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Texas
| Courthouses
"OLD CORA" The
oldest standing courthouse in Texas
1856 County Seat - Cora
1859
County Seat - Comancheby
Lou Ann Herda, Ed. D |
"Old
Cora" on Comanche courthouse square
Photo courtey Terry
Jeanson, 2007 |
The 1936
Texas Centennial Marker near the city of Comanche
says the county was thus named for those raiding warriors of the Plains because
of their "superb horseman[ship]" and courage, as well as being "the terror of
Texas frontier settlers who dispossessed them of their hunting grounds." With
that in mind, we went to the county's 1856 courthouse as we looked in awe at a
structure that has withstood time and the elements, as well as the best intentions
of man.
Although the citizens of Comanche County, created on January
25, 1856, had chosen the name of Troy for their county seat, they were
affronted since there already was such a town in Texas. Local land agent Thomas
Frost submitted several other names to the Postal Department, with the name "Cora"
winning out. Cora was the name of the eldest daughter of Major Alonzo Beeman of
Moffatt, Bell County, who must have been a good friend of Frost's at the time.
Thus the county seat became Cora.
The 1856 split-log, one-roomed courthouse served as a post office (Frost
was its postmaster) as well as district court. One of its early trials concerned
three men, Asa Reed, Jesse Reed, and John Taylor, who were accused of murder.
Folks from all around attended the trial wherein it was found that Asa was innocent
because Jesse had done it. Justice could not be served, however, because Jesse
skipped town and was never seen again. (Or maybe justice was served.) |
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"Old
Cora"
Postcard courtesy www.rootsweb.com/ %7Etxpstcrd/ |
| | The
Fleming Oak in Comanche
TE Photo 2002 |
Right
about this time in 1858, Martin Fleming, then a boy, enjoyed camping in a grove
under the branches of a particular live oak tree. Fleming had previously befriended
several young Comanches, but on this occasion, hundreds others, who had had it
with encroaching settlers, were on the warpath. As the angry warriors sped in
on horseback, Fleming hid behind this old oak, ultimately saving his life. In
1912, the grove was being destroyed as the city of Comanche
took shape, but a much older Fleming put up a fight to save "his tree." His haven
was spared and now stands as a place of honor on the courthouse
square.
When the county seat was moved to Comanche
in 1859, the Cora courthouse was developed into a two-roomed residence. Because
of its historic significance, it was later bought and moved bit by bit to the
municipal park at Lake Eanes where the Statue of Justice from the county's 1890
Victorian courthouse was also removed.
Eventually, Old Cora was moved
to its present location on the southwest
corner of the courthouse square right next to Fleming
Oak. |
 |
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The 1890 Comanche County Courthouse, razed
Photo courtesy texasoldphotos.com
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| The outstanding 1890
courthouse, designed by Jacob Larmour, followed two other courthouses erected
between 1859-1890. This palatial structure was three stories high. Atop its clock
tower was the aforementioned Statue of Justice. |
| | The
one-armed 1890 Statue of Justice.
Photo courtesy Lou Ann Herda |
This
Statue of Justice met with many unfortunate injustices. Once, in 1897, a proprietor
of a local Comanche store demonstrated to onlookers the sharp shooting capabilities
of his new shipment of rifles. He "stepped outside into the daylight for the benefit
of his patrons" and was dared to " shoot the arm off the lady of Justice." Although
the right arm of the law was made of 3-32"-thick lead alloy sheet metal, his shot
was accurate. In 1908, her scale of Justice flew off during a storm. In later
years, as the courthouse was being razed and she was taken down, workers noticed
two bullet holes in her neck. That was not long before they discovered a colony
of bees inside. The one-armed, scale-less lady can now be seen in the foyer of
the 1940 courthouse.
The
1940 courthouse, designed by Wyatt C. Hedrick, was built during the Works
Progress Adminstration (WPA). This courthouse is built of native stone quarried
out of Logan's Gap. A pair of the most beautiful eagles adorns the entrances. |
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March
2003, © Lou Ann Herda, Ed. D
Special thanks
goes to one of our most favorite people, Margaret Waring, Comanche librarian and
historian extraordinaire, for gracing us with her time and wisdom while we were
there. She stands taller than any we've encountered.
All quotes, as well
as most information, were taken from the 1969 Comanche County Courthouses by Frances
B. Lockwood. (Ms. Lockwood incidentally dedicated her book to Mrs. Waring for
her "interest in the history of Comanche County, her perseverance in digging out
the facts of that history, and preservation of historical material in the library's
files.")
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