $l50,000. The Cooke County Courthouse was received by the community with great pride in their thoroughly modern and elegant facility. It filled all of the anticipated official and non-official functions of the time. The role of the county courthouse in the life of an agricultural community is made apparent by the attention paid to the provision of a "ladies rest room" in the Cooke County Courthouse. A contemporaneous newspaper account goes into some discussion of the lounge designed "so that visiting ladies would have a known convenient place for rest after traveling to the city..." The courthouse square, and the courthouse as its focus, were the destination of farming families when they came to Gainesville to sell their cotton or buy their provisions. Beyond its official legal functions, the courthouse was a place to meet, trade and rest before returning home. Although oil replaced cotton as the economic base in the l920's, Cooke County remains an area of diversified agriculture. Over the course of. the 20th century the loll courthouse in Gainesville has been at the center of the public life of the county and is interwoven with the events of government and its people. BIBLIOGRAPHY ON FILE IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER COOKE COUNTY COURTHOUSE Marker # 1055 Location: Dixon Street City: Gainesville Marker Erected: 1988 Marker Text: Settlement of the area now known as Cooke County began in late 1845. The county was created by the State Legislature in 1848 and named for William G. Cooke, Republic of Texas Quartermaster General and a participant in the Battle of San Jacinto. Land for a county seat was donated by Mary E. Clark, and the new town was Gainesville in honor of U.S. Army General Edmund Pendleton Gaines. There have been four courthouses located on this site. The first, a small log structure, was erected in 1850. It was replaced in 1853 by a one-story frame building which was later destroyed by fire. The third courthouse, a two-story limestone structure, was completed in 1880 and destroyed by fire in 1909. Designed by the Dallas architectural firm of Lang and Witchell, construction of this Beaux Arts style courthouse began in 1910. The Gainesville firm of Garrett and Collins served as supervising architects, and M. P. Kelly of Gainesville was the contractor. The impressive brick and limestone building features terra cotta ornamentation, eagle brackets, and a copper-clad dome. Clocks were added to the dome in 1920 as a World War I memorial. The courthouse is an important North Texas Landmark. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1988. COOKE COUNTY FREE LIBRARY Marker # 12599 Location: 201 S. Denton Street City: Gainesville Marker Erected: 2001 Marker Text: In 1913, city librarian Lillian Gunter (1870-1926) and the XLI club (a local women's literary society) secured a grant from the Andrew Carnegie Foundation to construct a library building for Gainesville. Gunter then began her quest for state legislation to enable counties to support library services for people outside incorporated cities. With the help of state representative George W. Dayton and the Texas Library Association, the County Library Law was passed in 1917. In 1920, the Gainesville City Council voted to turn over its library to the county, creating one of the first county libraries in Texas. The library moved to new facilities in 1963. (2001) THE CROSS TIMBERS Marker # 5316 Location: From Gainesville take US 82 about 5 miles to roadside park on the south side of highway. City: Gainesville Marker Erected: 1970 Marker Text: Two long, narrow strips of timber extending parallel to each other from Oklahoma to Central Texas; form a marked contrast to adjacent prairie. The more fertile East Cross Timbers begin here in Cooke County. Area was famous pioneer landmark as well as obstacle to travel because of its dense growth. It divided the hunting grounds of the Plains and East Texas Indians. Until 1870s it marked boundary of settlement, for Plains Indians avoided the timber. Forests' most important function was (and is) causing soil to retain water. (1970) DAVIS HOUSE Marker # 5979 Location: 505 S. Denton Street City: Gainesville Marker Erected: 1974 Marker Text: William O. Davis (d. 1941), a veteran of the Civil War, came to Texas in 1870. Self-educated, he became a prominent local attorney and from 1876 to 1882 represented the area in the Texas Senate. An active civic leader, he later served as Gainesville's first Mayor. In 1891 he built this Queen Anne style residence. Its ornate gingerbread trim and decorative brickwork reflected Sen. Davis' status as a prominent early leader of the community. