La Grange, Texas - Fayette County, Her History and Her People

Fayette County, Her History and Her People

La Grange lies in*a big bend of the Colorado River. For about a mile, the Colorado rnns due south until it (strikes the Blul!" mount, opposite La Grange ; here its course is turned eastward so that it encloses in this angle the city. West and south of La Grange rises the Blutf, north of La Grange abruptly rises a high plateau, while towards the east tlie land rises gradually. La Grange, therefore, lies in a deep basin, sheltered on all sides against storms. It is said that the Indians always built their camps in storm-proof localities and for this reason the present site of La Grange was the former location of an Indian camj).

La Grange is a beautiful city. The best view of it may be had from the Bluft'. Two hundred feet below, at the feet of the spectator, flow the red waters of the Colorado, enclosing from two sides a fertile bottom checkered by corn and cotton fields, a beautiful foreground for a picture of the city. Tiie court house, the steeples of churches and the red roofs of some larger residencfs break pleasantly through tlie green of liveoak groves. To the left the bridges and waterworks, to the right the compress and the railroad wagon park give this picture a fitting termination. The high wood-covered hills rising back of La Grange form an appropriate background with Chalk Bluff to the left and the town of Rutersville to the right as a close of the background. What strikes most, is the harmony and symmetry of the picture. An artist could not arrange his subject more artistically than

Programs, Letter Heads, Enveloiies, Circulars, Cards, Checks and Drafts - all work done in this line finished better than can % be done in any inland office.

The principal streets of La Grange are those leading from the public square. Most of the streets are nicely graded and graveled. The residences are elegant, with beautiful gardens and lawns in front, What strikes the stranger most upon visitinf La Grange is the great number of large and beautiful liveoak trees, veterans of the wood that reach back into past centuries. Of the more noticeable buildings may be mentioned the court house, the jail, the First National Bank Building, the Schuhmacher Bank building, the Heintze building, the Rooenberg building, the Meyenberg building, the Casino, the Opera House, the school and the compress.

La Grange was settled in the latter part of the twenties on land granted to John H. Moore. It was for a long time a very inconsiderable place. The first settlers had come from Tenne.-- gee and named their new home after their old home, LaGrange

Louis Rice

Has his Studio at the Southeast Corrior of the Public Square. A nice picture of yourself, taken with artistic taste, is a most acceptable and cherished gift to your friends. L. Rice is sure to please you. Come and call on him "at

W. S. Robson. J. T. Duncan Attorneys At Law

The Census of L)()0 gives La Grange 2400 inhabitants. Its population is American, German and Bohemian. About onetliird of the population are negroes.

La Grange is an independent school district; it lias two schools, one for white and one for colored pupils. Tlie school for white pupils is managed by Prof. C. A. Brown with the assistance of an able corps of teachers and visited by 251 pupils. The colored school is visited by 106 pupils and managed by Prof. . Jefferson. The city levies a district school tax.

The lodge brother has a large choice of lodges to join to. There are not less than nine lodges in La Grange : Odd Fellows, Knights of Honor, Knights and Ladies of Honor, Free Masons, Knights of Pythias, United \Vorkmen, Sons of Hermann, Fraternal Mystic Circle and A. L. of H. Some of these lodges insure the lives of their members, others aid them in case of sick-

Texas

The city ot La Grange has made a reputation for sociability over the whole State. The principal gathering place is the Casino, Here the whole town, enforced by a great many outsiders, gathers on festive occasions. The building is owned by a club, the Casino Club. Another club that contributes its share to entertainment is called "the La Grange Froesch," a German singing club which repeatedly has earned ppplause at feasts by their songs, Traveling theater troops generally find large audiences in this social city.

La Grange lias a fertile surrounding country that contributes to its trade, it has the rich Colorado bottom land northwest and southeast of it, the fertile Rutersville prairie to the northeast and the rich Navidad prairie to the southwest. Only very little land around La Grange is not fit for cultivation. The county being one of the oldest in the State, one of the original counties, a great many small places in the county sprang up before the arrival of the railroads. The stores and sliops in these places are a great convenience for their neighborhoods, but impair the otherwise brilliant business prospects of La Grange.

