This information was found in the vertical files of the genealogy department of the Longview Public Library.

THE AVINGER CITIZEN
Special Historical Edition
June 18, 1954

DOWN MEMORY LANE
By Gran'pa Graybeard

Let's turn back the pages of time and try to re-live the days of yesteryear from about 1880 forward.

Suppose at Jefferson we boarded the quaint little narrow gauge train pulled by a small sheezing, woodburning locomotive. The road wound around the tall pines for what seemed to be miles on end. Now and then the train stopped to load on more pine knots for fuel and once or twice at a creek for water.

A large, impressive, two-story, white house is the first dwelling we passed on our left as we approached our destination. It was the old Lewis A. Pattillo home now occupied by Polk Cotton. A mile or so farther on we passed another home or two and the remains of two or three wooden buildings that had been the Hickory Hill business section. Rounding a long curve we came into the new settlement of Avinger consisting of a depot, a large, two story hotel known as the Crawford Bruce house and one small store and office building belonging to Dr. Avinger, across the sandy road from the depot.

AVINGER EXPANDS

As the next few years went by, the town of Avinger began to expand somewhat. M.D. Avinger built a building where Bishop's service station is now into which he moved his general store business, formerly located at Hickory Hill. Will Hedick built a house on second street that still stands today. It was known in later years as the old Pete Friday place.

Just prior to 1900 Mr. A.M. Rhyne and Bill Bolding built a large sawmill where the tie yard is now. The large well across from the depot now used for fire reserve purposes was dug for this mill. Lumber from this mill used to be stacked all the way up to where highway 49 is now. There were a number of old fashioned slab kilns used for drying purposes.

There was a large oxen corral near where old Aunt Susan's house was until torn down recently. Besides the oxen, used for hauling logs and lumber, Mr. Rhyne also had about 150 head of goats that wandered about where they pleased. They used to sleep around over the mill, on the sawdust pile and in the Baptist Church across the road.

ONE ROOM SCHOOL

At this time there was a little one room, box-like school house, the same building that had been moved in from a point about one mile north of town, just in front of where the Baptist Church is at present. Three sawmill houses in a row faced the present railroad track, one where the John Kennemer home is now, one in front of Mrs. C.B. Henderson's residence and the other the same house later built over and occupied by Mrs. Nite Bennett until her death three years ago.

C.T. (Tom) Duke started construction on the house owned now, after considerable remodeling in later years, by Mrs. Cora Mitchell.

Jim Weatherall built the next place of business south of M.D. Avinger's store in about 1890. This box-like structure later known as the J.Z. Pattillo building, housed a number of different enterprises during the remainder of its approximately 50 year existence. It served next as Dr. Jessie Peebles office. After that Charles Shelton operated a butcher shop in it for several years.

ALSO HOUSED BANK

This same little wooden building housed the First State Bank. In 1909 while the present bank building was under construction, T.P. Forsythe was the cashier. Avinger's first printing business set up shop in it in 1915, and for two years or more published the Cass County Echo, the towns first newspaper. The writer was able to acquire three copies of this paper; dated June 25, 1915, December 10, 1915 and April 28, 1916. Its slogan was "AVINGER'S OFFER - HEALTH, PROSPERITY AND EDUCATION." All three issues contain many interesting news items of the past: bearing headlines such as; LOCKETT, ADAIR, SOUTH'S GREAT EVANGELIST IS HERE - MEETING HAS BEGUN, LARGE CROWDS ATTENDING. Another one, LET THE FARMER START THE BALE ROLLING TODAY. EUGENE BLACK FOR CONGRESS, ETC.

Falling into disrepair, it became a warehouse for awhile, sub-standard residence and then a warehouse again until torn down in 1940.

COMMISSARY ERECTED

A.M. Rhyne next erected a commissary on site of present post office. It was later divided with a saloon on one side. This same building was later expanded to become the large A.M. Rhyne & Company store of the early twenties. It burned to the ground in 1918. A small building between the A.M. Rhyne building and the M.D. Avinger store served at various times as a barber shop. Some early barbers were N.S. Peek and Emery Morris.

