Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutEagle Centennial 1889-1989Page 2E Bryan-College Station Eagle Thursday, April 27,1989 • - ars e as rs in ere man ne o eo a By Bill Page spectal to the Eagle Strictly speaking, a newspaper rs only a business. Most people view a newspaper as a public trust, however, not merely as a profit- makingcompany. Anewspaper does not simply detail the events of the day, it reflects a community's values and provides insight into the charac- ter of its readers. Local newspapers reveal the history of Brazos County in ways no other resources can equal. The end of the Civil War saw tur- bulent times in Brazos County. The railroad from Houston ended in Mil- lican, and many of the travelers and much of the freight going to or com- ingfrom the interior of Texas passed through the county. Local speculator made (and lost) fortunes almost daily, and it comes as no surprise that the flourishing economy of the period led to the establishment of the first newspaper in Brazos County. MILLICAN NEWS LETTER William Lambdin began publish- ing the Millican News Letter early in 1867. In September of that year he moved the business to Bryan, proba- bly because of the extension of the railroad line and the decline in Milli- can due to a yellow fever epidemic. After the move, Lambdin retitled the paper the Bryan News Letter. In March 1869, the Galveston Daily News noted, "1'he Bryan News Letter ... is doing well, and it is cer- tainly deserving of a liberal patronage. Mr. Lambdin, the popu- lar proprietor, is a gentleman who reflects credit on the profession, and Mr. (Albert) Cunningham, the junior partner, is a gentleman of more than ordinary intellect, and a good writer." In 1869 Lambdin sold the News Letter to Dr. W.H. Farmer, a "radical Republican. Local whites generally associated the Republican Party with Centennial edition highlights history By Robert C. Borden of the Eagle staff This special Centennial section marks the anniversary year of the Bryan-College Station Eagle. The history of the Brazos Valley is rich and varied. It is made up of many common experiences, yet it has a distinction that makes it spe- cia1.The first of three special sections highlighting the anniversary, this edition generally covers the years from the newspaper's founding in 1889 to 1938, which is a natural breaking point before World War II. A second special section on Oct. 24 -the actual anniversary of the first edition of the Eagle -will deal with the years 19399. A third special section in February 1990 will take a look at the future and what it holds for the residents of Bryan-College Station and the entire Brazos Valley. This special historical edition of the Eagle, celebrating our 100th year of publishing in the Brazos Valley, was made possible, in part, by a grant from the Texas Committee for the Humanities, a state program of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Prominent local and area citizens were invited to write articles for this section, giving it a flair and an feel- ing beyond that of the daily news- paper. The writers were given free rein and many of them found they were putting down on paper stories they had been meaning to write for some time. Because of the press of daily life, some of the writers were unable to meet the deadline for this section. Complete stories on the arts, reli- giouslife, education and other topics will be included in the Oct. 24 sec- tion. The pictures in this section have been provided by many different sources. Special thanks must go to Chazles R. Schultz and his staff at the Texas A&M University Archives and to the Burleson County Historical Society and the Leon County Histor- ical Commission. Readers are invited to submit old photographs for possible inclusion in future special sections or on the weekly historical pages that appear every Monday in the Eagle. The pho- tos don't have to have great histori- cal significance; some of the best de- pictdaily life in the early days of our communities. We also are interested in family and community histories, All photo- graphswill bereturned unharmed. If you have pictures or articles you would like to submit, call Robert C. Borden at the Eagle, 776-4444. The type face used throughout this section is Palatino, a serif font popu- lar inthe eazlydays ofthis century. Additional copies of this special section will be available for $1 each at the Eagle and at the Eagle's Cen- tennial Festival in College Station's Central Park May 6. Mitchell genealogy outlines hardships Life in the early days of the