La Grange is situated on the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railroad and on a branch of the Southern Paciiic from Columbus. There are two express companies in La Grange, the American and the Wells Fargo. By telegraph it is connected with the outside world through the Western Union and the Postal Telegraph Cable Company. La Grange is the headquarters of the Southwestern Telephone Company, a local system.

The main pursuit of the citizens of La Grange is the mercantile business, supplying the farmers of the neighborhood and purchasing their products. There is one wholesale grocery business in La Grange ; there are 7 general merchandise stores, furnishes its customers the very latest styles of Dress Goods, Millinery, etc. Nowhere else will ihv purchaser find a firm who takes such pride to keep up with the times and the changes of fashion. If you wish to be dressed in up-to-date style, examine our dress goods and millinery, always of the lateat. We will suit you in styles and in prices.

La Grange. Texas

tailors, 1 millinery, 2 restaurants, 3 hotels, 1 lumberyard, 2 livery stables, 2 granaries, 1 marble yard, 1 English, 1 German and 1 Bohemian newspaper, 16 lawyers, 2 dentists, 5 physicians, 2 banks, 2 meat markets and two photograph galleries in La Grange.

Of industial establishments of greater importance are the waterworks and electric light plant, a cotton oil mill, a cotton compress, a soda and ice factory and two gins.

The writer will now mention some of the business men of La Grange to whom he is obliged for patronage of his book. It may be said that these gentlemen take some pride and interest in their county and do not look only on dollars and cents, but are public spirited enough to give their support to a worthy enterprise. In the writer's judgment, such men who feel an interest in their county are worthier to be patronized than those who do not, who live only in the county to accumulate all the dollars they can, who show no other interest for the people among whom they live as gathering from them dollars first, last and all the time. A man who deals with people to whom he presents only dollars and cents never will receive as fair treatment from them refuse to use cheap inks, shoddy papsr and old type. There is nothing that is so critically examined as job printing. It always shows the kind of stuff it is made of at a glance.

is recognized as the leading English paper in Fayette County and is read by 2000 people. "Tne Old Reliable" is a weekly gu^st of the intelligence of Old Fayette.

as frotn men who, on account of their station in life, feel obliged to evince an interest in the advancement of the community where they live. It is only natural for the writer to wish that the latter may reap benefits from their liberality towards him and he takes this occasion to bespeak tlie jiatronage of the friends of this book for those business men wlio enabled him by their support to get out this work.

Judge A. Haidusek, the owner of the Svoboda and president of the birst National Bank of La Grange, has established a reputation for liberality throughout the state. Tliere never has come a literary man or printer who solicited his aid and who did not receive his hearty support. There is no man who takes greater pride in Fayette County than the judge and it was most natural that he gave his aid to this writer in getting out this book. The writer only hopes that his work may meet his expectations.

La Grange, - - - - Texas

dusek as president and John B. Hollovvay as cashier is the most solid financial institution in the county and debervedly enjoys the fall confidence of the people. The Schuhmacher Bank is the other financial institution of La Grange and shares with the First National Bank tlie patronage of the capitalists of the county.

Of the merchants of La Grange August Heintze, jr., is undoubtedly the leading one. There is not a more liberal, more energetic and more accommodating merchant living in La Grange than he. Since he has opened his large department store, a great many faces of people who traded before elsewhere have appeared again to trade in that city. He carries an immense stock of goods.

Rosenberg & Co. are the owners of an elegant store and carry an immense stock of goods. In the dry aoods line Carl Mosigis up-to date and keeps up with the fashion. Friedberger & Johnson are their able competitors.

There is no place like home when it is cosy and comfortable, and there's no place like A. Hariget's Furniture Emporium to get the means to make it so.

