Freestone County, Texas Communities Cotton Gin Cotton Gin was settled prior to 1848 when Dr. James S. Wills started a mule- driven cotton gin there. The main street was named Mule Rabbit Street. The post office was founded in 1851, soon after the formation of Freestone County. One of the oldest churches in Freestone County was the Oak Island Presbyterian Church organized Sept 11, 1848. Cotton Gin appears in the list of post offices in Texas furnished by the postmaster of Galveston in December 1, 1856 to Dr. Braham that published in "Braman's Information About Texas" printed in Philadelphia in 1857. Dr. Wills gave a city block to the town for a public square in hopes that the county courthouse might be built there. Dr. George Ross was the first to build a frame house with wood hauled from Navasota but lost his original log cabin and the new house to a fire. The town had three churches, a Masonic Lodge, a good school, a newspaper, stores, and saloons. The Cotton Gin Male & Female Academy opened in 1859. The 1860 census lists 508 people in Cotton Gin. In Oct 1864, a soldier home was established at Cotton Gin. By Jan 1865, there were two soldier homes (J. J. Robinson and James S. Wills) on the Springfield road. Cotton Gin appears on maps from the 1862 to 1918. A 1862 map shows Cotton Gin on one of two roads running from Fairfield to Springfield. The heavy calligraphy of a 1865 map makes it appear like Collongon. A subsequent 1867 Colton map misspells the community as Cotto Gin. A 1872 Colton/Pressler map marks the town, but fails to label it. In the 1870s, the railroad was built through that county a few miles west of Cotton Gin and over time the businesses moved to the railroad followed by the people. At one point, Cotton Gin even had a bowling alley. 261 registered voters cast their ballot at the Cotton Gin poll for the 1886 election. (This was the third largest voting population in the county that year). The 1891 Texas Department of Agriculture report lists Cotton Gin with a population of 100 in 1889. 1895 was a bad year (called the Boll Weevil year) that hit the area around Cotton Gin hard with no one producing any cotton. The 1895 Rand McNally atlas shows Cotton Gin with 125 people and a post office, but no express office or railroad. Also in 1895, the nearby Liberty Baptist Church (No 2) pastored by W. D. Williamson had 40 members and the Cotton Gin Baptist Church headed by D. A. Gaddy had 59 members. The 1897 Texas Department of Agriculture report counts 125 residents of Cotton Gin. In 1968, the population of Cotton Gin was down to 28. In 1976, James Alderman's grocery store closed. The lone holdout business was Charlie Donahue's feed mill and welding shop. In modern times, the community of Cotton Gin is located 6 miles northwest of Teague. From Teague go down Highway 84 about 4 miles. Turn right on Cotton Gin Road (a.k.a. Ranch Road 1366) and go about a mile to the intersection of County Road 930. Population: 125 in 1890 Cotton Gin was located in precinct #6 (in 1880). Newspaper: The Cotton Gin Herald/Freestone Herald - weekly newspaper - (Mar 1, 1873 is the only known issue existing today) Post Office: 17 Nov 1851 to 30 Jun 1908 (Post Masters: Wills, Dr. James S. - 17 Nov 1851 to 18 Feb 1858 Storey, Julius Williams - 18 Feb 1858 and throughout the civil war Ficklin, Miss Mattie - 2 July 1866 Roark, Reed W. - 9 Sep 1867 