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1982. Incise in base: Marker placed by Lt. Col. and Mrs. R. D. Buttolph, owners since 1974. WILLIAM OWEN DAVIS Marker # 5843 Location: 710 Fair Avenue, in Fairview Cemetery City: Gainesville Marker Erected: 1997 Marker Text: Georgia native W. O. Davis served in the Confederate Army and was admitted to the Georgia Bar in 1870. He moved to Texas, settling in Gainesville, and was soon involved in local politics and civic life. In a long public service career, Davis served on the school board, as a city Alderman, and was a state Senator from 1882 to 1885. He later was Mayor of Gainesville at age 81. A prominent Cooke county attorney, Davis argued two cases before the U.S. Supreme Court. Recorded 1997 THE TOWN ON ERA Marker # 5439 Location: At fire station on FM 922 City: Era Marker Erected: 1978 Marker Text: Located in a fertile farming region, Era was settled in the 1870s. Merchant J. N. Gist (1827-1893) platted the townsite. The post office was opened in 1881 and named for Era Hargroves (1875-1880), daughter of an early resident; the village soon had a blacksmith shop, cotton gin, hotel, several stores, and three churches. Era Institute was chartered in 1897 with primary through college level classes. Among the town's prominent citizens was Robert E. Thomason (1879-1973), U.S. Congressman and Federal Judge. Era won first place in the Texas Community Improvement Program in 1973. (1978) FAIRVIEW CEMETERY Marker # 6253 Location: 710 Fair Avenue City: Gainesville Marker Erected: 1997 Marker Text: Originally the Howeth family cemetery, this site traces its history to 1854, when a tornado struck the Howeth family cabin near Gainesville. First buried here were Thomas and Louisa Howeth, young children of William and Harriet Bell Howeth. William Howeth deeded the ten-acre cemetery to Cooke county in 1868. In 1878 the Cooke County commissioners turned over the site to the city of Gainesville in a 999-year lease. A city ordinance reserved a section for freedmen. The cemetery's name was changed in 1897 to East Hill, and in 1904 the name was changed again to Fairview. A separate Jewish Cemetery adjoined this site from 1881 until 1964 when the two graveyards were combined. Among the estimated 18,000 graves are those of Civil War Veterans; Preston Conlee, a San Jacinto Battle veteran and Bastrop County sheriff who lies in an unmarked grave; 34 victims of the 1918 influenza epidemic; Bob Scott, ex-slave and centenarian; and former U.S. Senator Joseph Weldon Bailey. A chapel and Sexton's office, designed by Dallas architect Will Scott Richter, was constructed in 1938 at a cost of $6,296. The arched gate dates to 1964. This Victorian-era cemetery continues to serve the city. (1997) FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH OF GAINESVILLE Marker # 1889 Location: 214 S. Denton Street City: Gainesville Marker Erected: 1976 Marker Text: Formed in 1852, this congregation shared its first meeting place with two other denominations and the Masonic Lodge. A frame church building was erected in 1878 on this property, donated by James M. Lindsay. The present sanctuary, built by contractor John Garrett, was begun in 1892 and dedicated in 1893. The red brick, Gothic Revival style structure features outstanding Art Nouveau stained glass windows. In 1965 an education building was added. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1976. GAINESVILLE Marker # 2097 Location: From Gainesville take US 82 about 5 miles east to Roadside Park, north side of highway. City: Gainesville Marker Erected: 1964 Marker Text: Founded 1850. Named for Gen. Edmund P. Gaines, who in 1836 aided Republic of Texas. Military supply headquarters during Civil War. Important in defense against Indian attacks and invasion. Center for agriculture, industry, oil. Home of famed Gainesville Community Circus. (1964) GAINESVILLE COMMUNITY CIRCUS Marker # 2098 Location: 101 South Culberson (next of Chamber of Commerce) City: Gainesville Marker Erected: 1975 Marker Text: Editor A. Morton Smith (1903-57) organized and promoted this show after a circus parody by the town's little theater group in 1930 revealed many talented amateurs. Chartered as a non-profit corporation, the community circus used its earnings to buy tents, trucks, and costumes. Local performers practiced their acts with circus professionals who spent the winters here. Touring in the summers through Texas and neighboring states, the popular show won national fame. The Gainesville Circus declined after 1954, when a fire destroyed most of its equipment. (1975) GAINESVILLE JUNIOR COLLEGE Marker # 12573 Location: 1525 W. California City: Gainesville Marker Erected: 2001 Marker Text: With support from the Kiwanis Club and the Parent-Teacher Association, Randolph Lee Clark (1871-1941) began promoting the idea of a junior college upon his arrival in 1923 as superintendent of Gainesville's public schools. In May 1924, the city council authorized the creation of a college as part of the school system. The two-year institution opened the following September in the Newsome Dougherty Memorial High School Building. Initial enrollment at Gainesville Junior College was 32, with ten students in the first graduating class of 1926. World War II stimulated the development of an aeronautics program, and returning veterans took advantage of the college's first night classes. The curriculum initially consisted of academic courses that would transfer to four- year universities. Eventually, vocational and agricultural training programs, a division of continuing education, and cultural enrichment courses were added to expand the college's offerings. In 1960, Cooke County voters approved the separation of the college from the independent school district. In the ensuing decade, enrollment surpassed 1,000, and the campus of Cooke County Junior College (as it then was known) grew from one to eight buildings. Known as North Central Texas College since 1994 to reflect the school's presence beyond the boundaries of Cooke County, this institution is significant as the oldest, continuously operating, public two-year college in Texas. In 2000, it opened new campuses in the cities of Corinth and Bowie. (2001) GAINESVILLE NATIONAL BANK Marker # 12581 Location: 100 E. California City: Gainesville Marker Erected: 2001 Marker Text: In this block on October 21, 1882, prominent citizens and landowners J. M. Lindsay and C. C. Hemming founded Gainesville National Bank (GNB). Over the next decades, Gainesville evolved from a frontier town to a thriving community and a financial center for the cattle and cotton industries. In 1902, Judge Lindsay opened the Lindsay National Bank as a branch of GNB. As an immediate result of the federal banking crisis in 1933, First National Bank, Lindsay National Bank and GNB merged, going forward as Gainesville National Bank. An integral part of Cooke County's economic history, the financial institution made additional acquisitions over the years and has been known as Guaranty National Bank since 1990. (2001) GREAT HANGING AT GAINESVILLE, 1862 Marker # 5347 Location: East of Elm Fork Bridge - SH 51 (south side of road), Gainesville. City: Gainesville Marker Erected: 1964 Marker Text: Facing the threat of invasion from the north and fearing a Unionist uprising in their midst, the people of North Texas lived in constant dread during the Civil War. Word of a "Peace Party" of Union sympathizers, sworn to destroy their government, kill their leaders, and bring in Federal troops caused great alarm in Cooke and neighboring counties. Spies joined the "Peace Party" discovered its members and details of their plans. Under the leadership of Colonels James Bourland, Daniel Montague and others, citizens loyal to the Confederacy determined to destroy the order; and on the morning of October 1, 1862, there were widespread arrests "by authority of the people of Cook County." Fear of rescue by "Peace Party" members brought troops and militia to Gainesville, where the prisoners were assembled, and hastened action by the citizens committee. At a meeting of Cooke County citizens, with Colonel W. C. Young presiding, it was unanimously resolved to establish a Citizens Court and to have the Chairman choose a committee to select a jury. 68 men were brought speedily before the court. 39 of them were found guilty of conspiracy and insurrection, sentenced and immediately hanged. Three other prisoners who were members of military units were allowed trial by Court Martial at their request and were subsequently hanged by its order. Two others broke from their guard and were shot and killed. The Texas Legislature appropriated $4,500 for rations, forage used by State troops here during the unrest. (1964) THE HOUSTON HOUSE Marker # 5355 Location: 604 S. Denton City: Gainesville Marker Erected: 1977 Marker Text: Mrs. Giles (Frances Dougherty) Houston, one of the heirs to a Cooke County fortune, built this magnificent example of frontier Victorian architecture in 1898. J. G. Garrett (1858-1919), a local man credited with the plans for many fine Gainesville structures, served as architect. Contractor was W. J. Snelling. Walls are solid brick. There are twelve rooms with nine fireplaces. Oak, cherry, and birds'-eye maple woods embellish the interiors. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1966. SITE OF CAMP HOWZE Marker # 4743 Location: On FM 1202, west of intersection with IH-35, north of Gainesville. City: Gainesville Marker Erected: 1982 Marker Text: In operation from 1942 to 1946, Camp Howze served as an infantry training facility during World War II. It was named for General Robert Lee Howze (1864- 1926), a native Texan whose distinguished career in the United States Army began with his graduation from West Point and included service in France, Puerto Rico, Germany, a South Dakota Indian War and the Philippine Insurrection, 1899-1902. Clifford McMahon of the Gainesville Chamber of Commerce first contacted Federal authorities with the idea of establishing a military installation here. Attracted by the community's active endorsement of the plan, the government activated Camp Howze on August 17, 1942, under the command of Colonel John P. Wheeler. In addition to infantry training, the base was also the site of a German prisoner of war camp and an air support command base, now part of the Gainesville Municipal Airport. Services provided for the soldiers included camp exchanges, libraries, chapels, theaters, service clubs and a base newspaper, the "Camp Howze Howitzer." The economic and social impact of Camp Howze on Gainesville was significant and was instrumental in the town's rapid growth and development. (1982) KIOWA RAID OF 1868 (SW PART OF COUNTY) Marker # 2958 Location: From Valley View take IH-35 3 miles north to rest stop on east side of highway. City: Valley View Marker Erected: 1968 Marker Text: On Jan. 5-6, 1868, Chief Big Tree and 150 to 200 Kiowas raided Willa Walla Valley, Clear Creek and Blocker Creek. Burned homes; killed 13 people; scalped one woman alive. Captured 10 women and children; 3 escaped, 2 were ransomed. Raiders reached Elm Creek at Gainesville before blizzard forced withdrawal. More damage and deaths would have resulted if George Masoner had not become the "Paul Revere" of valleys and warned settlers of impending danger. Indian raids such as this one were in retaliation for loss of hunting grounds to settlers. (1968) JAMES MENEES LINDSAY Marker # 12479 Location: 710 Fair Avenue City: Gainesville Marker Erected: 2001 Marker Text: (Dec. 31, 1835 - May 3, 1919) J. M. Lindsay graduated from Cumberland Law School in his native Tennessee in 1857 and arrived in Gainesville on his 22nd birthday. His political and legal career included the following offices: state legislator, member of Gainesville's first city council, delegate to the 1866 State Constitutional Convention, and judge of the 16th Judicial District. One of Gainesville's largest landowners in his day, Judge Lindsay helped bring the railroad to town, donated land for churches and schools, and developed numerous businesses, resulting in his legacy as a significant civic leader. Recorded - 2001 DANIEL MONTAGUE Marker # 6583 Location: From Gainesville take US 82 west about 7.3 miles to Roadside Park on south side of road City: Gainesville Marker Erected: 1968 Marker Text: (1793 - 1876) Born in Massachusetts. Moved to Texas 1836. Accepted post of surveyor, Fannin Land District, helping settlers locate claims and fight Indians. Joined Snively Expedition to capture Mexican traders trespassing in Republic of Texas, 1843, Captain of Company in Mexican War, 1846. When Cooke County was created, 1848, Montague was named County Surveyor. Like most surveyors, took land as pay for duty that called for constant risk of life. Rifles to stand off Indians were in field kits. Like Surveyor-Senator John H. Reagan, Montague was honored in having a county named for him. (1968) FIRST COOKE COUNTY SURVEYOR DANIEL MONTAGUE (1798-1876) Marker # 1723 Location: From Gainesville take US 82 west about 7.3 miles to Roadside Park on south side of road. City: Gainesville vicinity Marker Erected: 1968 Marker Text: Born in Massachusetts. Moved to Texas 1836. Accepted post of Surveyor, Fannin Land District, helping settlers locate claims and fight Indians. Joined Snively Expedition to capture Mexican traders trespassing in Republic of Texas, 1843. Captain of Company in Mexican War, 1846. When Cooke County was created, 1848, Montague was named County Surveyor. Like most surveyors, took land as pay for duty that called for constant risk of life. Rifles to stand off Indians were in field kits. Like Surveyor-Senator John H. Reagan, Montague was honored in having a county named for him. (1968) MOUNTAIN SPRINGS SCHOOL Marker # 3504 Location: From Gainesville take SH 372 about 13 miles southeast to SH 922. Take 922 East, make first right turn past businesses to old school (now used as community center). City: Gainesville Marker Erected: 1975 Marker Text: Organized in 1847 in a pioneer woman's home, Mountain Springs School was Cooke County's first school. In 1853, it was moved to a log schoolhouse near this site. In 1884, when it became part of the public school system, this land was deeded