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| | | The
main intersection in Cottonwood, late 1890s.
Photo courtesy cottonwoodtexas.com | |
History
in a Pecan Shell
Cottonwood was settled around 1875 or 1876. The man
given the credit – J. W. Love - didn’t have the type of name that lends itself
to town-naming, so they choose the local abundant Cottonwood trees.
The
region received a (relatively) large influx of families from East Texas since
the land was somewhat stump-free.
Dr. H. O. Broadnax built the first
store and a post office was established shortly thereafter in 1882*.
A
weekly newspaper, the Prodigal was published in 1890 when the town reached it’s
high water mark of 350 residents.
According to interviews with the Newton
Brothers (train and bank robbers) from Uvalde – the Newtons had once lived near
Cottonwood.
It is reported that Cottonwood experienced a rash of shootings
“with fatal results” during it’s embryo period.
Fruit and vegetable canning
looked like it would become Cottonwood’s economic niche when a cannery opened
in 1903, but as transportation became affordable, people left Cottonwood and those
who remained went into ranching.
The population fell to 300 by 1915 and
by 1940 there were only 120 people left in town.
The 1980 census reported
65 people and it was the same in 1990. |
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Cottonwood
Post Office, originally a bank and still has the bank vault inside.
Photo
courtesy cottonwoodtexas.com, 3-2003 |
Cottonwood
Post Office"The
building is maintained by the Cottonwood Historical Association, which also maintains
the Methodist Church and both Cottonwood Cemeteries. The association meets the
first Saturday of May in the Community Center." - Teri Brown |
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Cottonwood
Old School House / Community Center
Photo courtesy cottonwoodtexas.com,
3-2003 |
Cottonwood
Old School House / Community Center"Cottonwood
Community Center, once the school house in Cottonwood. The Center is maintained
by the Cottonwood Quilting Club, which quilts at the center on Thursdays.
Up
until a few years ago, the building housed the "Cottonwood Musical" on the third
Friday of every month. Fiddlers, guitar players and other musicians would come
from miles around. Folks would enjoy country music and homebaked pies. "Turkey
Supper" night and "Rehab Night" a benefit for the West Texas Rehabilitation Center,
both projects of the Quilting Club, are still held at the Community Center.
The
first Saturday in May the Community Center is the site for the Cottonwood Historical
Association's annual meeting." - Teri Brown |
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Old
Methodist Church in Cottonwood.
Photo courtesy cottonwoodtexas.com, 3-2003
|
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Cottonwood
old cemetery entrance
Photo courtesy cottonwoodtexas.com, 3-2003 |
Historical
marker
A historical marker at FM 1079 and Center Street states: “ W. F.
Griffin opened a bank about 1911 in this small frame building. With Griffin as
a director, Paul Ramsey served as the first president. His duties included teller,
cashier, loan officer and custodian. When the railroad bypassed Cottonwood, merchants
and residents moved away. In January 1915, the bank closed. In 1918 Hazel Respess
opened a post office* in the building and ran it
for the next 50 years. In 1975, postal service here was stopped. This spot has
been a gathering place for the community”.
*There
seems to be a discrepancy in the date of the post office opening. The historical
marker states 1918 while the Handbook of Texas states about 1882.
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© John Troesser |
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