| |
| "Picture
of unpaved main street c. 1925. Before the streets were paved they had rows of
sidewalks going across the street." - Photo courtesy Kathy Spier |
History in a Pecan
Shell
Long before the formation of homeowner's associations there
was a man called Isaac (Nat) Smith. According to local legend, Smith had donated
land for the formation of a town to be called Rowe, Texas.
Since he had donated the land, he felt he had a say in the types of houses that
should be constructed. Smith's stipulations didn't sit well with people moving
in - so the town moved out. Even though the town had a depot, school, bank and
churches, they hooked everything up to mules and hauled the town a mile east in
1907.
As soon as the move was over, the town couldn't wait to sever all
ties with Rowe and Mr. Smith. This they did by applying for a post office and
incorporating as Hedley - after a railroad official of the Fort Worth and Denver
Railway who saw to it that the railroad moved its shipping pen and depot from
Rowe (in 1909). Rowe became a footnote and Mr. Smith's
reactions are not known.
Hedley built a school in 1910 but no population
figures are available for that period. The town became a cotton-production
center and a huge ginning operation was built in the 1950s but from a healthy
population of just over 800 in 1930, Hedley declined to just 380 for the 1980
Census - about the figure given on the 2004 state map. |
 |
"The
first three brick businesses built along the Hedley Main St. Today they house
the Hedley Senior Citizens and Hedley Lions Club."
- B.L. Shaw, September
03, 2006 |
First
Methodist Church of Hedley in 1915
Photo courtesy Mary Lynn, daughter of Pastor
Wilber Lynn of Hedley |
First
Methodist Church of Hedley today
2005 Photo courtesy Jon Leggett |
First
Methodist Church of Hedley in 1915
Photo courtesy Mary Lynn, daughter of Pastor
Wilber Lynn of Hedley |
Hedley
water tower
Photo courtesy Ken
Rudine, July 2006 |
Hedley,
Texas ForumSubject:
Hedley, Texas
Dear TE, MY FATHER (JAMES DONALD BAILEY SR) WAS BORN (JULY
14 1928) IN HEDLEY AND LIVED THERE UNTIL SOMETIME IN THE EARLY 1940's. MY FATHER
HAD THREE BROTHERS, JOHN TRAVIS, JAMES DONALD and FRANCIS MERLE. MY GRAND FATHER,
OLIN EDGAR BAILEY AND MY GRANDMOTHER WAS ELEANOR MARTHA BAILEY ARE BURIED IN ROWE
CEMETARY AS WELL AS SEVERAL OF THEIR CHILDREN. I DO NOT KNOW MUCH ABOUT HEDLEY
OR MY GRAND PARENTS OTHER THAN WHAT I HAVE PICKED UP FROM OLD STORIES OF MY AUNTS
AND UNCLES AND WHAT I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FIND IN CENSUS AND OTHER REPORTS ON THE
INTERNET. I BELIEVE THAT MY GRAND FATHER WAS A MERCHANT / MANAGER AND HAD SOMETHING
TO DO WITH PROVIDING ICE FOR HEDLEY. I BELIEVE THAT MY GRAND MOTHER WAS A HOUSE
KEEPER AND LATER DID SOME SORT OF TEACHING AFTER MY GRAND FATHER DIED. FROM WHAT
I UNDERSTAND MY GRAND FATHER WAS HIT ON THE HEAD WITH A TRUCK WHEEL AND WENT BLIND
AND DIED (AFTER BEING SICK FOR A GOOD WHILE) WHEN MY DAD WAS ELEVEN YEARS OLD.
MY GRAND MOTHER EITHER HAD BEEN TEACHING OR STARTED TEACHING AFTERWARDS AND THEN
FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND SHE HAD DEVELOPED CANCER AND DIED SEPT 27, 1947 IN PLAINVIEW,
TEXAS. MY GRAND MOTHER WAS RETURNED TO HEDLEY AND BURIED IN ROWE CEMETARY. MY
UNCLE CHARLES EDGAR WENT TO SCHOOL IN MCLEAN AND PLAYED FOOTBALL. I HAVE ONE OF
HIS FOOT BALL GAME PROGRAMS. THAT IS ABOUT ALL OF THE IMFORMATION THAT I HAVE
PERTAINING TO HEDLEY. I HOPE TO GO THROUGH SOME PAPERS AND PICTURES IN THE FUTURE
I PLAN ON DRIVING UP TO HEDLEY SOON TO SHOW MY SON WHERE HIS GRANDFATHER
WAS BORN AND LIVED FOR THE FIRST 19 YEARS OF HIS LIFE. I DO NOT THINK THAT WHAT
I HAVE GIVEN YOU IS GOING TO HELP, BUT I WAS HOPING THAT IT MIGHT AND IF ANYTHING
RINGS A BELL WITH YOUR READERS, THEY MIGHT BE ABLE TO SHARE SOME IMFORMATION WITH
ME. - JIM, MARY & J.D. BAILEY, SAN ANTONIO, October 31, 2007
Subject:
Hedley, Texas
Dear TE, I am in the process of writing a history of Hedley.
Attached are a few photos I have recently acquired. If anyone has historical information
about Hedley's early years, they can contact me. pkspier@valornet.com - Kathy
Spier, Hedley, Texas, September 23, 2007 | |
|
