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History in a Pecan
Shell Settlement
began around 1884. A blacksmith opened shop with a corn mill as a side business.
The name is said to come from homesick Hossiers - pining for their previous home
of Moline, Illinois. Another story is that the name came from the popular Moline
plow - one of which was present when town-naming was being discussed. A cotton
gin opened in 1900 and in 1910 a post office was established in J. W. Trussell's
store.
The town was fortunate enough to have a physician (Dr. Hicks)
who not only opened a drugstore - but also opened a rare emergency operating room.
Moline's first school was a one-room building 2½ miles south of town.
In
the 20s a man named Jim Tom Brown built a garage over the foundations of the former
blacksmith shop.
In the 1930s the town had thirty-five people or so and
three stores. By 1935 a teacherage was added. Moline reached its population zenith
in the early 1940s with around 100 people calling the town home.
Moline's
student population declined until the students attended classes in Lometa
in 1943 and then onward to Star the following
year.
The old school was then converted into a community facility.
The population declined to the point where it was estimated as a mere sixty in
1949.
The town's post office closed its doors in 1976. Moline had had
two stores plus the post office in the early 1970s.
"The stone structure
was Paul Lee's General Store/Gas Station.
The store sold various groceries, feed, and gasoline. It also housed the Moline,
Texas Post Office until the post office closed in the mid-1970's. The store permanently
closed its doors a short time later. " - Donna Kay (Soules) Mauldlin
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Moline
School Site Historical Marker
South of Moline below the school site on FM
1047.
Part of the structure can still be seen on the hill.
Photo
courtesy Mark Mauldin, July, 2005 |
Molin Schoolhouse - "The
exterior of the building is almost completely overgrown with vegetation."
- - Jeremy Herring, 2012 photos |
Paul
Lee's General Store/Gas Station/Post Office
Photo
courtesy Mark Mauldin, July, 2005 |
Moline sign. "Looking north
on FM 1047"
Photo courtesy Mark Mauldin, July, 2005 |
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