Brazos Valley was anything but easy. Transportation was difficult, me- dical care almost was non-existent and hard work was the norm. Harvey Mitchell, Bryan's founder, left a detailed aaount of his family's genealogy, which gives a glimpse of life in the 19th Century. Here is a re- counting ofthat genealogy, provided by Ruth Peattie, Mitchell s great- granddaughter. My Father, James Mitchell, was bom Nov. 9th 1780 -His parents were Natives of Ireland but were raised in Virginia - I don't know their Christened names. My Mother was born May 20, 1782. Her Maiden Name was Jane Mclntiah Henry-Her Parents, also, were Natives of Ireland but raised in N, Carolina. I do not know their Christened Names -they both lived to be more than one hundred years old. My wife was the Daughter of John H. and Margaret Foley who were natives of Tennessee and were mar- ried in Memphis in 1824. Mrs. Foley was the Daughter of Saml G. Evetts, whose wife was a Daughter of Judge Harris, once a member of the Su- preme Court of Tennessee, and prominent jurist - I was born near Cornersville, Tenn., April 9, 1821. My wife, Arthuisa Jane Foley was born near Memphis Tenn. June 23, 1828 - We Were M~~ in the town of Boonville, Texs, April 6th 1848 by Rev. - Koleber. My wife died in Bryan Texas June 301885, and was buried in Boonville Cemetery, near the graves of our Decd. Children. There were born to us Nine Chil- dren, asfollows, viz, Jefferson Paley (Apri113/49) Arthuisa Jane (Au .17/50) Susan Alice (Feb. 7/53) Mary Etta (March 4/55) Frances Barziza (May 15/57) Eunice Eliza (Jan. 28/60) Margaret Josephine (Dec. 22/61) James Harvey (Sept. 28/64) Ada (SuR.S/68) Death up to 1900 My Father July 25 - 1856 at old Boonville, Texs, aged 75 years, 8 coo 22 d My Mother died July 25 -1860 at Boonville Tex aged 78 years 2 coo 5 d 4th Daugghter Eunice Dd Jan.18th 1870 aged 9 yr 11 coo 17 day Ada, 7th Daughter, died Jan. 22d 1870 aged 1 yr 5 coo 17 d Josephine, 5th Daughter, died Jan 221870 aged 8 yrs 1 month. She anc Ada were buried in the one casket. Mary Etta Died Jan 25,1870, aged 14 ys 10 months and 21 days. My Angel Wife Died June 30,1885 Aged 57 Years less 20days - All thr above Deceased Loved ones are bur ied in thye Boonville Cemetery. -Harvey Mitchel the northern troops occupying the area, and most of the prominent clh- zens in the area probably disliked Farmer. At any rate, the company quickly watt broke under his man- agement, and after only four months he sold the equipment back to Lambdin for $2,100 less than he had paid for it. Lambdin then used the equipment in printing the Bryan ApOh er newspapers operating in Bryan between 1870 and 1890 in- cluded the Battle Blade (promoting religion), the Brazos Eagle (support- ingthe Republican Party), the Bryan Enterprise, the Bryan Post, the Rural Texan (representing the Grange) the Star and Crescent (promoting reli- gion), the Temperance Banner (pro- moting prohibition), and the Texas Blade (backing organized labor). The diversity of these -publications il- lustrates the increasing complexity of Bryan and Brazos County. BRAZOS PILOT Richard M. Smith founded the Brazos Pilot in January 1877. Smith was the son of R.J. Smith and the nephew of George I. Goodwin, each of whom had previously worked as FromlheflleaollheBryen-CollegeStatbnE~agle journalists in Bryan. The younger Smith edited the Pilot from 1877 un- The multi-unit press is installed in 1979 at the new Eagle is only one of many papers that have served til 1882, and again from ]886 to ]889. Eagle building at 1729 Briarcrest Drive in Bryan. the Brazos Valley over the past 100 years, This He returned once more to the Pilot in The modern newspaper plant is the latest in a series special section is dedicated to the hundreds of the early 1890s. of offices occupied by the Eagle since it was first workers who have dedicated their lives to the Eagle Smith sold his interest in the busi- published by Richard Smith on Oct. 24, 1889. The during its first century. ness in 1882, and Luther W. Clazk replaced him as editor, Clark, like Smith, was a practicing attorney, and when he purchased the Pilot, Clark held the office of Brazos County at- torney. At the time of the sale, Smith described Clark as "a gentleman of clever capacity as a writer, combin- ing the essential elements of sound discretion, spice and individuality, eminently conservative, and very proper withal." In 1900 Clark became editor-in- chief of the Galveston and Dallas News, the lazgest and most influen- tialnewspapers inTexas atthat time. He held that post until his death in 1920. In