The History of Palmer, Texas
by Mrs. Frances Anne Blocker from The History of Palmer
published by the Palmer Preservation Society
and used with her permission With some additions by Susie Toal The earliest land grants in Ellis County were of Mexican origin as Texas
was still a partial state of the Republic of Mexico under the name of the
State of Coahuila and Texas. Among the earliest of land grants was the grant
to citizen Raphael de la Pena on October 22, 1834. Senor de la Pena was given
title by the government of Mexico to this immense area being about 50,000
acres, there being 4,428.4 acres in a league of land . He was supposed to
settle and colonize this land with a certain number of occupants, but likely
never saw it, as he immediately assigned the vast domain to Nathaniel Townsend.
This land grant takes in the town of Palmer and extends eastward to the Trinity
River, including Crisp, Bristol and India. It ends just east of Trumbull
but includes almost all of the land located between Palmer and Ferris on
Highway 75.
Early Settlers of Palmer
In 1846 there were few newcomers in the Palmer area. Peter Stout had a
settlement on Grove Creek; later built a gristmill, probably the second in
this county.
Hans Smith settled on the south side of Red Oak Creek, and opened a small
store of dry goods and groceries. He came with his wife, Nancy Owen Smith,
and three sons, Robert, Sidney and William, and one daughter Leila. Mr. Smith
was slain on a return trip from Houston where he sold cotton. He was robbed
and killed. His wife Nancy, her son Robert went to Houston and brought him
back home to be buried. This burial ground was later given by Nancy Owen
Smith as a cemetery for her family and friends and is known as the Smith
Cemetery. Each year memorial services are held with a speaker who is a direct
descendent of this pioneer family who are buried atop this beautiful hill
overlooking the valley beneath.
In 1850 Alfred Anthony came with his wife and small son, Felix. He later
built one of the finest houses in Palmer being recognized as one of the
outstanding builders and carpenters in the area.
The J. W. Stacks family settled in Palmer in 1855. John Bunker came from
Arkansas and became on of the most successful farmers and merchants. They
had come with the Anthonys from Arkansas.
In 1869 when the Houston and Texas Railroad came through this section
of Ellis County, Alfred Anthony, who owned all of the land on which Palmer
is now built, gave the right of way in exchange for one dollar. When finalization
of the transportation route was complete in 1872, Judge Palmer of Houston,
who owned some stock in the railroad company, came to the site that is now
downtown Palmer and made a most inspiring speech about what this railroad
line would do for the town. In his honor, the town was so named PALMER. In
1874 a depot was established and according to the courthouse records, J.
J. Crawford, in 1874, built the first house which later became a boarding
house.
In 1876 Jacob M. Blocker, with his wife Lourana Lightsey of Pike County,
Arkansas, came to Palmer. With Mr. & Mrs. Blocker wee their son Asberry,
and daughters, Martha and Della. In 1879 J. A. NeSmith came by train from
Alabama to Palmer. He brought his wife and nine children. Across Cottonwood
creek had already come the Columbus Tolleson Family. Mr. Tolleson was married
to Sarah A. Blocker, sister of Jacob M. Blocker.
Churches of Palmer
Religious life in this part of the country was led by unsung heroes who
were great soldiers of the cross and held services under trees, in pioneer
cabins or in whatever space was provided.
There was no organized Protestant Church until 1845, when the Methodist
Settlers took the lead for a divine service in Ellis County. This service
was in a cabin belonging to a Mr. Bellows with Pastor Welch, preaching. In
1846 Cumberland Presbyterians organized a church. In 1869, the Baptist Church
was organized with Brother E. A. Fuqua and Brother Sewell.
On June 14, 1880, The Articles of Agreement of the Palmer
Union Church were drawn up and signed by representatives of the churches.
According to the Agreement each church was to have charge of services on
specific Sundays each month. The trustees, P. R. Johnson, J. G. Wadley, and
Robert Smith, signed the agreement and named the building committee as follows:
F. Smith, John A. Payne, T. G. May, R. B. White, A. E. Haswill, Thomas Turner,
and E. H. Parks. The History of Ellis Countypublished in 1892
speaks of the Union Building thusly; The church is a handsome edifice
and would do credit to a more pretentious town than Palmer. There was
a time when camp meetings were the prime source of social and religious life
in Palmer prior to the building of the churches, many still standing to attest
the early beginnings of Palmer. Today both the First Christian Church and
the First Baptist Church, are marked with Texas Historical Markers proudly
declaring their vital link to religious heritage in Palmer.
Town of Palmer
The town of Palmer was established in 1872, and many settlers bought their
business expertise. Records indicate that in 1881, P. R. Johnson, T. H. Andrews
and Son, J. A. Payne, Robert Smith and Son, Hearn and Johnson, A. H. Rowe,
White and Jeffers, all had businesses in Palmer. In 1874, the town was
incorporated. John A. Payne was Mayor.
Medical Doctors in Palmer
Medical doctors practicing in Palmer and nearby were, Dr. Robert White,
Dr. May, Dr. Everett, Dr. Daly, Dr. Moore, Dr. J. A. Jones, Dr. C. W. McBurnett,
and Dr. S. L. Wadley.
Banking Establishments
In 1882, in the rear of Robert Smiths general merchandise store,
a private bank, the Citizens Bank was established by Jacob Blocker and Robert
Smith. The Guaranty State Bank was established at the corner of Jefferson
and Main Street, later merging with the Citizens Bank in 1930 to form Commercial
State Bank, still in operation in Palmer with a branch in Ferris.
Other Businesses in Palmer
Robert Smith established the Palmer Press Brick Company in 1902. In 1929
this brick company purchased the Standard Brick Company and the company was
renamed Barron Brick Company. Barron Brick Company was a major supplier of
the building brick in Ellis County. At one time there were two cotton gins
in Palmer. Ellis County has long been an area known for its production of
cotton and its excellent black land farming and Palmer boasted 2 cotton gins,
Ellis County Gin & Merchants and Planters Gin. There was even a hotel
in Palmer once, the Palmer Hotel, located at the corner of Main & Marshall
Streets. The Schwartz brothers had a Blacksmith Shop. There was a lumberyard,
hardware stores, general mercantile stores, and in the 1920s a newspaper
called the Palmer Rustler with Mr. Greenwood Maddux as Editor.
There was the City Garage, The Ice House, McKeever Chevrolet Company, The
Interurban (tracks still exist in Palmer), Stacks Livery Stable, Barron Brothers
Store, Barron-Davis Funeral Home, J. B. Elgan & Sons Mercantile, Sunshine
Cleaners, McIntosh Drug Store, Collins Dry Goods, Reddell & Sons, The
Post Office (and Miss Hattie); and who could ever forget, Jack
Oates Mobil Station.
*Many people and businesses have come and gone to Palmer over the years.
These were not famous people, they were not wealthy people; but they worked,
lived, raised families and died, in Palmer.
I still remember when we moved to Palmer in 1950. I thought we had moved
to the big city. At that time Palmer had a population of 647. But, downtown,
Palmer had a movie theatre (admission on Saturday afternoon was 10 cents)
a drugstore, 3 grocery stores, an appliance store, a feed store; a café,
a post office, a school, a depot (with train service), a carnival every fall;
And, all of this was in walking distance.
This is just a part of the History of Palmer, much of the history still
exists in its buildings, and in its citizens. Palmer was and still is a great
place.
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