Marker Title:

Alameda Cemetery

Address:

City:

Desdemona

County:

Eastland

Year Marker Erected:

1998

Designations:

N/A

Maker Location:

8 miles Northwest of Desdemona on FM 2214; 1 mile North on FM 571; 1.2 miles West on CR 483

Marker Text:

The earliest Anglo settlers in this area were drawn together by the harsh life they found in Texas. William Mansker, who came to Texas with his family in the mid-19th century, set aside a portion of his land for use as a school and community cemetery. The first burial in Alameda Cemetery is the subject of some debate. One legend tells of a baby stolen by a large panther; another pertains to Amanda Elizabeth (Henshaw) Coffer, identified on a plaque in the cemetery as Martha Coffee, said to have been killed by Indians in 1860, at Alameda community's peak. In the late 19th century the Alameda Cemetery Association was formed. A tabernacle and community center was erected inside the cemetery. In 1911, E. L. Reid bought the Mansker land and deeded approximately 5 acres to the Alameda Cemetery Association. Though the community  of Alameda had dwindled to only four homes near the cemetery by 1936, the cemetery continued to thrive. A 1996 count revealed 879 graves, several marked only by rocks, in seven acres. Veterans of several American and international wars and conflicts are interred here. Family clusters like that of the Bell children, four of whom died in 1877, testify to the conditions endured by these pioneers. Alameda Cemetery is still in use. ( 1998)

Marker Title:

Bullock Cemetery

Address:

City:

Ranger

County:

Eastland

Year Marker Erected:

1998

Designations:

N/A

Marker Location:

3 miles North of Ranger on FM 717 (Caddo Road)

Marker Text:

When baby Georgia A. Barnes was interred on William Nolen's land in 1878, there was a one-room schoolhouse on this site. A three-year-old girl was buried here in 1884, and in 1886 William Nolen donated two of his 160 acres for the formal establishment of a school and cemetery for the area later known as the Bullock community. In 1918 the cemetery and school property were leased for drilling, but the resulting well did not produce. More land was donated as needed, including the site of the old oil well. The Bullock Cemetery Association was formed in the 1960s. Bullock Cemetery continues to serve the area. (1998)

Marker Title:

Burkett House

Address:

1301 South Mulberry Street

City:

Eastland

County:

Eastland

Year Marker Erected:

1998

Designation:

Recorded Texas Historic Landmark

Marker Location:

1301 South Mulberry Street, Eastland

Marker Text:

Joe Burkett, who with his brother and father discovered and cultivated the original Burkett pecan tree in 1900, was a school teacher, county official, and state legislator. He and his wife Fannye Pullig Burkett  built this home in 1919 and 1920. It originally included a large farm lot with outbuildings. The foursquare house was modified by new owners in the 1930s to reflect the romantic period revival styles popular in that era. The stucco finish, low hipped tile roof with overhanging eaves, front porch, and porte cochere contribute to the home's Spanish Colonial revival appearance. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark. (1998)

Marker Title:

Camp Salmon, C.S.A./Texas Civil War Frontier Defense 1861-1865

Address:

Main Street

City:

Eastland

County:

Eastland

Year Marker Erected:

1962

Designations:

N/A

Marker Location:

North side of courthouse lawn, Main Street, Eastland

Marker Text:

CAMP SALMON C.S.A.: Guarding the frontier during the Civil War, this camp was located 17 mi. west, 6 mi. north. Established as part of a chain of posts a day's horseback ride apart stretching from Red River to Rio Grande. Occupied by Texas Frontier Regiment. Named for Cat. John Salmon, frontier Indian fighter and post commander. Later renamed Camp McCord. Short of food, supplies, ammunition, horses, troubled with Indians, and sharing few of the glories of the war at the cost of many lives, these men served to protect the Texas frontier. TEXAS CIVIL WAR FRONTIER DEFENSE 1861-1865: Texas made an all-out effort for the Confederacy after voting over 3 to 1 for secession. 90,000 troops, noted for mobility and heroic daring, fought on every battlefront. An important source of supply and gateway to foreign trade thru Mexico, Texas was the storehouse of the South. Camp Salmon and other posts on this line were backed by patrols of State Rangers, organized militia, and citizens' posses scouting from nearby "family forts." This was part of a 2000 mile frontier and coastline successfully defended by Texans.