May 1889, William D. Cox bought the Brazos Pilot. He had pre- viously owned the Temple Times. Cox soon sold the Pilot and pur- chased the Bryan Eagle. Later he served as secretary of the Texas Press Association. When he retired from joumalism, Cox became a traveling salesman for a typesetting machine company. BRYAN EAGLE Richard M. Smith established the Bryan Eagle as a weekly publication on October 24,1889. The business o- riginally occupied the site on Main Street where Woolworth's now stands. Smith owned the Eagle for only a short period, and on Septem- ber 25, 1890, William D. Cox pur- chasedthe paper and became its edi- tor. The early Eagle strongly suppor- ted the Democratic party, It also backed the "White Mari s" move- ment in politics and opposed the election of African Americans to local office. The Pilot treated political and racial issues somewhat more even handedly but still routinely en- 1890s was the Brazos Farmer. This newspaper served the Farmers' Alli- ance of Brazos County. The Galves- ton Daily News of Aug. 4,1892, re- ported, "Mr. W.L. Turner, one of the proprietors of the Brazos Farmer published in this city (Bryan), has bought out Mr. Chas. W. Pinkston's interest in that paper and will hereaf- ten run it alone." Turner had begun his journalism cares by working for the Bryan Ap- peal inthe 1870s. By 1899, the Brazos Farmer had gone out of business and Turner was employed by the Brazos Pilot. He eventually moved to Ma- disonville, where he purchased and edited the Madisonville Meteor. He died there in April 1927. The Methodist was the appro- priate name of a church newspaper initiated in Bryan in 1892. Horatio Philpott, pastor of the Bryan Metho- dist Episcopal Church, edited the publication. A native of Huntsville, Alabama, Philpott died in College Station on Nov. 8,1900. THE BATTALION AT A&M In 1893, Horatio Philpott's son, William B. Philpott, served as faculty advisor for a newly started paper at A&M -the Battalion. Beginning soon after the College Journal ceased, the first Battalions came out on a monthly basis, Weekly issues did not commence unti11904. In 1894, B.L. Appleby founded the Texas Factotum in Bryan. His intro- ductory editorial, quoted in the Da]- ]asMorning News, stated: "With our hat off we approach you through the medium of a news- paper, it being a forceful custom to indicate our tenets in a general way. We affirm ourselves to be of liberal religious notions and in politics to be a straight pocket and knee-breeches populist, the only party that rep- resents the true Jeffersonian demo- cratic principles. In the social and domestic realms we are in the most part neutral. We believe in one law- ful wife and whatever number.. of children the size of the house will admit." Appleby later worked on the Mar- lin Ball and the Calvert Citizens- Democrat. The Texas Factotum may have changed it name to the Bryan Independent. The Galveston News quoted a publication with the latter Please see Eagle, 24E Contest winner Jerry Evans of Bryan is the winner of the special section subscription contest. He wins the right to pur- chase ayear's subscription to the Eagle for $1, the original annual purchase price when the newspaper first was pub- lished onOct. 24,1889, Evans' name was chosen in a drawing from among the winners of the weekly trivia contests that appeared each Monday in the Eagle. Due to a lack of participation, the wee- kly trivia contest have been suspended, but a contest will be held for additional $1 sub; scriptions to be given away in the October and February spep cial sections. Details will app pear in future history pages. dorsed the all white Democratic candidates. Richard Smith had quite a political cares. He ran for the state legisla- ture several times. One of his more interesting defeats occurred in Sep- tember ]890, when he withdrew from the contest for state senator at a loaf political convention on the 419th ballot. Local voters finally elec- ted Smith as state representative in 1894, when he was again working for the Brazos Pilot. Upon his election, he severed his connections with the paper. In IB% after serving one term as state rep- resentative, Smith ran far Brazos County attorney but lost the election. In 1897 he moved to Wood County, where he founded the Winnsboro Free Press and the Wood County News. He served two terms as Wood County Judge and served for a time as judge of the Seventh District. Smith died in Wood County on Aug. 20, ]935. A&M PUBLICATIONS Any discussion of local pub- I lications must include those associ- ated with Texas A&M. Like