Jones Co., TX - History - History of Avoca, Texas

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This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb by:
Milton Martin

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History of Avoca, Texas

One of the small towns of West Texas, located about seven miles southeast of
Stamford, was founded in the year 1900. Soon after the steel reached Avoca,
a dinkey locomotive pushed in on the siding, a retired box car with doors and
windowed lately fitted into it, and a gentleman who deftly handled the morse
keys within the queer office building, told all comers that he was
W.D. Kight, the company's first agent in the city.

E.T. Johnson & J.S. Culwell operated the first store (mercantile store) in 1901.

In 1902 the CUlwell brothers, John, Lee, Josh, Jim, Hugh and Willie, 
together with Dr. G.S. Slover, entered the mercantile business, under the firm
name of Slover-Culwell & Company. Their first building was a wooden structure,
their business grew as the territory became more thickly populated and in 
1907, they erected a brick building with a floor capacity of 6,750 feet, 
75x90. A nearly complete stock of merchandise was carried consisting of: dry
goods, groceries, hardware, farming implements, furniture, drugs and 
millinery goods, tin shop and feeds.

In 1906, Dr. Roebuck started the Avoca State Bank, in the rear end of the Avoca
Mercantile Company building at that time owned by J.C. & J.N. Williams.

In the year 1907, a two story brick was built just across the street from the
Slover-Culwell Company store, and the bank was organized with the following
men elected as officers: T.E. Caton - President; J.C. Williams - vice-president;
H.H. Hall - cashier; C. Hansen, Sidney Johnosn and J.C. William - directors.
The bottom floor of the building was occupied by the bank and the upper floor
was used as a Masonic hall and telephone office.

The Brazelton Lumber company came in the year 1901, and a big shed and office
building was built, and a Dutchman by the name of Staule was the first
manager.

Mr. Oscar Matthews was the first postmaster, Doctors Grace and Lowrey were the 
first physicians, J.R. and H.E. Culwell were the first barbers, A.R. Clary
operated the first hotel, and Avoca had two drug stores, four dry goods stores,
six grocery stores, blacksmith shop, tin shop, bank, telephone exchange,
two cotton gins, ice house, meat market, one garage, and two filling stations.

In 1902, the Presbyterians built the first church building, and the pastor was
Dr. J.A. Ward.

The Methodist church building was built in 1905 and 1906, C.D. West was its
first pator. In 1907, the Baptist church built a building and was led by
Rev. Bussey.

In 1911, the brick school house was built and was used up to the time it was
destroyed by fire that happened during the night of 7 May 1935. Professor Lee
Baldwin was the Superintendent at that time.

In 1935, the present building was started, and completed in 1936, the Baptist 
and Methodist church building were used during the building of the present 
school building.

The first train came over the road from Albany to Stamford 11 February 1900.

The first newspaper printed in Avoca was the Avoca Telegram whose first issues
loomed about the Journalistic horizon 31 October 1908, under the editorial
guidance of Messrs. Bart, Penn and Bethel, the later a printer recently
employed by the Stamford News.

In 1908, Avoca had reached the high water mark of something like 500, population,
new highways came along and the town began the dwindle to its present 
population.

Perhaps there is not a little town in the state where peoples morales are cleaner,
and whose church houses are more closely attended on the Sabbath than can be
found in Avoca.

From this community a number of our high school boy and girl graduates have
entered college and are educating themselves to become leaders in this
community, county and state.

Avoca is 100 percent Americans they are always ready to respond to every call
to help our boys win this terrible war. [World War 2]

There are few towns the size of Avoca that have a more progressive citizenship,
and few towns are more desirable for home building and neighborly living.

Ramsey Henderson was the first baby born in Avoca.

The town of Avoca was named by a lady in Waco, Texas, by adding "ca" to a little
town[Avo] two miles west of the present Avoca. That was in 1900.