In Buryino The Dead Friedberger &. Johnson

stores and treat their customers liberally. Aug. Streithoff and Connell k, Holloway are the hardware firms in La Grange and also do first-class work in roofing, guttering, etc.

The marble yard of 0. E. Stolz has a reuutation for turning out masterpieces of art in the monumental line, well established throughout South and Central Texas, and is assisted l)y a corps of able agents.

In the hotel business Joe Kainer ranks in the front as well for accommodations as for liberal rates. No hotel in South Texas furnishes its patrons ao many accommodatiQ,ii» aa tela-

B. White, Wm. Hermes, jr., and J. Meyenberg, jr., are engaged in the drug business and share the patronage of La Grange and neighborhood with each other.

Drs. T. W. Moore and II. A. McKinney have a large practice and are known for their liberal rates. They do not cure a man first to kill him with their bills for medical attendance afterward.

La Grange is well protected against fire. As stated before, it has a good waterworks system. A volunteer lire company does eflicient service in case of fire.

While La Grange has not increased very rapidly in population, it has been on a constant, steady growth. Wliile in 1880 there were only two storehouses on the public scjnare, in 1850 it was large enough to be incorporated. During the last decade its population increased thirty-five percent. In 18!)0 it l.ad according to the U. S. census ISOO inhabitants, now their number is 2400. The increase of its business kept pace with the increase of its population.

During the last few years the farmers around La Grange made only little more than half of the usual crop on account of the boll weevil plague, This vyfts ^ great drf^wtlvick to t|je Uusi- ness of La Grange. There also being a large number of prosperous, thriving villages in the immediate vicinity of La Grange, doing a general merchandise business and thereby curtailing that of La Grange, it may be said that for its present po})ulation and its tributary country, the mercantile business is overdone in La Grange, l^a Grange is favorably situated for the manufacturing business. If it shall not remain at a standstill, it must engage in these pursuits. Lately, the establishment of a cotton factory has been much talked about. It should be the time udw to start this enterprise, before Texas is overcrowded with establishments of this kind. The conditions for a market of the manufactures may then be less favorable than now. The market may then be overcrowded.

La Grange, Texas

My new hotel is furnished with all modern equipment.s for tha accommodation of the traveling public, viz., Electric Lights, Hot and Cold Baths, etc. Airy Rooms, Good Table, Prompt Service, Liberal Rates. Your patronage solicited.

that year the location of the future capital of the Republic of Texas was considered by congress ; La Grange was a competitor for obtainnig the seat ; the bill making it the capital of Texas carried in congress, but was vetoed by President Houston. In 1850 La Grange was incorporated. In 18BU the Grand Lodge of Free Masons held its session in La Grange. In 1862 the sale of spirituous liquors was stoppcid in La Grange by order of the Provost Marshal. In 1867 a yellow fever epidemic broke out in La Grange. In 1869 and 1870 the Colorado River overflowed considerable portions of the city. In 1900 another overflow of the Colorado inundated portions of La Grange. The picture of the strvet going west towa^rds the river from Mohrhusen'S (formerly Wm. Haase's!'corner) gives an idea as to how far the water went. In 1901 the Grand Lodge of the Order of the Sons of Hermann held its sessions in La Grange. The oldest building in La Grange stands on the northwest corner of the public square. It is a two story building, known as the Fink building and built in 1810.

Keeps In Stock

Medicines, Patent Medicines, Perfumery, Fancy Goods, Toilet Articles, Stationery, Cigars, etc., in fact, eve'rythins: that is usually carried in a first-class drug store. Physicians' prescriptions filled with care and dispatch. Your patronage solicited.

The following gentlemen constitute the present city government: Robert Sample, mayor; Will Loessin, marshal; Ed. Mattingly, treasurer; Frank Rosenthal; secretary; E. H. Moss, attorney.

Aldermen of the first ward, B. L. Zapp and Win. McKinney ; second ward, L. Rosenthal and Gus Werth ; third ward, Chas. Helmcamp and Lotliar Rose ; and fourth ward, F. H. Wagner and J. M. Byrnes.