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Fredonia Store
and Post Office
Photo courtesy William Cope, June 2014 |
History in
a Pecan Shell
Fredonia, Texas
has nothing to do with the insurrection in Nacogdoches
or the fictitious country in the Marx Brother's movie. It does, however
figure in the history of two Texas counties - San
Saba and Mason.
The first settlers arrived in the area sometime around 1858. A school
and church were built as the community developed around Deer Creek.
The post office was originally called Deerton when it was in
San Saba County.
A conflict with the name caused a change in 1880. The post office
was moved two miles across the county line sometime after 1882 and
of course, the community followed.
Fredonia had been a stagecoach stop in the 1880s and soon had everything
a small town could want. There was a drugstore, a general store, a
blacksmith and even a newspaper.
The population peaked in the 1920s at 200. Since the 1980s Fredonia
has been what you see today - the store, a post office and a church. |
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Fredonia Post
Office, TX 76842
Photo courtesy Barclay
Gibson, January 2006 |
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Same
scene in 2000
TE photo |
"My great
grandfather owned the drug store in Fredonia Texas till around 1900-1902"
- Co Wisdom, Brady,
Texas |
Swings
Photo courtesy William Cope, June 2014 |
Windmill in a
field of wildflowers
Photo courtesy William Cope, June 2014
See Windmills
in Texas ›
|
Related Stories:
Lost in Fredonia
by Michael Barr
"...They say it was hard to find a place to spit or hitch your
buggy in Fredonia on Saturday afternoon in the early-20th century.
The town had 2 blacksmith shops, 3 general stores and 3 churches.
There was a livery stable, hat shop, hotel, mill, gin, jewelry store,
tailor shop, boot shop, barber shop and doctor's office in back of
the drug store..." more |
Fredonia,
Texas Forum
Subject:
Fredonia General Store
In 1959 when I was 13 years of age my Dad took me deer hunting in
the Fredonia, Tx area and we stopped at the general store and Dad
bought gas and the store had the old manual hand pump gas pumps.
It was the only time I was at the old store but even then it was
a time capsule and has stuck in my mind all of these years. - Owen
Whitsitt, Graham, Texas,
October 16, 2011
My great grandfather
owned the drug store in Fredonia Texas till around 1900-1902. His
name was Tom Brown. He later sold the store and moved to Long Valley
on the north side of the San Saba River near Voca
TX where he bought 800 acres that we still own to this day.
Here is a picture of the store off of a post card that I have. -
Co Wisdom, Brady,
Texas, January 27, 2005
Co Wisdom of
Brady, Texas
I came across quotations by “Co Wisdom” of Brady
in your website under the towns of Fredonia and Voca
along with a photograph of a drug store as it appeared in the late
19th century. Hopefully you can forward my e-mail to the person
submitting those quotations. According to an article in the book
“Indian Depredation in Texas” by J.W. Wilbarger, published in 1889
my great grandfather Captain John Roch (Roach) of Comanche was attacked
and wounded by Indians in 1866 on a trip from San
Saba to Comanche.
According to the article he had gone to San
Saba to lay in supplies for the coming winter. What was in San
Saba to cause it to be a source of food and provisions in the
1860’s? What was the San Saba mill? Do you have other photos of
buildings in are around San Saba
dated in the 19th Century? Thanks. L. Marshall Roch , September
25, 2005
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Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing
Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history, stories,
landmarks and vintage/historic photos, please contact
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