Louis Armsworthy (a tie contractor) operated a commissary in part of the Rhyne building for awhile, later on. He married Kate Orr, Mrs. C.A. Webb's sister.

The old Baptist church building, having been moved in from Hickory Hill, was set farther back on its present lot and faced the present railroad right of way.

It served intermittently as a school and a church and then became abandoned for a number of years, all of the windows being taken out of it, making it handy refuge for the goats and other livestock.

LOCAL CHARACTER

Davis Hendricks, Hickory Hill's third postmaster was still living at this time and had become somewhat of a local character. He would walk the dusty road back and forth from his now, dilapidated old two story house located where the old air field and ball park used to be, wearing an old fashioned linen duster. Chickens roosted on his once fancy staircase and goats slept in the hall. After he died the old house finished falling down and was the refuge on one occasion of a person who suffered a rather gruesome death.

Around 1900 there was a shingle mill and grist mill where Felker's planer was in 1950. The rock in the grist mill, owned by Jim Bolding, blew up one day and killed him. There was a tannery in this same area for awhile during the early 1900's.

Dr. Sturdivant was living in old Pattillo house which he had purchased from Polk Cotton, and carrying on a large practice. He was Dr. J.H. Avinger's successor. Dr. Starmes, now of Hughes Springs, became his understudy along about that time.

There was the remains of an old tannery back of the present A.V. Simpson home, near old Hendricks house.

CHURCH IN 1877

The old Methodist Church building, built in 1877, being a continuation of the Young's Chapel organization, had begun to take on an air of age and sedateness. It looked somewhat picturesque with its green shutters and tall pointed steeple, despite the fact that it was badly in need of a coat of paint. There was a well with a shed over it directly in front (partly filled hole is still there) and a long walkway between two rows of tall cedar trees from the well to front of church. Several graves in the cemetery had gabled roofs over them at that time. They used to have dinner on the ground, around the well, ocasionally and community cemetery cleanings were a regular affair.

The old narrow gauge depot stood about where the bank is now until moved to present location in 1903. There was a kind of a boarding house near depot in front of present community center building.

While they were digging the big railroad cut north of depot a grass fire set off a large stock pile of dynamite. People thought for a few minutes that the whole town was blowing up. All of the railroad cut and grade work was done with mule teams pulling hugh fresnos and graders. The most modern piece of machinery on the job was a large, horse powered conveyor that plowed up dirt and dumped it into wagons. The M.K. & T.Ry. Co. had taken over the line and a standard gauge track replaced the old narrow one. Mr. A.V. Simpson came to Avinger at this time as a member of the crew engaged in surveying the new right of way.

STORE POST OFFICE

About 1900 the post office was still located in the M.D. Avinger store. There was a well on the front porch with such a strong trace of alum in the water that it would draw a persons mouth up worse than a green persimmon. A large oak tree that served as a hitching post for wagons and teams stood about twenty feet out front in what would now be the middle of hi-way 49. One day an itinerant entertainer with a large tame bear chanced to wander into town. A number of the local yokels began to pick at the bear, much to its masters chargrin, and got it so excited that it broke loose from its owner and shinneyed up the big oak tree. It took the owner several hours to coax him down, adding all the more to the amusement of the local hecklers.

R.C. Cloninger built the first brick building in town for a drug store in 1905. He had previously been in the drug business in a wooden building across the street. This same brick building is now the home of Daniel's cleaners.

W.D. Lassater opened the first dry goods store of any size in the wooden building built for him by W.R. Duncan, where present drug store is now. Lassater came here from Greenville and later returned to that city after selling out to Shelton and Coulter in 1898. L.H. Avinger opened a store in wooden building next door to last wooden post office and two doors north of Shelton & Coulter. This building later housed a furniture store.

