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History in a
Pecan shell
The town was built in anticipation of the arrival of
the Texas and Pacific Railroad. Investments were made and stores and hotels
opened. But the T & P went further south - through Baird,
Abilene and Sweetwater.
A town is a terrible thing to waste - so the people made the most of it. It began
life as Jones City, Texas.
Jones City was declared the county
seat in 1881 but the name was changed to Anson in 1882. There wasn't too much
opposition to the change of name since Anson
and Jones
were the same man. As a physician, San Jacinto veteran, publisher and founding
member of the first Masonic Lodge in Texas, Jones was a busy man. He also managed
to be President of the Republic of Texas and Texas' Ambassador to the United States.
He is buried in Houston's
Glenwood Cemetery and there is no record of him ever traveling near the county
that bears his name.
The
Jones County Courthouse |
Dr.
Pepper handpainted wall mural in Anson
Photo courtesy Barclay
Gibson, April 2003 |
Anson Attractions
Anson
Post Office Mural "Cowboy Dance"
Anson has one of the nicest post
office murals in the state and there was some controversy when the
artist painted an earthen jug into the mural. It appears as if it might contain
beverage alcohol - but the artist never said. Anson's
Opera house was
once the largest between Ft. Worth
and El Paso and is
still a formidable building.
The
Anson Jones Museum: 1302 Avenue K Some of Anson
Jones' personal items are on display. Included in the exhibits is a miniature
town square c. 1904. Cowboy's
Christmas Ball
Anson
is home to the Cowboy's Christmas Ball and has been since 1885. |
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Anson's 1907 Opera House
Photo courtesy Anson Chamber of Commerce |
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