Jones Co. TX - Newspapers - The Stamford American: June 13, 1924 *********************************************************** Submitted by: Dorman Holub Date: 28 December 2019 Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/tx/jones/jonestoc.htm *********************************************************** The Stamford American Friday, June 13, 1924 Ray King, about 18 years old, living with his parents on a farm west of Hamlin was killed Tuesday night at Morgan, Texas, while en route to his home from Meridian, where he had been attending school. He had just the night before received his diploma from the school and went to Morgan to see his school girl sweet heart before going home. He left her home to catch the night Katy train which gets to Hamlin about 9:00 in the morning. His body was later found on the tracks of the railroad and he was killed in attempting to board the train. No details could be learned. The body of young King came in on the Katy train Wednesday evening and was met here by the family and taken to Hamlin for burial. Unknown baby boy found dead in the pasture of J.S. Smith farm about five miles southwest of Stamford Monday, by Charlie Campbell, a 15 year old boy who lives out there. Baby was buried at the Highland cemetery at county’s expense. Joseph Fogelberg, 58 years of age, partner in the business of Olsen & Forgelberg, on Ferguson Street, died at midnight Wednesday night. He had long been a sufferer of Bright’s disease and asthma. He was born and grew to manhood in Sweden, coming to the United States about 25 years ago. He had lived with Mr. and Mrs. Olsen for 20 years. He was a member of the Swedish Lutheran church. He had no relatives in the United States. Funeral services were held Thursday afternoon at the Swedish church east of Stamford and burial in the cemetery there, the funeral being conducted by Rev. Hugo B. Haterius. [tombstone: J. Fogelberg: June 4, 1924; buried in Johnson plot] Stamford is getting bigger and better The east side of the public square will be built. J.P. Astin will build five 30 foot fronts and the Larche Grocery will build one. All are to be built together under the same architectural plan and of faced brick fronting on Wetherbee street west and east front on a new street to be paved through the block where the alley now it. The building will be 120 feet deep. Finishing touches are being made on the J.D. Shackelford filling station at the corner of Hamilton and Ferguson streets, and the station named Ham-Fer after the two streets. W.D. Meers did the plumbing job and did it right. The foundation has been poured for the big Pennington storage garage on East Hamilton street and the brick work will begin at once. The Stamford Inn is completing an extension of its lobby to include writing rooms and ladies parlor. The Story of Stamford Graphically Told The story of the development of Stamford is as romantic as it is a chapter from the Arabian Knights tales. In 1900 the lean coyote paused to listen to the first train whistle that shrieked the advent of a new civilization; doubtless there was a break in the medley that the wild dog sent to the moon; perhaps the bronco bucked and the long horn bawled; certainly the rattlesnake hushed and the cow boy squalled; as the iron horse came panting in. That Stamford was established at its present location is a mere accident. The old Texas Central Railroad later name the M K & T, secured a charter that extended 40 miles west of Albany; it so happened that this 40 mile line terminated here. H. McHarg, President of the Texas Central road, named the proposed townsite Stamford, to do honor to his home city, Stamford, Connecticut. Swenson Brothers owned the alternating sections of the land that stretched from Avoca to Tuxedo. This was to be near the center of this vast span, and the railroad officials insisted that they should become the owners of this section where a town was to be built. Swenson Brothers refused to donate 640 acres to them. Following a lengthy conference, a compromise was reached; both interests agreed that each should own one half of the section and that a town site should be surveyed near the terminus. They further agreed that all returns from the sale of lots should be expended in building town enterprises. Both obligated themselves to work harmoniously and hastily for the establishment and development of a town at this point. Before the railroad track was completed, Swenson Brothers and the Texas Central had organized a townsite company, but did not hasten the sale of town lots; they delayed in order that they might increase the demand for property before sales began - they understood the psychological effect of withholding from a people their wants until the desire intensifies. But the demand became so urgent that P.P. Berthelot, agent for the townsite company, was persuaded to make disposition of several lots before the opening sales day. The first lots were sold January 5, 1900, one month before the first train came in. The first townsite embraced 15 blocks. Two main streets were surveyed and their intersection was selected the center of the business section. Along these two streets, have been constructed the finer residences of the city. When Swenson Avenue was first designated in was the stage line road and now three banks are established on the old mail route that extended to the government forts. The townsite company refused to sell other lots until practically all of the originally surveyed 50 blocks were sold out. Then a tier around the first townsite embracing 22 more blocks was offered to buyers and were quickly marketed. When these had been disposed of, a second tier, encompassing 55 blocks more was opened to the public. For this reason, Stamford is a compact little city and an aeroplane making a flight over it could picture practically all of the roof areas at one shot. The first business lots were sold for $250.00 each, some of which, at the present time, could not be purchased for $20,000.00 a piece; and residence lots sold out of the original townsite for from $50.00 to $65.00 each, some of which have exchanged for $3500.00 in cash deals. Already the city has developed a considerable distance each way beyond the original section lines. Orient and Occident streets, which were the eastern and western lines, have become thickly settled residence streets. The plan of the two land-owning interests to invest the money that was received from the sale of lots in civic improvements was strictly enforced. Stamford’s first streets were graded, her first hotel was constructed, her first water works were installed, and her first electric light system was established, with the finances that were derived from the sale of lots. Through the influence of these co-operative interests, the first telephone and ice plants were established. The same interests induced several wholesale houses to locate here. Later, these city enterprises that were owned by the joint concerns were sold to the city on the long time payment plan. In 1902 the Texas Central Railroad sold to Swenson Brothers their interests in the town, and since then the latter in turn has made a disposition of most of this city property to home builders. Most of the farm property about Stamford was originally owned by Swenson Brothers and as the town began to grow, the large ranches were subdivided and sold to farming people at a nominal price on a five-year time-payment plan. It is an unusual fact that Swenson Brothers have never forced a legal foreclosure to home buyers to reclaim the land. Invariably they have extended the notes of the purchasers; in some instances, when the misfortune seemed to hound at the heels of a man, the notes were extended over a series of years. Farm values have risen with the almost equal rapidity that has characterized the increase of city values. In1900 Swenson Brothers accompanied 89 prospective home seekers here and offered them farms east of town at $5 per acre. Not a one of them bought land; evil soothsayers warned them falsely and they passed the golden chance untouched. In 1904, other homeseekers were driven in hacks east of town into the Ericksdahl community and farms were sold. Today many of these farms could not be bought for $75 an acre in golden coin. Since 1900 out of the vast domain where the wildcats roamed and the coyotes howled has developed a city of 5000 on the familiar hills have been erected home that are embued with the democracy of the West and with a loyalty for their beloved land. Our little city is a cluster of rare home jewels, the emerald square forming an artistic setting for the topaz brick and for the pearl-lighted town. Buy Stamford flour from the Stamford Mill; Buy Stamford made tater chips, Stamford made candy, Stamford made broom; sleep on Stamford made mattress, build Stamford made brick. You can buy somewhere else, but they do not pay their taxes in Stamford nor make any donation to Stamford welfare improvements.