Headlee, Dr. Emmett - 20 Dec 1870 Roberts, Matthew E. - 10 Mar 1871 Storey, Julius Williams - 15 July 1878 Ramsey, Thomas C. - 11 Mar 1890 Lee, Joseph W. - 5 Mar 1900 (Declined) Sims, Joseph H. - 27 Mar 1900 ) Social Organizations: Cotton Gin Masonic Lodge #154 (Jan. 18, 1855-current) (moved to Kirven) Cotton Gin Grange #23 P of H (led in 1874 by G. L. Jordan) (later moves to Kirven) Liberty Farmers Alliance #542 (at Liberty, near Cotton Gin) (exists in 1888) New Hope Farmers Alliance #546 (at Cotton Gin) (exists in 1888) Churches: Cotton Gin Baptist Church 18 members led by S.M. Hollingsworth in 1878 43 members led by S.M. Hollingsworth in 1879 43 members led by P.E. Kirvin in 1883 49 members led by P.E. Kirvin in 1884 71 members led by J.J. Harris in 1886 47 members led by W.F. Havard in 1887 106 members led by G.L. Jennings in 1889 59 members led by D.A. Gaddy in 1895 Liberty Baptist Church (No 2) 40 members led by W.D. Williamson in 1895 Old School Presbyterian Church Cumberland Presbyterian Church Methodist Church Seminary: Cotton Gin Seminary (1873-?) R. T. Kennedy was principal and J. A. Fleming was associate in 1873. Cemeteries: Cotton Gin School: 117 pupils in 1887 77 pupils in 1891-2 about 40 pupils in 1903 by Professor Barnett 45 pupils in 1909 A mile east of Cotton Gin on the old Hackney and Weaver farm had a another school A mile north of Cotton Gin in an old church, H. K. Foote taught school. A 1936 listing shows a 22 foot well at the "Cotton Gin school" that was located "6 miles south" of Kirvin at location #64 on the map drilled in 1930. *1* Music classes taught by Mrs. S. N. Daniel (not in conjunction with any particular school) Businesses: Reuben D. Kennedy's dentist shop W. L. Lovelady's saddle and harness maker shop M. S. Clark's goods store J. M. Sim's goods store Julius Williams Storey's Dry Goods and Groceries and Hardware Dr. J. S. Will's General Druggist store livery stable saloons dry good store tin shop grocery store drug store hardware store wood shop bowling alley Physicians: Over time Cotton Gin had a bunch of doctors. There was never a hospital, so each of the physicians would have had individual offices. Some of the physicians were travelling physicians riding horses or horse-drawn hack (a type of one person buggy designed for speed) to serve nearby communities: Dr. William D. Strain (1807-1856) Dr. James S. Mills (1805-1877) Dr. James A. Rawls (1836-1873) Dr. T. L. C. Means (?-?) Dr. W. P. Means (1828-1914) Dr. Purtle (?-?) Dr. McGennis (?-?) Dr. J. N. Rutherford (1858-1906) Dr. Clarke (?-?) Dr. G. W. Ross (?-?) Dr. Felix J. Traynham (?-1918) Dr. Edward Paxton Daviss (1860-1941) (died in Houston, buried in Waco) Nearby Communities: Oak Island New Hope Campbell's Branch Nearby Cemeteries in the area: Oak Island Cemetery (1 mile to the west) New Hope Cemetery (3.4 miles northwest) Nearby Churches: Cross Roads Church (to the north) Known people in Cotton Gin were: Alderman, Dave Alderman, Jim Alderman, Roger Allen, Ruthy Anderson, G. K. (newspaper publisher) Archibald, Mary Archibald, Samuel N. Archibald, Thomas W. Ashe, Grange Avery, Sherwood H. Bain, Jim Bain, Tolbert Baugh, E. H. Bell, Mrs. S. F. Bishop, Addie Bishop, Horace Bishop, Mattie Blakeley, Willis "Buck" Bounds, Agnes (Cole) Boyd, Bunyon Locke & Harriette Boyd, Carl Boyd, J. Boyd, L. Jr. Boyd, Lillie Boyd, Mary Boyd, William Johnson & Delia Brown, Jack Burkhalter, Floyd Burkhalter, P. H. Burkhalter, Miss Zilla Burnett, J. F. Busby, Colonel Milton Campbell, Henry E. Carroll, T. S. Cash, Ada Clark, Larry Clark, M. S. Clark, Townsend Clarke, Dr. Coleman, Ned Colgin, Eugene Colgin, Irene Colgin, Nannie Colgin, R. E. (built first smokehouse) Cooper, L. C. Culberson, Mrs. E. J. David, J. C. Davis, Lem Daviss, Dr. Edward Paxton Paxton (moved to Fairfield in 1886) Deming, Lewis Demings, Mr. (carpenter/builder) Drake, Leta Drake, M. M. Drake, T. M. Drake, William J. Douglas, Mrs. C. Dunn, James Elliott, Mrs. [from Hill County, visiting daughter when died at age 90.] Evans, J. H. Ferrell, Nannie Ficklin, Mattie Flemming, K. A. (associate at seminary) Flemming, Evvie Flyod, James Russell Foote, H. K. Ford, J.M. Freeman, B. F. Freeman, Lee Freeman, Willie Gant, Alie Gilbert, Gertrude Glanton, H. W. Green, D. E. Groover, F. H. Groover, William Groves, Rev. J. S. Hail, Miss Flossie Hardy, J. B. Harris, Elder J. J. Headlee, Emmet Hearon, Finus Hearon, Irene Henry, D. B. Hickman, Dan Hodges, Lem Horton, James Ingram, Captain G. W. (Moves to Wortham Oct 1886) Jackson, Eph Jeter, J. A. Johnson, Howard Johnson, J. R. Johnson, Robert Jones, R. Jordin, John D. Kennedy, Dr. Kennedy, James M. Kennedy, Julius V. Kennedy, Reuben D. (dentist) Kennedy, R. T. (principal at seminary) Key, J. H. Keys, Clyde Keys, Wilburn Kimbrough, R. D. King, L. C. King, Mr. Lulu (moved to North Texas) Kirven, Dr. Thomas Lade, O. R. Lam, Catherine Lamb, R. L. Lands, H. L. Lee, Annie Lee, Claude Lee, Fred Lee, Henry Lee, John Lee, Joseph W. Lee, Nettie Fay Loader, Agnes Loader, C. J. Loader, Frank Loader, W. K. Loader, Waymon Lovelady, W. L. (saddle maker) Lucas, A. L. Lynn, Mrs. Bettie Lynn, Milton Maden, Ada Manning, Col. John Jordan Manning, Reubin Mans, Herman Marney, Captain Mayo, Benjamin McCracken, Ezekiel Armstrong (Judge) McCracken, F. A. McCracken, Mary Fannie McGennis, Dr. McGuire, L. A. McGuire, W. B. McMillan, Franklin McMillan, S. F. [moved to Hill County] Means, Miss Etta Means, George Means, Captain J. C. Means, LeRoy Means, Dr. Thomas L. C. (his two-story cabin at the Burlington-Rock Island Railroad Museum in Teague) Means, Dr. W. P. Mills, Dr. James S. Mullins, Beulah Mullins, Ruth Mullins, W. M. Mullins, Zilla Mullins, Zela Newell, John Oliver, Gertrude Oliver, H. L. Oliver, Mattie Clyde Oliver, Novella Oliver, Tom Olson, Joe Olson, Quida Patton, Edwin L. Patton, Eloisa Patton, George R. Patton, Ira Patton, LeRow Patton, Mary S. Patton, Randolph Patton, Thomas M. Patton, Walter Patton, William M. Pool, Ellen Prinwell, C. H. Purtle, Dr. Ramsey, Thomas C. Rawls, Ada Rawls, Edna Rawls, Frank Rawls, Inez Rawls, Dr. James A. Reid, J. W. Richardson, W. C. Riddle, J. G. Riddle, L. N. Riddle, Lela Riddle, Minnie Riddle, Ruth Roark, Reed W. Roberts, Captain I. H. Roberts, Ike Roberts, Matthew E. Roberts, Newt Robinson, C. A. Robinson, J. F. Robinson, J. J. Robinson, Porter Ross, Dr. George W. Rowland, W. T. Rutherford, Dr. J. N. Rutherford, Mr. "Berry" Sanders, R. E. Senter, A. R. Shanks, Arthur Shanks, John Shanks, Nola Shanks, Sallie Sherod, J. P. Shipley, J. Simmos, H. F. Sims, Clyde Sims, Frank Sims, George A. Sims, G. R. Sims, Joseph H. Sims, Mack Sims, Marion Sims, Stella Sims, Sterling Sims, Taylor Sims, Thomas Sims, Verna Small, Mr. Smith, Joe Smith, W. D. Sparks, Charles Stegall, Lee