the I Eagle, the College Journal began operations in 1889. The Austin and Calliopean Literary Societies jointly issued this monthly journal. This - was not the first newspaper at A&M; the two literary societies had pub- l fished the Texas Collegian there as On the front cover The front cover o[ this section features three photographs of importance to the Bryan-College Station and Brazos Valley area, as well as the Eagle Centennial logo. The color photograph in the center is of Harvey Mitchell, perhaps the most important person In Bryan history. A native of Tennessee, he settled in the area In 1839. For more than half a century, Mitchell was a civic leader, teacher and public servant. He opened the first school in Bryan and was responsible for lo- cating the Agricultural and Mechanical College four miles south of town in 1876. The photo Is courtesy of Ruth Peattie of Bryan, Mitchell's great-granddaughter. 'lire photograph on the left shows the Foster Guard at Texas AB:M in 1901. Formed as the Scott Volunteers in 1887, the elite mllitary organ- ization became the Ross Volunteers during the A&M presidency of Lawrence Sullivan Ross. When Lafayette L. Foster became president, the group again changed names, but returned to the designation Ross Volunteers in 1902 to honor the former Confederate general and Texas governor. The photo is courtesy of the Texas A&M Unhrersi- tyArchives. The photograph on the right shows the Brazos River flood of 1913. Pictured is the new railroad bridge over the river on what is now Texas 21. The bridge withstood the flood, but the adJacent road bed was washed away. The picture was taken on the Burleson County side of the river, looking toward Brazos County. The bridge still is in use today. The photo is courtesy of Frank Beseda. Also shown is the Centennial logo, designed by the Matthews Group to celebrate the 100th an- niversary ofthe Bryan-College Station Eagle. early as December 1878. The College Journal ceased operation in 1893, One of the more interesting of the local newspapers went out of busi- ness in December 1889. In 1886 con- troversyforced the Slovan, the oldest Czech publication in the state to re- locate from La Grange. Josef Cada, the firm's owner, suffered an unfor- tunate ]apse in editorial judgment. While locked in a fierce competition for readers with another Czech lan- guage paper, Cada printed an editor- ial comparing the virtues of Ameri- canand Czech women He portrayed the Czechs as industrious and vir- tuous, while he pictured the Ameri- cans as lazy and sometimes immoral. His rival immediately translated the article into English and gave copies to merchants and other prominent citizens in LaGrange. Shortly afterwards Cada moved the business to Bryan and soon sold it to Edward A. Kroll. By the time the Slovan ceased publication in 1889, it belonged to a corporation made up of Kroll, Frank Stasney, William Frankel, and V.C. Marek. Financial problems forced the closing of the newspaper, and a lawsuit over its as- sets eventually reached the Texas Supreme Court. In 1890 the Millican News ap- peared. W.D. Ward, a former New Yorker, issued this newspaper on a weekly basis. The Millican News did not last long, and by 1891 Ward was editing the Reagan Herald, The reasons for the paper's failure re- main unknown, but probably too few people lived in the Millican area atthat time to support a newspaper. BRAZOSFARMER Another publication started in the ER INDEX R i i n ~; KKYS R tail r Pagg; t Douglas Jewelers ................. . 3 ; Hancock Fabrics .................. 5 Oshman's ............................. 7 ' ........................... SAS shoes 11 , Catalena Hatters ............... 16 y ...................... ~_ Valle C cle Nearly New Resale Shop .... 1 22 Campus Photo First National Bank ......................... 3 United Citizens Bank ...................... 6 NCNB .............................................. 17 Federal Land Bank .......................... 28 H P~ Paull Research ................................. 5 St. Joseph Hospital ......................... 9 Greenleaf .......................................... 21 Brazos Independent Physicians ..... 22 Insurance Companies Pag.e_ Allstate ...........................~................. 11 Anco ................................................. 16 Re irem n mm ni Page . Walden Retirement ............. 23 c~ Pte? Brazos Chrlstlan ................. 6 ; St. Thomas Early Learning . 9 ; Brazos Business College ..,, 24 Allen Academy .................... 27 ; Theaters Pia .~; ............................. 1 Schulman