Marker Title:

Carbon Methodist Church Building

City:

Carbon

County:

Eastland

Year Marker Erected:

1996

Designations:

Recorded Texas Historic Landmark

Marker Location:

Avenue D and Anthracite Street, Carbon

Marker Text:

Organized in 1890 by I. N. Reeves, the Carbon Methodist Church met in the section house of the Texas Central Railroad and a mercantile store until a sanctuary was erected in 1914. This structure was rebuilt in the 1920s after a fire. The building is an important example of the Craftsman style of architecture. Features include a corner entrance, decorative window details, and bracketed eaves. The church disbanded in 1991. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark. (1996)

Marker Title:

Cisco Historic District

Address:

Roughly bounded by Conrad Hilton Avenue, West 3rd Street, Avenue K, West 8th and 9th Streets

Architect:

City:

Cisco

County:

Eastland

Architectural Style:

COLONIAL REVIVAL; BUNGALOW/CRAFTSMAN

Marker Title:

Connellee House

Address:

City:

Eastland

County:

Eastland

Year Marker Erected:

1972

Designations:

Recorded Texas Historic Landmark

Marker Location:

515 South Lamar, Eastland

Marker Text:

Home of Charles U. Connellee (1851-1930), who opened much of West Texas to settlement. Coming as a surveyor from Kentucky in 1874, he platted town of Eastland and promoted it as a county seat. He built lower story of his home in 1876, of lumber hauled from Dallas by ox wagon, and kept open house for all of West Texas. Second story was added in 1924. Further remodeled in 1956, 1963, 1971, the structure is preserved by Judge and Mrs. Austin McCloud.

Marker Title:

Connellee-Majestic Theatre

Address:

108 North Lamar

City:

Eastland

County:

Eastland

Year Marker Erected:

1988

Designations:

N/A

Marker Location:

108 North Lamar, Eastland

Marker Text:

Built in 1920 by C. U. Connellee, the "Father of Eastland", this theatre hosted numerous road shows, musical performances, and plays, and was a noted showplace for many years. Purchased by Interstate Theatres in 1946, the building was remodeled for use as a movie theatre and renamed Majestic. Exhibiting Art Moderne elements, the theatre features a stuccoed facade, a bank of six entry doors, and a marquee, which was added in 1946.

Marker Title:

Desdemona Cemetery

Address:

City:

Desdemona

County:

Eastland

Year Marker Erected:

1996

Designations:

N/A

Marker Location:

1 mile South of Desdemona on SH 16

Marker Text:

The town of Desdemona was a well established frontier community by the 1870's; a post office opened there in 1877. J. S. and Rosa Jones deeded one acre from the D. W. Funderburgh land survey for a "public graveyard" in 1880. The earliest marked grave is that of William E. Wright (1815-1878). It is likely that older unmarked burials exist among the oak trees here. Native rocks incised with initials or dates mark some early graves. Those buried here include pioneer settlers and their descendants; frontier matriarch Mrs. Kate (Kizzie) Shuler; veterans of the Civil War, World War I and World War II; Capt. A. J. O'Rear, a county commissioner and postmaster; S. E. Snodgrass, a physician who served the area for 50 years; local citizens who profited form the 1918 oil boom; Joe and Almeda Duke, owners of the site of the first oil gusher; and many young children. In 1918-19 oil discoveries surrounded the cemetery with flowing wells and oil derricks. H. H. Wiliams' estate donated two acres of land in 1965. The Desdemona Cemetery Association manages and maintains the site. The cemetery continues to serve the area as it has for more than a century. (1996)

Maker Title:

Desdemona First Baptist Church

Address:

201 Genoway Avenue

City:

Desdemona

County:

Eastland

Year Marker Erected:

1993

Designations:

N/A

Marker Location:

201 Genoway Avenue, Desdemona

Marker Text:

This church was organized by nine charter members in 1872. Religious observances began with brush arbor meetings organized in the summer of 1872 by The Rev. Johnnie Northcutt. Early settlers traveled by wagon, horseback, buggy, and on foot to meet under the canopy of Spanish Oaks along the banks of nearby Hog Creek (about 1 mile South) to hear Northcutt's Baptist sermons. Beginning in the fall of 1872 monthly services were held in a schoolhouse built near the Hog Creek site by Johnny Carruth and Charlie Mitchell. The congregation, originally called Rockdale Baptist Church, built their first sanctuary in the village of Desdemona shortly after the establishment of the community's first post office in 1877. About that time the church was renamed Desdemona First Baptist Church. Box suppers, baptisms, picnic services at area lakes and water tanks, and lengthy revivals soon became routine activities for the congregation. The discovery of oil here transformed Desdemona from a small village to a booming oil town by 1919. To escape the crowded conditions of Desdemona the congregation built a new sanctuary at this site in 1921-22 on land donated by C. H. and Fannie Genoway. The congregation, active in various missionary efforts, continues to serve the local community.

