Freestone County, Texas History News of 1909 The Dallas Morning News (of Dallas, Texas) – Jan. 10, 1909 – Supplement - Page 6 How a City Grew from a Village The Story of Teague, Texas [Photo of “Once a Residence in Brewer – A Three Story Brick Building Now Occupies the Site”] [Photo of “His Honor the Mayor of Teague”] [Photo of “Comfortable Home”] [Photo of “New Buildings Are Going Up Everywhere] Once there was, as the story teller would say, a little town in Texas known as Brewer. It was located down in Freestone County, and while it was a good enough town, it was one of the sort that appear on railroad maps as a little dot, surrounded by oceans of pink space. It lay amid the most fertile of fields, and the people who lived there were a happy and prosperous people, despite the fact that they had dreamed of railroad connection for years upon years, and up to March, 1906, were still dreaming. It was one of the oldest towns in the State, containing some the finest people in the State, but its nearest railroad was the town of Wortham, miles upon miles away, and the entire county had but three miles of railroad in it. For years upon years it stood peacefully amid the fertile of fields, where thrifty people grew cotton and cane and other valuable crops year after year. Its buildings grew old gracefully; its fences fell from age and were replaced by newer fences. Its old residents, having as they did, amidst plenty and in the calmness and peace of prosperity, lingered longer than most, and when three years ago things began to happen in Brewer not only were many old residents amazed, but agreeably astonished. In the first place, the Trinity and Brazos Railroad sent a corps of surveyors through the town leaving behind them rumors of things to come and a long row of brand new stakes. Then it became known that Brewer was to have a railroad connection, and the dreams of years, were to be realized. As is usual in an inland town, there was nothing very swift about the town of Brewer. It was a thrifty, healthy, solid town, but it was not growing like the proverbial beanstalk, but lived instead, year after year, about the name as in years gone by. But, as everybody knows when a railroad system takes it into its head to do things, it don’t waste time. Accordingly one day it became known that the Trinity and Brazos Valley would not only run through Brewer, but that the name of the town would be changed to Teague, and that the town would be not only the division point for the divisions leading to Dallas, Fort Worth, and Galveston, but the entire shape of the road would be located in the town. That was three years ago. The town had two general stores and but one brick building. In April 1906, it was incorporated as the city of Teague and proceedings began. The town was named Teague in honor of James Teague, an old resident of the county, and the maternal grandfather of B. F. Yoakum. Mr. Yoakum himself was born near Springfield, in Limestone county, six miles west of Mexia, and always hoped to some day put a railroad through his home county. A grandson of James Teague lives in Dallas bearing the same name. Looking at the town today one is amazed at its signs of progress even if ignorant of its history. Those who three years ago saw it are speechless, for it is another town altogether. You alight from the train at a handsome brick depot. Across the street is a high fence, bearing billboards descriptive of the coming theatrical shows, for all the world like a city ten times the size of Teague. Looking down, the first street encountered you see rows upon rows of substantial brick business houses, a hotel of brick, built along the lines of the most modern agricultural construction. And wherever you turn you see buildings going up. Piles of brick are in the streets, wagons heavily loaded with lumber, and builders’ supplies are seen hurrying out of the lumber yards. In fact, hurry seems a characteristic of the people of Teague. And when people get into the middle of things they are even more astonished. They learn that the town of Teague is one practically conducted by young men. Its merchants, its bankers, its officials are young men. The Mayor of Teague is 27 years of age. He is Tilden L. Childs, and though admitting 27 years, looks a year or so older. One Alderman is 41 years of age. He is a very old man, considering the fact that all the others are under 35, and two are under 20. The Town Marshall will be 40 years of age some day, but haven’t reached that age so far, and all the other city officials are young. These young men, however, are young only in the matter of records carried in family Bibles. In three years time they have made their city grow so fast that people familiar with the town of Brewer are still trying to keep up with it, figuratively speaking, trying to keep from their breath from going out. Instead of one brick building three years ago there are now fifty-nine completed and nine more in process of construction. The population is 4,500 and a Ten Thousand Club is working overtime to reach the figure that gives it its name. The city has just sold $42,500 worth of waterworks bonds and expects to complete a waterworks system within ninety days. The Trinity and Brazos Valley shops have a monthly payroll of $75,000 and their employees spend much of this in the town, creating a high-pressure retail business. A proposition is before the City Council to pave ten blocks of the business streets and the city has just purchased and received in part a full set of fire department apparatus-hook and ladder, hose cart, fire engine of late model, fire hose, teams and everything necessary for thorough fire protection. A volunteer fire department, consisting of forty active members, divided into two companies, has been formed. This feature has the full support of the business interests of the city, and great interest has been taken in it. The apparatus is of the latest model, the volunteer firemen selected with care, and further precautions against fire loss taken in the matter of building restrictions. Sidewalks have been built everywhere, and more are to be built during this year. The