for a larger frame structure, called "The Big School." By 1900, the academic year was lengthened to 6 months, beginning after harvest and ending before spring planting. This building, the fourth Mountain Springs School, was erected in 1920. In 1948, low enrollment led to consolidation with Valley View. The old school is now a community center. (1976) MUENSTER Marker # 3525 Location: On US 82 near City Park on the east side of town City: Muenster Marker Erected: 1979 Marker Text: In 1889 brothers Anton, August, and Emil Flusche contracted to sell 22,000 acres of this land along the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railroad. Jot Gunter gave 25 acres for a school, church, cemetery, and park. The first Mass, celebrated Dec. 8, 1889, marked the official beginning of this German Catholic town. Despite drought, typhoid fever, and tornadoes destroying the first two church buildings, the area grew and farming and dairy business increased. Farmers established an insurance company and a marketing group for buying products in bulk. An oil boom in 1926 added to the prosperity. (1979) NELSON GROVE CEMETERY Marker # 12372 Location: 9 miles east of Gainesville on US 82, then 1.5 miles south on FM 678 City: Gainesville vicinity Marker Erected: 2000 Marker Text: In 1875 Mollie Nelson, the 14-year-old daughter of Robert Carroll and Mary Elizabeth Nelson, died of pneumonia and measles and was buried on her parents' property. Two years later, R C. Nelson and J. C. Stockton deeded land including Mollie's grave site to the Cooke County judge for use as a "school, church and burying ground." The Nelson Grove School provided an education for neighboring families until 1924, and funeral services often were held in the schoolhouse. A cemetery association founded in 1964 cares for the graveyard and has held an annual Memorial Day meeting since 1970. At the turn of the 21st century, there were more than 800 burials in the cemetery. (2000) NELSON LOG HOUSE Marker # 12484 Location: 9 miles east of Gainesville on US 82, then 1.4 miles south on FM 678 City: Gainesville vicinity Marker Erected: 2000 Marker Text: Robert Carroll Nelson (1835-1914) constructed this log house for his family soon after arriving in the area in 1861. Using readily available resources, Nelson built the house of post oak logs, with a chimney and foundation of hewn ironstone. A Cooke County commissioner and justice of the peace, Nelson and his wife, Elizabeth, reared their six children here. Noteworthy for its retention of original materials and exposed log construction, the Nelson log cabin exhibits fine pioneer craftsmanship and has remained in the Nelson family for most of its existence. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 2000 FIRST OIL WELL IN COOKE COUNTY Marker # 1805 Location: Intersection of Main Street (FM 2896) and Campbell Street City: Callisburg Marker Erected: 1976 Marker Text: Located on the Bud W. Davis Farm (1 mile E), Cooke County's first producing oil well came in on Nov. 9, 1924, heralding the beginning of a multi-million dollar industry and a new life style for the surrounding farm community. Carnival atmosphere prevailed while sightseers and reporters flocked to the lease. One enterprising man charged admission until questioned by a worker. The discovery well, drilled by C. A. Doudrick's Big Indian Oil Company, continued to produce until 1970 when it was plugged. (1976) POTTER-HURLEY HOUSE Marker # 4099 Location: 108 Church Street City: Gainesville Marker Erected: 1973 Marker Text: Capt. L. W. Lee (1831-1916), a Confederate veteran, moved here from Missouri, 1869; founded Valley View (10 mi. S), 1873; became a leading cattleman of area. In 1894, as a wedding gift for daughter Ella (Mrs. J. M. Potter), built this house. Bought 1949 and preserved by Mr. and Mrs. W. D. Hurley. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1973. OLD POTTSBORO DEPOT Marker # 3785 Location: Sycamore Creek ranch, 4 miles N. of Dexter, Texas on US Hwy. 678 extension (building destroyed; marker not located) City: Dexter Marker Erected: 1967 Marker Text: Built 1901 by M. K. & T. (Katy) Railroad, for use as passenger and freight station. Important in development of area. Although many stations closed during 1930's business Depression, this handled peak traffic when Perrin Air Force Base was built south of Pottsboro in 1941. Purchased and moved 1967 by Mr. and Mrs. K. B. Yost, who use it, with minor modifications, as a guest house. Queen Anne period exterior styling is unchanged. