Ellinger, Texas - Fayette County, Her History and Her People

Fayette County, Her History and Her People

EUinger is situated on the branch road of the Southern Pacific Railroad from Columbus to La Grange, about twelve miles southeast from La Grange. It is located on the W. 0. Burnham league; one hundred acres of its present site belonged to John H. Meyer and one hundred to Henry Fordtran of Galveston. The name of EUinger was given to the place by a Bohemian named Andreas Ondrey, who suggested the name to James Converse, superintendent of the Southern Pacific Railroad, while in conversation with him. It was laid out in 1883 and the first men who opened up business in EUinger were Fritz Hotmann, Charles and Dan Meyer, Chas. v. Rosenberg and Hill & Hill.

North of EUinger lies the rich black land Ross prairie, south of it the productive bottom lands of the Colorado River. These rich, fertile lands are separated from each other by a sand and gravel ridge covered with postoak. Therefore the surrounding country of EUinger, with the exception of said gravel ridge, is a rich agricultural section.

EUinger has two churches - a Lutheran, with Rev. Robert Heise, who also preaches in Fayetteville and Haw Creek, and a Catholic, situated about one mile north of EUinger at a place called Live Oak Hill. The Catholic Church is under the care of Rev. Father Cblapic.

Dealer In

Doors, Sash, Blinds, Deere Implements, Buggies, Grub and Stump Machines, Window Glass, Wagons, McCormick Mowers, Well Tubing, Pipe Fittings, Paints and Oils, Rubber Belting.

Ellinger, Texas

Make a specialty of Flour, Sugar, Salt and Coffee, jg Keep in stock a complete assortment of Guns, Pistols and g Ammunition. Buy Cotton, Cottonseed and all kinds of < Country Produce at highest market prices. Come and see % them. ^ groceries, two furniture houses, three hardware stores, one implement and carriage house, one drugstore, two gins, two blacksmith shops and four saloons.

The writer is obliged to the following gentlemen who took some interest in his work on their home county for their patronage and hopes that the bestowal of their confidence may have been placed on a worth3'- enterprise and that his work may meet their approval.

The oldest business men in P^llinger are Messrs. J. and B. Wacker, who established themselves in business at Ellinger in 1884. They carry a large stock of staple and fancy groceries, hardware and crockery, and especially a fine assortment of pistols, guns and ammunition. They are reliable gentlemen and substantial, solid business men. Their father, Mr. Dietrich Wacker, was one of the first settlers in Ross prairie. C. F. Steves has a lumber and hardware business of the most extensive assortment, carrying everything from a nail to a stump-pulling machine. A customer can get there articles which he often would fail to get in large size cities. E. J . Weber keeps in his elegant drugstore pure and fresh drugs and other lines of goods that are usually kept in a first-class drugstore. He also serves the public as notary public and sets up all legal documents in binding shape and style. W. F. Burow owns a first-class gin and turns out a superior class of cotton. He constantly studies how to improve his machinery, and on account of his close attention to business has become a model ginner in the county, J. Y. Machalek is a popular young merchant in the furniture and hardware business at EUinger, and a skillful mechanic. Scheel Brothers are the proprietors of a first-class barroou], which has become the headquarters for the farmers of Kllinger.

In Live Oak Hill, one mile north of Eiliuger, Mr. Aug. Girndt welcomes in his elegant saloon his guests from near and far, keeps the purest whiskies and other liquors. He is the proprietor of a fine hall with one of the best floors for dancing that can be found in the county. Young and old gather there for amusement and recreation.

The population of EUinger is German and Bohemian. Among the first and the oldest settlers of the Ellinger neighborhood may be mentioned Dietrich Wacker, Dan Meyer, John Meyer, Aug. Beyer, Joseph liaabe, Chas. Ehlinger, 8arrazin, Dohm, Jacob Dirr, Peter Koelil, Joe Koehl, Jacob Koehl, Andreas Schreiner, Muegge, Henry Cook. Jos. Sommers, Wm. Hoelscher, Anton Hoelscher, Fietsam, Hy Fattmann.

Engle. - Texas

Engle lies midway between Schulenburg and Flatonia on the Southern Pacific Railroad. North of it is postoak, south of it rich, fertile prairie land. It is a thriving little town; has a postoffice. The voting is done at Mulberry, a schoolhouse thus named in its neighborhood. It consists of two general merchandise stores, three saloons, one blacksmith shop, one photograph gallery, one tinsmith shop and one lumber yard. The population is German and Bohemian. Amongst the first settlers of place, deals also in real estate and serves as notary public. Mr. Louis Melcher has a first-class saloon and a fine photograph gallery. Mr. 1. J. Gallia was the first merchant in that place and bailt his business there in 18'JU.