ordinances call for concrete walks. The ladies, banded together into a civic improvement league, are working industriously, and have among other things had set out a great number of shade trees. The railroad has made an appropriation of $200,000 for additional shop improvement. A social club of young men, formed by the Elks, is in a most prosperous condition, having seventy members and giving full-dress entertainment at regular intervals. The cotton shipments last year were over 8,200 bales, and the truck shipment through the town was three times as great as in the year before, and is expected to be much larger this year. The streets present quite a metropolitan appearance. Everybody seems to have business on his mind. You see no loungers on the corners. Ladies pass through the business district clothed in the up-to-date raiment of Eastern cities. “Yes,” said the Mayor of Teague, “it looks good to me. The banks have doubled their deposits. Residences are going up everywhere and rents are going down to a normal basis. More people are coming in and you don’t find anyone loafing here. “We have just completed a $10,000 Methodist Church and have voted $75,000 for a high school building, but the Supreme Court has decided against us, and we have to wait on the Legislature. Why, we only had three votes against it. “Take a look about here. You cam tell easily whether this is a boom town or not.” He waved a hand toward a group of brick buildings on which men were working like beavers. The streets were full of people, all seeming to have something to do. And when the train pulls out the visitor of today sees on either side the evidences of that which make for greater things and he remembers the parting words of the Mayor of Teague: “Come down and see us in a month or two; we’ll have more to show you.” The Dallas Morning News (of Dallas, Texas) – Jan. 27, 1909 edition - Page 4 Death Follows Operation John C. Rambo of Teague Dies in Dallas John C. Rambo of Teague, Tex., died Monday night at the corner of Bryan and Hail streets following a surgical operation. The body will be shipped to Belle Center, Ohio, this morning by Undertakers Ed C. Smith & Brother. The deceased, who was 60 years of age and a native of Ohio, leaves a widow, who lives at Teague. The Dallas Morning News (of Dallas, Texas) – Jan. 30, 1909 edition - Page 11 Personal W. S. Ward of Teague is at the Oriental. The Dallas Morning News (of Dallas, Texas) – Feb. 6, 1909 edition - Page 11 Texas Midland Changes Terrell, Tex., Feb. 5 – L. A. Moore of Teague has been appointed rate clerk in the Texas Midland auditing department here to succeed C. F. Norton, who has been appointed station agent for the Texas Midland at Commerce. The Dallas Morning News (of Dallas, Texas) – April 5, 1909 – Page: 4 Buried with Masonic Honors Streetman, Tex., April 4 – W. F. Hood, a well known citizen and member of the Masonic Lodge of Streetman, died quite suddenly from heart failure. Mr. Hood was a Confederate soldier. He was sixty-eight years old at his death. Mr. Hood’s funeral was conducted by the Masonic order, several lodges being represented also. The Dallas Morning News (of Dallas, Texas) - June 13, 1909 edition - Page 24 State Social Affairs PALESTINE Mrs. J[ames] A[ndrew] Bonner, and children, after a visit to Mrs. W[alter] B[rice] Robinson and family, have returned to their home in Corsicana. MEXIA Mrs. Tom Peyton of Fairfield was here Thursday visiting relatives. Mrs. H. F. Simmons of Wortham was the guest of relatives Monday. Mrs. W[ickliffe] DeHaven of Kentucky is visiting her parents, Mr. and Mrs. W[illiam] E[dward] Bonner [Sr.]. The Dallas Morning News (of Dallas, Texas) – August 24, 1909 edition - Page 1 Four Now Held for Assassination of Meredith Murder Charge Filed Against Ben Cornell, Father of Girl CORSICANA, Texas, Aug. 24. Sheriff Lott of Freestone county brought here this morning Ben Cornell of Teague charged with the murder of Wes Meredith here Saturday night. Four men are now in jail here in connection with the case. Cornell is the father of the 12-year-old girl upon whom Meredith was charged with attempted assault and was out on bond at the time he was killed. The killing occurred Saturday night on the sidewalk in front of Miss Florence Day’s residence. There were five shots fired from a 41-caliber pistol, each of the shots taking effect in Meredith’s back and each of the shots alone would have been fatal. It seems that there were no eyewitnesses to the killing except a night watchman near the oil mill, who was about a block and a half away and was unable to recognize anyone. The shots were heard by many citizens and Policemen Hedrick and Faulk, who were making their rounds in about a block of the shooting, hearing the shots, hurried toward the scene and arrived in time to see the flash of the last shot and saw a man run across the street toward Tidd’s blacksmith shop. One of the officers stopped to examine the victim and the other gave chase to the fleeing man, but lost him in the dark. A little while before the shooting occurred two men drove up in a buggy in front of a house several blocks away. One of them got out and the other stayed in the buggy and shortly after the shooting, the man came running back and jumped into the buggy, saying to the other man: “Now drive like hell.” The killing is thought to be the outcome of recent trouble at Teague. About a month ago Miss Helen Connell of Teague, a girl about 12 years old, is alleged to have been assaulted and Meredith was arrested, charged with the offense, and was put out on bail at the time he was killed. The Dallas Morning News (of Dallas, Texas) – Nov. 21, 1909 edition - Page 16 State Social Affairs CLEBURNE Miss Eula Milner of Streetman is the guest of Miss Leoelna Webb. The Dallas Morning News (of Dallas, Texas) – Dec. 2, 1909 edition - Page 5 Guaranty Bank Rulings Capital Stock of Several Institutions Ordered Increased – Applications Approved The applications of State banks to participate in the assessment plan of guaranty were approved for the banks enumerated below. … First State of Wortham $52.67 and $158.03 … First State of Streetman $24.90 and $74.72.