BUSINESS START

The New York Dry Goods Co. opened for business in a wooden building where P.W. Clark is now. The same building later became the store and office of George Brown Lbr. Co. Brown took over the former A.M. Rhyne planer on what later became the Lingold mill site. Brown also served as Avinger's postmaster, moving the post office into his store. When his term as postmaster expired, he moved back to Jefferson.

The building where the Avinger Citizen is now is the old Edwards building made over. It served as the post office while Mr. Edwards was postmaster. His daughter and her husband, Minnie and Jim Cope lived in back for awhile and Minnie later served as postmistress after her father's death.

Up through 1912 Kit Avinger had a general store in a wooden building built in 1904 where Connor Hdw. Co. is now. When construction was begun on present brick block, the Avinger building was moved directly across the street to the spot occupied by P.W. Clark now. It is the same building previously referred to as the one occupied for awhile by the New York Dry Goods Co.

GRIST MILL

T.W. Alsup bought the lot now occupied by Bridge's lumber shed and erected a wooden building with blacksmith shop and grist mill in rear and a barber shop in front. E.S. Felker later operated a Texaco gas station in the section previously used as a barber shop. In later years, this portion of building was used as warehouse; during depression Red Cross supplies were stored in it. Mr. Rhyne ran his shop in back for many years and is well remembered as a good blacksmith and solid citizen. He shod many a horse under the big oak tree that stood at the doorway of his shop. G.C. Henderson, Avinger's present blacksmith served as his assistant for several years just prior to time of death. Descendents of T.W. Alsup still living are: Mrs. Mable Winstead of Graham, Mrs. W.K. (Myrtle) Smith, Miss Charlotte Alsup, Miss Era Alsup, and George Alsup of Dallas. Thier former home is the house across from the Waldrop home on Linden St. and now owned by Mr. and Mrs. Floyd.

L.H. Avinger built Bridge's present building for the first auto repair shop in town. The late Oscar Cook operated a garage there for several years prior to moving across the street to the old Coulter building.

The old Masonic lodge building had been moved in from Hickory Hill during the eighties. It was later torn down and rebuilt on its present site.

BULLET HOLES REMAIN

It was along about this time that Floyd Miles was shot by Billie Bolton alongside of present McCain warehouse. Bullet holes are still visible in the wall. Bolton shot five times and hit his victim once in the forehead, killing him instantly. Emory Morris, local barber, at trial was asked how many times the gun was fired; he replied five times. Judge asked if he saw Bolton fire the gun five times and he replied no, that he saw him fire one shot and heard the other four. As soon as shooting started, street was vacated, most bystanders seeking refuge in Cloninger's drug store. Mr. A.M. Rhyne alone sat calmly through the whole affair on the front porch of his store.

There used to be two old houses; one just below where telephone is now and the other about where the remains of Rhyne gin still stand. The former was occupied by the Pierces for awhile, then the Peeks and last of all a McCain family. The other had various tenants down through the years.

Uncle Pete Friday, an old colored fellow ran a blacksmith shop for a number of years in an old wooden building at the rear to Cloninger's drug store. The same place later became the Pick Haynes blacksmith shop and grist mill. Uncle Pete had a son who became an outstanding negro doctor in Waco. His large estate was a showplace there for a number of years. Uncle Pete, his wife Rachel and daughter Susie, lived in the former Hedick house on Second St., later known as old Pete Friday place, until the latter's death in about 1926.

The old Woodman hall, a large, two story wooden building, similar in size and appearance to the present Masonic Hall, stood for several years where the City Cafe is now. During its last years it had a bad list and boys used to like to slip upstairs and walk out on its high upstairs porch that fronted on the street.

NEW BLOCK BUILT

G.H. Nelson & Sons, contractors, of Sulphur Springs, built the entire brick block from the Connor building through Tucker Coulter Mitchell Co. in 1913. A fellow by the name of Hyde was the architect. The three original owners for who complete unit was built were Connor Bros, L.H. Avinger and D.R. Coulter. Ownership is still the same except for new portion built since fire by George Haggard of Jefferson.

