Jones County Texas Archives - History of Avoca - 1927 *********************************************************** Submitted by: Dorman Holub Date: 19 January 2020 Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/tx/jones/jonestoc.htm *********************************************************** Town of Avoca and surrounding Country Coming Back into its own Following its Setback from Drouth a few years ago by Josephine Turley Avoca was one of the first early settlements of Jones County being located near Spring Creek. At this time there was no railroad through this section of the country. In 1900 the M.K. & T. railroad was completed. This little village was moved near the railroad and the name was changed to Avoca. At this time there was only one store, owned by Captain Johnson. A small post office was located in the rear of the building. A one-room school building was erected at a small cost. From the very first, the center of activities has been the church which was used by the three denominations. Presbyterian, Methodist and Baptist. A few years later, the Methodist church was erected, and the Presbyterian people are the proud possessors of the oldest church in Avoca. Our early settlers, thought in terms of community a typical of new settlements, especially new western settlements, Avoca has been a very pleasant, friendly and neighborly community. The pioneers were not satisfied with homes for themselves alone; they wanted to build a real town. In 1907 John Culwell purchased the Captain Johnson grocery store and erected a large brick building in which three stores located, the Avoca Drug Co. and two grocery stores and several other business houses were built about this time. In 1909, the bank building was erected, and the post office was moved into one of the rooms of this building but still people of the community were not satisfied, and the desire was to give their children a better opportunity to make better citizens. In 1910, they erected a modern High School building. The faculty was composed of five teachers and there were about 195 pupils. The cost of the building was $10,000; cost of fixtures $1,200. The faculty is now composed of six teachers. It is one of the most prosperous high schools int he county. Some days we hope to make it a first class affiliated high school. The Avoca community was very prosperous until the dry years, and then it met its downfall. More than half of the business houses and a number of the residences were moved to various places. Most of the original landowners remained, bravely carrying on. Now we have a community composed largely of landowners, with good farms, good homes. The greater percent of land is still owned by these original settlers of their children. Since 1925 there has been a large gin built, owned by Douthit and Gillespie, and two grocery stores owned by Onstatt, and W.H. Wright and a cafe owned by Lewie Knowles. Since our community is on its feet again, with our country grown older the spirit of cordiality, hospitality and helpfulness should be cherished and assiduously guarded. May it never pass from us, and our victories of the future shall be greater than that of the past. EditorŐs Note: The foregoing article was accompanied by a number of unusually interesting pictures which unfortunately were not received in time to have cuts made in order that they might appears in the paper. One of the pictures showed the first two mail carriers of the Avoca post office, W.B. Griffith and Bill Stephens, mounted on bicycles. The picture was made in 1909. Mr. Griffith is still carrying the mail, having been in the service since 1908. Another picture shows the old home of Harley Sadler, famous show man. The residence is now occupied by Mrs. Ed Sadler. Other pictures show the bank building, the business section, the High School building, the graduating class of 1927, the music class, the Less Culwell residence, the three churches and a scene at the post office in1924.