Small Town Chat: A Blog To Check Out

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Support our FFA program

We need more fundraising and sponsors to support our local FFA program. There are kids who would like to show animals, but their families do not have the means to do so. It is very costly to show an animal. Between the price of the animal itself and feed, the cost could be in the thousands of dollars. Not to mention the hotel cost, show equipment, and entry fees. With the help of our community, more kids could show some kind of animal. For those who are not interested in showing animals, we also need more tractors to be donated for restoration.

The History Of Chico Texas

Originally part of a survey of 1,920 acres of land belonging to the heirs of William Heresee, the land became a settlement for several families including Cal Mount, Benjamin Booth, Sim Odom, T. Merriman, H.F. Hawkins, Sr., Dave Manning, Allen Gore, Tom Traister and Adam Johnson, among others. R.C. Mount bought this survey of 1,920 acres for 13 cents per acre before the Civil War..The area we now call Chico grew primarily as a trade center for surrounding farms. It originated with a deed for 44 acres filed by RC Mount on October 27, 1876. Mount reserved two acres for a school and a church.Around 1875 Colonel Brown arrived and became a merchant and first postmaster of the village serving the needs of the pioneer families. He paid $1.26 per acre for the townsite and plotted the area designing a public square, a business section and residential lots. Brown wanted to call this new town after his hometown of Chico in California. Other name suggestions were Brownstone and Mountville. Four of the seven men voting in the election officially named the town Chico. There are still descendants of the original pioneers living in and around the city of Chico and there are streets bearing their names throughout the city.The first school began three years before the town was organized and was replaced in just two years by a larger log building which served also as a church and courthouse. The first frame building, built in 1888 was the Brown Hotel which still stands. The Rock Island Railroad was built through town in 1893 and the depot was built in 1902.

The Town Square started out looking much like Harold Lasiter's painting. As the town grew the square changed and there was once a park-like area with a boxing ring in the center and room for roller skating, fiddlers and get-togethers. Later the area was blacktopped and a portion of the state highway was cut diagonally across the area bisecting it into two triangles.

Historical Locations

J.T. Brown Hotel
Colonel J.T. Brown founded town of Chico in 1876 built this hotel 1888.
Brown built his hotel near the public square. Although another hotel. The Chico, which no longer stands was built, the Brown Hotel was an important social center for the community. A livery stable which was formerly located across the street contributed to the convenience of the hotel. Drummers headquartered at the hotel and made calls to the houses in the surrounding neighborhoods.
J.T. Brown was a colorful figure. According to local historians was accused of murder in a case in which he defended a black from an attack by a white. Although he evidently was not brought to trial, in 1895 on the front porch of the hotel, the governor of Texas pardoned Brown.
In about 1908, R.L. Morris, a banker from Mississippi, purchased the hotel. Morris, who established a bank and mercantile store in Chico, retained ownership of the hotel until his death in 1965. He made the hotel his permanent residence.

Hanna-Robinson-Richey Drugstore
Alexander Virgil Hanna (1860-1921) erected this native sandstone structure to house his drugstore in 1893. He provided office space in this building for a doctor, lawyer, jeweler, and the first telephone switchboard in Chico. Hanna sold the business in 1920 to Rueben R. Robinson (1872-1955), whose daughter and son-in-law, LaBeth and William Marston Mead (d. 1968) continued to operate the store after his death. It was purchased in 1973 by Bobby and Frances Richey.

First Baptist Church of Chico
Organized in 1874 in home of B. F. Booth by Missionary Noah T. Byars (1808-88), assisted by the Reverend Sithemore, who became pastor. Congregation met at Booth's and in the H. P. Morris home until it acquired site east of present church and built a brush arbor for summertime use, worshiping in the schoolhouse in winter. The earliest frame church was replaced by a larger one in 1908; Sunday School rooms were added in 1936; the educational building was erected in 1959; the present sanctuary was completed in 1962.

The Methodist Church in Chico
Founded in May 1872 when Robert Calvin Mount (1826-97), his wife, and three other pioneers worshiped in log schoolhouse. Their pastor: The Reverend S.S. Cobb. Mount donated first church site. In 100 years, congregation has had five successive buildings on five sites.

Small Town Chat

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

A Blog To Check Out

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Welcome

About Me

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Support our FFA program

A Message From Me....

Wise County Blogs

The History Of Chico Texas

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Support Chico's Volunteer Fire Department

Small Town Chat

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

A Blog To Check Out

No comments:

Welcome

About Me

Followers

Search This Blog

Support our FFA program

A Message From Me....

Wise County Blogs

The History Of Chico Texas

Links

Follow This Blog

Blog Archive

Blog Counter

Support Chico's Volunteer Fire Department