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, 1967. SANTA FE PASSENGER DEPOT Marker # 4580 Location: California Street and railroad tracks City: Gainesville Marker Erected: 1983 Marker Text: By the end of the 19th Century Gainesville was established as one of the state's major rail centers. This depot was built about 1902 to handle the increased traffic on the Gulf, Colorado, and Santa Fe Railroad. The red brick structure contained a Harvey House Restaurant until 1931. Although railroad use declined after World War II, this depot stands as a reminder of Gainesville's importance in Texas' early economic growth. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1983. ST. PAUL'S CHURCH Marker # 4480 Location: California and Jefferson Streets City: Gainesville Marker Erected: 1966 Marker Text: Founded May 10, 1877. Bishop A.C. Garrett laid cornerstone May 12, 1884, on land given by Judge J. M. Lindsay, civic leader. English Gothic architecture. Built of brick made locally. Foundation of huge limestone slabs, hauled to site by oxcart. First service in this church Aug. 6, 1885. Consecrated May 6, 1900. Saint Paul's had become a Parish, 1888; one of 13 original Parishes when the Diocese of Dallas was created in 1895. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, 1966. ST. PETER'S CATHOLIC CHURCH Marker # 5077 Location: Ash and Main Streets City: Lindsay Marker Erected: 1970 Marker Text: Organized 1892. Present church was erected in 1918 to replace structure destroyed by cyclone. Lindsay settlers, Germans whose lives centered in the church, furnished much manual labor for the building and saved old windmill towers to be used as reinforcements in concrete. The interior is lavishly decorated with unusual frescoes, stained-glass windows, and carved altars. Swiss artist was Fridolin Fuchs. Architecture is neo-Romanesque. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark--1970. THOMASON-SCOTT HOUSE Marker # 5475 Location: FM 922 about 0.5 miles west of intersection with SH 51 City: Era Marker Erected: 1978 Marker Text: Erected in 1894, this structure was the home and office of Dr. Benjamin Richard Thomason (d. 1909), one of Era's first physicians. Dr. Thomason's son Robert Ewing (1879-1973) hauled lumber from Gainesville for the construction. Later he had a long public career, serving as a U.S. Congressman and Federal District Judge. The frame house has Victorian porch detailing and elegant interior woodwork. In 1948 the residence was acquired by the L. A. Scott Family. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1978. WASHINGTON HOUSE (SYCAMORE CREEK RANCH) Marker # 5722 Location: From Dexter, take County Road 103 north about 4 miles to Sycamore Creek Ranch gate. Marker is on private property. City: Dexter Marker Erected: 1967 Marker Text: Built 1867 by J. R. Washington, with lumber hauled by oxen from Jefferson, Texas. Architecture is Queen Anne Period; gingerbread trim. Excellent water facilities made ranch a collection center for cattle prior to trail drives. As home of a cattle industry leader, attracted distinguished visitors, including ranchers Chas. Goodnight and J. C. Loving, and statesman Sam Rayburn. Property in one family five generations. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, 1967. Incise in base: Owned by K. B. and Neva McCain Yost, and By Lynda Yost Lindh, and Beverly Yost Lindh, (Mrs. Yost a grand-daughter of J. R. Washington). BOOKER T. WASHINGTON SCHOOL Marker # 453 Location: 701 Muller City: Gainesville Marker Erected: 1986 Marker Text: In 1880, two years before the City of Gainesville created a public school system for all its children, Island Sparks, a young Mulatto, taught the black children of the city. In 1886, the city built a frame school building on this site for the community's black youth. Originally known as the Gainesville Colored School, the school adopted the name Booker T. Washington sometime before 1927. The original two-story facility was replaced in 1939 with a red brick, WPA project structure. Desegregation in 1965-66 resulted in the closing of Booker T. Washington as a black institution. Texas Sesquicentennial 1836- 1986. W.T.G. WEAVER Marker # 12617 Location: 311 S. Weaver City: Gainesville Marker Erected: 2001 Marker Text: (April 25, 1832 - October 18, 1876) William Thomas Green Weaver came to Texas from Illinois in 1840 with his father and three siblings. As a young adult, he taught school for a time, studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1856. He came to this city to practice law and in 1860 was elected district attorney for the 20th Judicial District. After serving in the Confederate army, he resumed his law practice in north central Texas. As a delegate to the Texas Constitutional Convention of 1875, Weaver advocated giving women the right to vote. Outside the legal field, Weaver was a noted romantic poet who had his verse published and read throughout the state of Texas. (2001)