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An
old gas station in Ridge
Photo courtesy Erik Whetstone, 8-04 |
History
in a Pecan Shell
Ridge at first had been known as Holly Springs.
In the late 1850s the town materialized to furnish the areas cotton farmers with
their supplies and equipment.
When cotton prices took a nosedive, Holly
Springers were forced to diversify. Sadder, but wiser, they desided to grow things
they could eat or build with. They started making bricks, sawing lumber and raising
watermelons and turkeys.
The railroad installed a switch in 1916. For
reasons known only to the railroad - the switch was named Ridge. In 1926 the town
got their first post office and the submitted name was Ridge. |
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Former
church in Ridge
Photo courtesy Erik Whetstone, 8-04 |
The
town has been a pretty quiet place over the years with no disasters
or calamities to report. The population has never broken 100. The
closest it came was in the 40s when eighty people called Ridge home.
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Ridge, Texas
Forum
Subject:
Ridge, Texas
Dear TE, My family also helped settle Ridge. There are a lot of
Johnstons in Holly Cemetery. Like Jason, I remember spending weeks
there during the summer, walking down that red dusty road to Mr.
Hagar's store to get a root beer out of the coke box to the right
of the front door. We also used to go "explore" the old school which
was right behind my grandparents house. Back in the early 70's,
my grandmother still had no running water, so my grandfather used
to go to the "good well" for drinking water every day. The outhouse
was always full of daddy long legs and taking a bath in a wash tub
was an experience. Up until right before his death, my grandfather
Henry E. Johnston was the caretaker at Holly Cemetery. - Mike
Johnston, Lake Charles, Louisiana, September 21, 2007
Subject:
Ridge Texas
Dear TE, My family helped settle Ridge, Texas in the mid 1800's.
My great grandparents, great uncle and other members of my family
are buried at the Holly cemetery just down the road from Ridge.
If you go there you will also find graves of Confederate soldiers.
We still have lots of land there. The gas station you have pictured
was owned by a man with the last name of Hagar. Me and my grandfather
used to go there quite often. The church you have pictured and the
old school is where my grandpa went when he was young. If you go
inside, there is still, or used to be, a chalkboard on the wall.
I pretty much grew up there on the weekends all my life. - Jason
Elledge, Pearland, Texas, February 14, 2007
To share history, stories or old photos of Ridge, Texas, please
contact
us.
© John Troesser
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