Jones County, Texas - History - Anson, Texas *********************************************** This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Dorman Holub Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm *********************************************** The Western Enterprise Anson, Jones County, Texas Thursday, August 26, 1933 50th Anniversary Edition BRIEF SKETCH ANSON SINCE ITS FOUNDING by Hybernia Grace Clouds of dust rose. Shouts were heard. One could hear the moan of suffering animals and catch the smell of burning hair as the branding irons were applied, it was round-up time in Jones county. From miles around cattle had been driven to the old mesquite corral, which John Merchant had built as a convenience to the ranchers in the county and as a means of holding this tract of land. Now John Merchant had plans for the future. He came to Jones county in advance of the approaching Texas and Pacific railroad which was expected to cross near the center of Jones county, and Mr. Merchant wanted to own a town-site when the railroad reached these parts. This land was not yet on the market, but Mr. Merchant wished to establish a squatter's claim. Wagon loads of lumber were hauled in. Mr. Merchant offered to build a store buildng and give McD. Bowyer a block of land if he would agree to open up a general merchandise store. The same offer was extended to P.S. Tipton if he would open up a hotel. Such was the beginning of Jones City, which became later known as Anson and the county seat of Jones County. The railroad surveyors, however, saw fit to swing farther south, and when Mr. Merchant found the road would miss his site moved over into Taylor county to meet the first work crew. Mr. Bowyer and Mr. Tipton remained. The Tipton Inn, which stood where the Ansford hotel stands today, was visited frequently by cowboys when they came in off the range. The first wedding in Anson took place in the lobby of this hotel. Mr. Albert Spraberry and Miss Ada Tipton were married by Rev. G.W. Scarborough. The bride wore a white calico dress stamped with black figures and trimmed with bows of green ribbon. She wore black cotton gloves, and the groom wore yellow buckskin gloves. Mr. Bowyer's store became the supply center for the ranching territory for miles round. To encourage trade he provided free mail service. A.J. Carr was hired to go to Phantom HIll, where there had been a government post office since 1 July 1879, and bring back the mail. This brought many people to the store. As soon as Jones County land went on the market McD. Bowyer filed on the west half of the present town section. Martin Duvall took the southeast quarter, and W.J. Cowsert the northeast quarter. When an election was ordered in 1881 for the county seat of Jones County, Jones City entered the contest and won. The town then consisted of four buildings: the Bowyer store the Tipton Inn J.M. Anderson residence Martin Duvall residence The total population was 14. Now Anson was on the map - the county seat - and with a government post office since 4 April 1881. The post office was in the Bowyer store and Mr. Bowyer was appointed Anson's first postmaster. When the county records were moved from Phantom Hill to Jones City on 1 January 1882, a court house was ready to receive them. It was a small one-room, rude wooden structure erected from one load of lumber brought from Abilene in an iron axle wagon drawn by two oxen and driven by Frank Huie. It stood on North Commercial avenue, on Block 1, lot 1. This building was used as the county's headquarters until 1884 when they were moved to a more pretentious building which stood on Block 4, lot 10. This second buidling, intended for a hotel, had been purchased by the county for the sum of $2,225; the petitions on the first floor were removed and thus space made for a court room. The rooms on the second floor were used for the offices of the county officials. By 1886 the county was able to own a brick court house and jail combined. The brick was made in Jones County and stood in the center of the public square. In 1910 the present court house was built. The Texas and Pacific reached Abilene in 1881. Settlements followed this road as it crept westward. The roughest element preferred the construction camps; many of the most desirable emigrants seeking homes found their way to Jones county. Within a year Anson had grown from four buildings to a town of seven store houses, two hotels, 30-40 residences, a church, two livery stables, and a blacksmitih shop. The people were proud of their town even if, as the Texas-Western stated, "the howlin' of wolves prowling around the suburbs of town at night disturbed our slumber." The town enjoyed as steady growth until the drought of 1886-1887 not only discouraged the migration to West Texas, but forced many people to leave. In 1886, 22,570 acres of land in Jones County were forfeited because the owners were unable to pay the interest on it. Rain came and soon the sufferings of the years 1886 and 1887 were lost in new joys and prosperity. Beginning in 1886, Anson again went on a boom and by 1890 was a town with 28 business houses, representing 16 different kinds of businesses including a college. In additon to these were a number of doctors and lawyers practicing their trade. One of those doctors was Dr. L.W. Hollis, who is perhaps the best known of the pioneer physicians because he performed in 1885 what seems to be the first appendectomy operation ever performed in the United States. A fire in August 1890 took the famous Star Hotel and livery stable. On 4 August 1893, 16 out of Anson's 24 business houses were destroyed by fire. Newspapers of the day estimated the loss at $50,000 with only $22,000 insurance. Two attempts had been made to burn the town before the fatal fire of 4 April 1893. The grand jury returned two indictments, but no convictions were made. A fire in 1904 again took much of the business section of Anson. it started in the Maxwell House, where the Palace Theatre and Wilson & Foster grocer store stand and swept north and east, being stopped this side of Marvin's garage. At one time Anson had a flour mill, but it was not rebuilt after the fire destroyed it in 1898. Anson at one time had a planning mill, steam laundry, ice plant and electic power plant, now all discontinued.