The bank building had been built a couple of years before by Tom Stevens, contractor, of Daingerfield, The bank offered to sell Connor Bros. a half interest in their north wall but the deal wasn't consummated which accounts for the narrow passageway between the two buildings.

First business in section next to Connor Bros. was Arthur S. Thompson's dry goods store. The late Mr. Thompson was a brother of Mrs. D.R. Coulter and Mrs. J.M. Mitchell. He resided in Bryans Mill, Tex. until his death a year or so ago.

The second occupant of this section, during the early twenties, was a Mr. Moore from Winnshboro who opened up a drug store. His son-in-law Frank Whizznent worked for him as a pharmacist and later took over the store until 1925 when the business was discontinued and the building became the post office, with H.J. Whitworth as postmaster. Whizznents lived in the house, across from the R.L. McCain home, that burned in 1936. Dalton Smith was living in it at the time of the fire.

Tucker-Coulter-Mitchell, Co. occupied the remaining three sections of the block from the beginning until that business sold out to E.C. Henderson in about 1926. Mr. Henderson had previously been a large sawmill operator in the vicinity.

The section next to the post office was partitioned off in 1926 and a cafe and tailor shop put in it by H. C. Knowles; the cafe was on south side of section and tailor shop on north with a half partition dividing them. Mrs. Coppeage followed Knowles in the cafe business having previously operated a cafe directly across the street. She and her young son Albert came from Ore City a short time before.

RECENT BUSINESS

More recent business in the north end of the block were a M-system grocery operated by H.C. Knowles. A theater, a Variety store (proprietor W.E. Whittle), and a grocery and market put in after WWII by W.G. Stewart.

When Coulter business was moved from old D.R. Coulter building, it was used as a movie theater, (operated by a local stock company) a warehouse and finally a portion of it as a garage.

For years there was a huge cotton shed located on the vacant space between the present Haggard funeral home and the road that runs in front of the Methodist church. In addition to sheltering thousands of bales of cotton it also served down through the years as an ideal place to hold revival meetings. Many rip-roaring ones, both Baptist and Methodist were held there, some of them by some real high powered evangelists of days gone by.

One season the cotton shed was used for a big cantaloupe packing operation. Most of the carloads shipped to northern markets wound up in the demurrage yards but it was a big venture anyway.

Mr. R.C. Waldrop operated a grocery store during the late teens and early twenty's in a wooden building half way between the present post office and the railroad tracks. He did a thriving business there for a number of years and ran large ads in all issues of the ECHO stressing the fact that he bought farm produce from all comers. Mr. Will Mozingo was an employee of his for awhile.

FANTASTIC PRANKS

Many still recall the fantastic pranks pulled on Halloween, one of which involved moving Mr. Waldrop's pig pen from behind his store (pigs and all ) to the middle of main street. Several got a good laugh the following morning when he was seen slopping them at their new, quite conspicuous location.

The Waldrops came to Avinger from Winnsboro in 1912. The lived first in the J.R. Allison house, now home of Mr. Lou Felker. Allison was a sawmill man in the vicinity at the time and had built the house a year or so before.

Waldrops next moved to the Avinger house adjacent to the present Tip Stephenson duplex. They resided there until their present home was completed in 1921. F.A. McKenzie, Sr. was the contractor.

Mr. Waldrop was an employee of M.A. Rhyne & Co. for a short time prior to entering his own business. In later years he has been very active as an insurance man and real estate agent. Their children are Miss Ava Waldrop of Dallas, the Rev. Fred Waldrop of McCloud and Billy Bert Waldrop of Avinger.

J.R. Allison's son John married Jewell Starrett, sister of Mrs. John Wilson and Mrs. Grady McKinney of Avinger.