Steele, Josephine Steele, Robert E. Steele, Warren Storey, Miss Ella Storey, Jack Storey, John F. (house on north side of the square) Storey, Capt. Julius Williams (store owner and post master) Storey, W. F. Storey, Walter Strain, Dr. William D. Streeter, Emily Stroud, Mollie Sweeney, T. M. Teague, Bettie Teague, Mrs. E. M. Thompson, R. M. Traynham, Dr. F. G. Vickers, John Ware, Mrs. Mattie Washington, Allen Webb, James M. West, Chloe Carmen West, Issac Moses West, Ida Margaret Whatley, Bill Whatley, Deliah Ann (Keys) Whatley, Evert Whatley, J. C. Whatley, Liza May Whatley, Walter Franklin White, Prof. W. M. Whitten, J. C. Wilder, ? Williford, E. Williford, T. S. Wills, Mrs. Emily Wills, Dr. James S. (druggist) Wills, S. H. Wright, Luther Wyatt, Rev. T. S. Yeldell, Ed (ran a gin) Yerby, Walter =============================== Cumberland Presbyterian Church The first was J.S. Wills, M.D., who moved from Tennessee to Cotton Gin, Freestone County, Texas, in 1848, and was a ruling elder in the Cumberland Presbyterian Church at that place until his death, which occurred at his home, August 6, 1877. He served as President of the Board of Trustees of Trinity College from its organization to his death. Judge L.B. Prendergast, second president of the board, was born in what is now Giles County, Tennessee, November 25, 1808. His mother was a sister of the Rev. Samuel King. He moved to Texas in 1839, and was a ruling elder in the Cotton Gin congregation for many years before and up to the time of his death. He served as president of the board from the death of Dr. Wills, in 1877, to his own death, March 23, 1885. =============================== ADS BY RESIDENTS The Teague Chronicle - Friday, February 9, 1912 Page: 1 For Sale — 10 head good young work mules; 3 and 4 years old. F. G. Traynham, M. D., Cotton Gin, Texas -------------------------------------------------- The Teague Chronicle - Friday, April 28, 1916 Page: 5 For Sale - Cotton seed for planting purposes. See J. H. Sims, Cotton Gin, Texas -------------------------------------------------- Mexia Evening News - Tuesday, September 2, 1919 Page: 5 100 acres of land located at Cotton Gin, Texas. Good two story house, plenty of barn, pasture, nice orchard, good well. All good level, land, pike road runs through this land. Price $60.00. -------------------------------------------------- The Mexia Weekly Herald - Friday, March 27, 1925; Page: 4 FOR SALE — A good Jersey cow, will be in fresh in a few days. L. N. Riddle, Cotton Gin, Texas -------------------------------------------------- The Teague Chronicle - Friday, December 10, 1920 Page: 3 For Sale: 205 acres of land one mile south of Cotton Gin, Texas, and my home in Teague, Texas. Will give terms to responsible party. For further information write R. M. Thompson, Ennis, Texas. -------------------------------------------------- Lost—Between Teague and Cotton Gin or Teague and Fairfield Monday, one double stroke brass auto foot pump and one Adamson Vulcanizer. Finder please leave at Chronicle office, or return to G. R. Sims, Cotton Gin, Texas. =============================== * The Mexia Weekly Herald - Friday, July 29, 1927 - Page: 4 * COTTON GIN PAPER OF 1887 IS DISCOVERED, TELLS OF LIFE IN TOWN NOW ALMOST VANISHED =============================== Sources: *1* = 1936 U.S. Geological Survey of Wells and Springs by Samuel F. Turner.