| |
One
of the former banks in Coolidge
TE Photo |
History
in a Pecan Shell
Like several Texas towns we could name, Coolidge was misspelled for awhile. It
went by the name Cooledge for 27 years - from 1903 to 1930. President Calvin
Coolidge was president from 1923 to 1929 - and seeing his name in print so often
may have led someone to investigate. But like Lincoln,
Texas, Coolidge was not named after a president, but someone else. In this
case it was a mere stockholder in the Trinity and Brazos Valley Railroad.
We are happy to report that Roosevelt,
Texas was named after Teddy Roosevelt, and while we're mentioning Teddy -
his son Kermit had the County
Seat of Winkler County named after him.
Back to Limestone County -
Coolidge was born because of the railroad
and nearly died because of the railroad.
The railroad abandoned its rails through Coolidge in 1942, but it managed to hang
on, even though it never again reached its high water mark of 1,150 that it held
in the 1930s.
It's a nice little place to visit.
More
on Coolidge
Story
about Coolidge, Texas >
Coolidge,
Texas Forum > |
 |
Early
1900s Coolidge Street Scene
Photo courtesy texasoldphotos.com |
Story
about Coolidge, Texas
The following is an excerpt from the writings of Archibald Flint Watkins,
younger brother of my husband’s grandfather. (This unpublished manuscript was
written in 1956, two years before Flint’s death.) He moved to Tehuacana,
Texas, from a farm six miles east of Wildcat Crossing and one mile south of
Crossroads in Henderson County, when he was about 7 years old:
It was not
many months after my visit to Mrs. Yarborough’s home at Concord that the Trinity
and Brazos Valley (T&BV) railroad was built and missed both Armour and Concord
- about half way between on a high hill in what was known as the Bob Bell Pasture.
There a town was built which was named Coolidge - for one of the Railroad officials.
The first building in Coolidge was a railroad passenger depot - then followed
the cotton gin, the blacksmith shop and chili joint. The Robbins family - grandfather,
son and grandson - ran the Blacksmith shop. They were recent immigrants from Norway
and brought the trade to Texas direct from their homeland. Grandfather Robbins
was especially noted for his handmade pocket knives and rather fine cutlery in
general.
After several months of feverish preparation of streets and building
of the Blacksmith shop and other necessary buildings, the town site promoters
took unlimited space in the newspapers of the neighboring towns to advertise a
“Grand Opening and a Lot sale in the Bonny New Town of Coolidge."
One
Monday morning the T. and B. V. R.R. ran a special train and picked up passengers
at each station along the line to attend and participate in the sale of business
and dwelling lots When that train passed through Tehuacana Station a friend and
I boarded it and really took in the big celebration. We were about fourteen or
fifteen - just the right age to be impressed with such an affair.
Within
a year or so Coolidge had 40 or 50 residences, 2 or 3 churches, 6 or 8 stores
a brick school building and a bank - it was really a town, not just a community
center.
- From Wanda Watkins, November 20, 2005 |
 |
 |
Coolidge,
Texas ForumSubject:
Coolidge, Texas
I was born at home in Coolidge in 1934. My Grandmother Etta Mae Robbins was a
mid-wife. She delivered me and my oldest brother Jimmy Charles Robbins. My mother
was Annie Sue (Armstrong) Robbins. My fathers James Alexander Robbins. His father
was Burton Alexander Robbins. Burton was a blacksmith. He taught his sons Jay
and Raymond Robbins how to blacksmith. The blacksmith shop in Coolidge was called
J.E and J.I Robbins Blacksmith. I was born in the Monger Cotton Gin Co. house
across the dirt street from the blacksmith shop. I would say that the first few
years of my life were spent in that shop. My Grand Pa turned over the blacksmith
business to his sons and he worked for Munger Gin Company.
I moved to
Houston with my parent in 1941. In my early teen years mom would take us boys
(two brothers...Jerry and Jimmy) to Coolidge for a week or so visit. My uncle
was a cotton farmer. My mother picked cotton in the summer for Uncle Burl. Mom
would take us home for a couple of weeks during the summer.
Jay Thorpe
Robbins is a World War II
fighter pilot in the South Pacific (8th Fighter Group, 5th Air Force). He is the
son of Jay Robbins, the blacksmith.
My Grand Pa died in 1941. He, Grandma,
my mother and my father are buried in Coolidge Cemetery. We visited Coolidge often
over many year. Visiting Aunt and Uncles and cousins. I slowly watched the town
shrink in size and business move out. Yet it is home to many of my relatives to
this day. - Joe Robbins, January 15, 2011
Subject:
Coolidge, Texas
Dear
TE, I just queried Coolidge, Texas and got your website story and pictures. I
can't tell you what grand memories that brought back. My grandparents and many
of their siblings and children lived in Coolidge. The "Hancock Appliance" sign
hung over the store that belonged to my great uncle...Joe Wallace Hancock. My
grandparents lived (for as long as I knew them) at the NW corner of 3rd and Jester.
Their house is long since gone. My great-grandparents, grandparents and my father
are buried in the Coolidge cemetery. I spent many happy times in Coolidge (and
lived there for 1.5 years as a child). Thank you for the article and pictures.
I remember how Coolidge was in the late 40's and on into the early 60's. I still
have kinfolk who live there. Thanks for the memories. - Brenda Sutterfield,
Tulsa, Oklahoma, January 20, 2009
Subject:
Coolidge, Tx
My dad's family are from there. We lived there until I turned
6yrs old and I can remember walking down main street to the ice house with my
sisters pulling a wagon to get a block of ice to take back home to make home made
ice cream. All the kids in town walked everywhere that they needed to go. We even
had a man that had candy in his garage that you could buy. It sure was good. We
didn't get candy a lot like you can now adays. I loved staying with my grandma
because i could stay up late and listen to all of the old folk talk about the
old days while they were playing dominoes and eating grandma's fried pies and
tea cakes. Boy I sure do miss those days.
I have a cousin that has written
a book on the history of Limestone county. You can only view it at the McLennan
Library and it can not be checked out. His name is Ray Waters and
it is the History of Limestone County. - Denise (Miles) Krumnow,
June 27, 2005
Subject:
Coolidge, Texas Update
There
have been a few improvements to the city since your initial webpage...
[Note] the progress in the historical restoration of the railroad depot as
a museum which will house a late 19th century linotype and hand operated
printing press as well as the annual Mesquite Tree Festival. It would certainly
help remove such a negative portrayal of my home town.
They did repaint
the water tower from that un-Godly yellow and black. - Former Coolidge resident,
David Webb, Angleton, TX, January 17, 2004 |
 |
The
Coolidge water tower, yesterday and today
L - TE Photo, R - Courtesy Barclay
Gibson, April 2006 |
Book
Hotel
Hillsboro
Hotels | More Hotels Texas
Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing
Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history, stories, and vintage/historic
photos of their town, please contact
us. | |
| Save on Hotels
- Expedia
Affiliate Network | |
