History
American Paint Horse Association
Spanish conquistadors in the 16th century brought two-toned horses with them, descendants of horses from North Africa and Asia Minor. Over time, these colorful horses became a cherished staple of the western frontier. Throughout the 1800s and early 1900s, these horses were known by a variety of names, including Paint, Pinto, Skewbald and Piebald.
History
Bailey, Joseph Weldon
(October 6, 1863-April 13, 1929) Democrat Joseph Weldon Bailey served in the U.S. House of Representatives (1891-1901) and in the U.S. Senate (1901-1913). A colorful and controversial politician, he was known for his superb oratorical skills and his fiery temper.
Industry & Science
Barbed Wire in Cooke County
The development of barbed wire fencing had a revolutionary impact on the economy and settlement pattern in Texas. In 1874, Joseph Glidden of Illinois received a patent for his barbed wire. By 1875, Henry B. Sanborn had come to North Texas as Glidden's barbed wire salesman.
History
Booker T. Washington School
In 1880, two years before the City of Gainesville created a public school system for all its children, Island Sparks, a young mulatto, taught the Black children of the city. In 1886, the city built a frame school building on this site for the community's Black youth. Originally known as the Gainesville Colored School, the school adopted the name Booker T. Washington sometime before 1927.
Transport
Butterfield Overland Stage Line
Gainesville was a station on the Southern Overland Mail Line (Butterfield Route), which provided semi-weekly mail and stage service between St. Louis and San Francisco, 1858-1861. The line was 2795 miles long--one of the longest stage transportation routes ever established. 1964
Architecture
City Hall-Fire Station, Old
Erected 1884. First floor was fire station, with ladder truck, hose wagons and horse stalls. Insignia for the three fire companies appear above doors. Second floor contained city offices. Jail or "Calaboose" was in rear. Architect was J. J. Kane. Second story and bell tower were removed in 1933. The Cooke County Heritage Society saved building from demolition, 1966.
History
Clark, Randolph Lee (1871-1941)
A native of Fort Worth, Randolph Lee Clark worked as a cowboy on the XIT Ranch as a young man. After graduating from Add-Ran Christian University, he worked for state educational offices in Austin. He served as school superintendent in Wichita Falls from 1915 to 1923, when he moved to Gainesville to accept a similar position.
History
Cooke County
Created March 20, 1848. Organized March 10, 1849. Named in honor of William G. Cooke 1808-1847. Captain of the "New Orleans Greys," 1835; Assistant Inspector General at San Jacinto, 1836; member of the Santa Fe Expedition, 1841; Secretary of War and Marine, 1845; Adjutant General, 1846-1847; County Seat, Gainesville. 1964
History
Cooke County Courthouse
Settlement of the area now known as Cooke County began in late 1845. The county was created by the State Legislature in 1848 and named for William G. Cooke, Republic of Texas Quartermaster General and a participant in the Battle of San Jacinto. Land for a county seat was donated by Mary E. Clark, and the new town was Gainesville in honor of U.S. Army General Edmund Pendleton Gaines.
Civic & Local
Cooke County Free Library
In 1913, city librarian Lillian Gunter (1870-1926) and the XLI club (a local women's literary society) secured a grant from the Andrew Carnegie Foundation to construct a library building for Gainesville. Gunter then began her quest for state legislation to enable counties to support library services for people outside incorporated cities. With the help of state representative George W.
Military
Cooke County, C.S.A./2nd Frontier Regiment
Military, defense center in Civil War. Cooke voted 231 to 137 anti-secession, yet nine military units served Confederacy from here. In constant danger of Federal or Indian attack. Col. Wm. C. Young of Cooke, with 1,000 men took Indian Territory forts from Federals April-May 1861. Commissioners set up regular patrols. Forted a home as refuge for dependents.
Architecture
Davis House
William O. Davis (d. 1941), a veteran of the Civil War, came to Texas in 1870. Self-educated, he became a prominent local attorney and from 1876 to 1882 represented the area in the Texas Senate. An active civic leader, he later served as Gainesville's first Mayor. In 1891 he built this Queen Anne style residence. Its ornate gingerbread trim and decorative brickwork reflected Sen.
