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Fredonia
Store and Post Office
Photo courtesy Barclay
Gibson, January 2006 |
History
in a Pecan Shell
Fredonia,
Texas has nothing to do with the insurrection in Nacogdoches
or the fictitious country in the Marx Brother's movie. It does, however figure
in the history of two Texas counties - San Saba and Mason. The first settlers
arrived in the area sometime around 1858. A school and church were built as the
community developed around Deer Creek.
The post office was originally
called Deerton when it was in San Saba County. A conflict with the name
caused a change in 1880. The post office was moved two miles across the county
line sometime after 1882 and of course, the community followed.
Fredonia
had been a stagecoach stop in the 1880s and soon had everything a small town could
want. There was a drugstore, a general store, a blacksmith and even a newspaper.
The
population peaked in the 1920s at 200. Since the 1980s Fredonia has been what
you see today - the store, a post office and a church. |
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"My great grandfather owned the drug store in Fredonia Texas till around
1900-1902" - Co Wisdom, Brady, Texas |
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Fredonia
Texas ForumSubject:
Fredonia General Store
In 1959 when I was 13 years of age my Dad took me deer hunting in the Fredonia,
Tx area and we stopped at the general store and Dad bought gas and the store had
the old manual hand pump gas pumps. It was the only time I was at the old store
but even then it was a time capsule and has stuck in my mind all of these years.
- Owen Whitsitt, Graham, Texas, October 16, 2011
My
great grandfather owned the drug store in Fredonia Texas till around 1900-1902.
His name was Tom Brown. He later sold the store and moved to Long Valley on the
north side of the San Saba River near Voca Tx
where he bought 800 acres that we still own to this day. Here is a picture of
the store off of a post card that I have. - Co Wisdom, Brady, Texas, January
27, 2005
Co
Wisdom of Brady, Texas
I came across quotations by “Co Wisdom” of Brady
in your website under the towns of Fredonia and Voca
along with a photograph of a drug store as it appeared in the late 19th century.
Hopefully you can forward my e-mail to the person submitting those quotations.
According to an article in the book “Indian Depredation in Texas” by J.W. Wilbarger,
published in 1889 my great grandfather Captain John Roch (Roach) of Comanche was
attacked and wounded by Indians in 1866 on a trip from San Saba to Comanche. According
to the article he had gone to San Saba to lay in supplies for the coming winter.
What was in San Saba to cause it to be a source of food and provisions in the
1860’s? What was the San Saba mill? Do you have other photos of buildings in are
around San Saba dated in the 19th Century? Thanks. L. Marshall Roch , September
25, 2005
Texas
Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic,
endangered and vanishing Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local
history, stories, and vintage/historic photos of their town/subject, please contact
us. | |
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