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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. |
1936 Centennial
- Highway Marker on courthouse groundsJones
CountySite of emigrant
trail, the frontier military road, and Fort
Phantom Hill, founded in 1851 to guard the military road. County created 1858
from Bexar and Bosque counties. Named for Anson
Jones (1798-1858), a veteran of San
Jacinto, minister to the U.S., Secretary of State and last President of the
Texas Republic. Phantom
Hill, in 1858-1861 a Butterfield Overland Mail Station, was in 1861-1865 a
Civil War patrol point, trying to curb frontier raids by Indians. The county was
recreated in 1876, organized 1881. Anson (at first called Jones City)
is county seat.
(1965) |
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Anson
Attractions The
Jones County CourthouseAnson
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. |
Anson's 1907 Opera House
1120 11th St.
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark
Photo
courtesy Barclay
Gibson, April 2009 |
Historical
Marker Text
Anson
Opera House
Built
1907 by A.W . Johnson and Dr. D. Williams, with Thomas Vetch, contractor. House
was site for diverse programs: stock company and Chautaugua productions such as
"East Lynn" and "The Klansman" (for which Sheriff Tom Hudson's horse was borrowed
and led on stage); "Perils of Pauline" and other silent moving pictures; a state
championship wrestling match in era of local pugilist Boomer Moore; and Anson
High School's first (1909) graduation.
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, 1963 |
Opera House architectural detail
Photo courtesy Barclay
Gibson, April 2009 |
Historical
Marker Text
First
United Methodist Church of Anson
This
congregation was organized in 1882 by the Rev. J. C. Strickland, a pioneer Methodist
circuit rider. In 1908, during the pastorate of the Rev. W. H. Terry, local builder
Thomas Veitch constructed this Romanesque Revival building for the church. The
original bell tower was eventually lowered to avoid possible wind damage. Later
additions to the sanctuary reflect the growth of the church, a leader in Anson's
development for over a century.
Recorded
Texas Historic Landmark -1982 |
| Texas
Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing
Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history and vintage/historic
photos of their town, please contact
us. | |
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