History
Davis, William Owen
Georgia native W. O. Davis served in the Confederate Army and was admitted to the Georgia Bar in 1870. He moved to Texas, settling in Gainesville, and was soon involved in local politics and civic life. In a long public service career, Davis served on the school board, as a city Alderman, and was a state Senator from 1882 to 1885. He later was Mayor of Gainesville at age 81.
History
Era, The Town of
Located in a fertile farming region, Era was settled in the 1870s. Merchant J. N. Gist (1827-1893) platted the townsite. The post office was opened in 1881 and named for Era Hargroves (1875-1880), daughter of an early resident; the village soon had a blacksmith shop, cotton gin, hotel, several stores, and three churches.
History
Fairview Cemetery
Originally the Howeth Family Cemetery, this site traces its history to 1854, when a tornado struck the Howeth family cabin near Gainesville. First buried here were Thomas and Louisa Howeth, young children of William and Harriet Bell Howeth. William Howeth deeded the ten-acre cemetery to Cooke county in 1868.
History
First Cooke County Surveyor Daniel Montague (1798-1876)
Born in Massachusetts. Moved to Texas 1836. Accepted post of Surveyor, Fannin Land District, helping settlers locate claims and fight Indians. Joined Snively Expedition to capture Mexican traders trespassing in Republic of Texas, 1843. Captain of Company in Mexican War, 1846. When Cooke County was created, 1848, Montague was named County Surveyor.
History
First Oil Well in Cooke County
Located on the Bud W Davis Farm (1 mile E), Cooke County's first producing oil well came in on Nov 9, 1924, heralding the beginning of a multi-million dollar industry and a new life style for the surrounding farm community. Carnival atmosphere prevailed while sightseers and reporters flocked to the lease. One enterprising man charged admission until questioned by a worker.
Architecture
First United Methodist Church of Gainesville
Formed in 1852, this congregation shared its first meeting place with two other denominations and the Masonic Lodge. A frame church building was erected in 1878 on this property, donated by James M. Lindsay. The present sanctuary, built by contractor John Garrett, was begun in 1892 and dedicated in 1893.
History
G. H. Ragsdale
(April 1, 1846 - March 25, 1895) Tennessee native George Henry Ragsdale came to Cooke County in 1867. He was elected to three terms as county surveyor. By observations and a self-taught education, he became an expert naturalist, chiefly in ornithology, small mammals, fossils and geology.
History
Gainesville
Founded 1850. Named for Gen. Edmund P. Gaines, who in 1836 aided Republic of Texas. Military supply headquarters during Civil War. Important in defense against Indian attacks and invasion. Center for agriculture, industry, oil. Home of famed Gainesville Community Circus. (1964)
Entertainment & Sports
Gainesville Community Circus
Editor A. Morton Smith (1903-57) organized and promoted this show after a circus parody by the town's little theater group in 1930 revealed many talented amateurs. Chartered as a non-profit corporation, the community circus used its earnings to buy tents, trucks, and costumes. Local performers practiced their acts with circus professionals who spent the winters here.
History
Gainesville National Bank
In this block on October 21, 1882, prominent citizens and landowners J. M. Lindsay and C. C. Hemming founded Gainesville National Bank (GNB). Over the next decades, Gainesville evolved from a frontier town to a thriving community and a financial center for the cattle and cotton industries. In 1902, Judge Lindsay opened the Lindsay National Bank as a branch of GNB.
History
Gainesville State School
Authorized by the Thirty-Third Texas Legislature in 1913, the Texas State Training School for Girls opened on 160 acres east of Gainesville in 1916. Initially headed by Dr. Carrie Weaver Smith, the facility offered education, agricultural and vocational skills to girls and young women. Agnes Stephens was superintendent from 1925 to 1941.
Transport
Gainesville-Fort Sill Road
The U.S. Cavalry constructed roads to improve logistical routes in the west during the 19th century. Henry O. Flipper, the first African American graduate of West Point, was an officer in the Tenth Cavalry regiment 'Buffalo Soldiers' at Fort Sill, Indian Territory (Oklahoma).
History
Hubert H. Moss
Hubert H. Moss was born in Woodbine in 1892. After attending North Texas State Normal College, he became a teacher before leaving Cooke County to serve in World War I. After the war, Moss taught high school and became a chemistry professor at newly formed Gainesville Junior College, where he was a trusted student advisor.
Elsewhere in Texas
Hear it from the road
Whistlestop tells you this story automatically when you drive past. No searching, no tapping, nothing to ask.