Marker Title:

Eastland

Address:

City:

Eastland

County:

Eastland

Year Marker Erected:

1968

Designations:

N/A

Marker Location:

Southeast corner of courthouse lawn, Commerce Street, Eastland

Marker Text:

County seat, Eastland County. Named for William M. Eastland - Texas War for Independence hero who was in Mier Expedition against Mexico, and was executed in "Black Bean" Lottery at Rancho Salado in 1842. Most noted early local people were Comanche, who resisted occupation on area by white settlers. The last recorded Indian raid in county was in 1874. Eastland was named county seat in an election on Aug. 2, 1875. With 250 people it was incorporated on June 6, 1891, and W. Q. Connellee was elected as mayor. After a discovery in 1917, one of the fabled oil booms of Texas occurred nearby, with Eastland center for legal matters. With oil priced $2.60 a barrel, many wells flowed at 10,000 barrels a day. The city quickly grew to 25,000 people; 5 banks prospered. Coming here to seek "black gold" were celebrities, including evangelist Billy Sunday, circus owner John Ringling, sports figures Jess Willard, Tex Rickard. An international wonder-story happened here: the old courthouse cornerstone was opened (on this site) in 1928 to reveal survival of "Old Rip", a horned toad placed there with other mementoes on July 19, 1897. Continuing oil production, agricultural processing and clay products bolster the present economy.

Marker Title:

Eastland County

Address:

City:

Eastland

County:

Eastland

Year Marker Erected:

1936

Designations:

N/A

Marker Location:

From Eastland go about 0.6 miles on U.S. 80.

Marker Text:

Formed from Young and Bexar Territories; Created February 1, 1858; Organized December 2, 1873; Named in honor of Captain William Mosby Eastland 1806-1843; Hero of San Jacinto; Member of the Mier Expedition who drew the first black bean at Salado, Mexico and was executed, on March 25, 1843; Eastland, the county seat.

County:

Eastland

City:

Eastland

Current Use:

Active Courthouse

Owner:

County

Style:

Art Deco

Description:

7-story brick and cast concrete structure with Art Deco friezes and panels. Top floor incorporated into elaborate and symbolic Art Deco "cornice."

Marker Title:

Early Settlers of Eastland County

Address:

210 South Lamar

City:

Eastland

County:

Eastland

Year Marker Erected:

1972

Designations:

N/A

Marker Location:

At public library, 210 South Lamar, Eastland

Marker Text:

First known Eastland area inhabitant was Frank Sanchez (D. 1867), who grazed herds here in the 1850s. The United States in 1853 established Army posts at Fort Phantom Hill, in present Taylor County, and Fort Belknap, in present Young County, giving the frontier protection against hostile Indians. This opened a modest influx of settlers, including families named Bell, Birden, Birt, Blair, Ellison, Fitzwaters, Flannagan, Gilbert, Herring, Highsaw, McGough, Mansker, Melburn, Oliver, Owens, Richards, Shirley, Singleton, Upton, and Wyatt from "Old States" of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North and South Carolina, and Tennessee. The county was created, but not organized, in 1858. The U.S. Census for 1860 showed 99 residents. When Texas seceded from the Union in 01861, and Army garrisons withdrew, many pioneers left or took refuge at Blair's Fort, in southeastern part of the county. Post-Civil War settlers included such leaders as Dr. Edwin Daniel Townsend, who arrived from Kentucky in 1871. The county was organized in an election held Dec. 2, 1873, with Merriman designated county seat (in violation of legislation creating the county). In 1875 the government was moved to Eastland, founded that year by investor Charles U. Connellee (1851-1930).

Marker Title:

Ellison Family Graveyard

Address:

City:

Gorman

County:

Eastland

Year Marker Erected:

1977

Designations:

N/A

Marker Location:

From Gorman take FM 8 East about 3.5 miles to 2 markers on North side of highway

Marker Text:

The first settler in this part of Eastland County, James Madison Ellison (1840-1923) built a cabin near Ellison Springs in 1858. He married Eliza Jane McGough and was a stock farmer in this area for half a century. As a young man, he was permanently disabled while serving in a militia company defending frontier homes against hostile Indian attack. Ellison established this cemetery after the death of his mother Nancy Baird Ellison (1818-1876), a native of Georgia and midwife for her pioneer neighbors. Although intended for family burials, the plot has always been available to friends and others in need. An unknown child, from a family who camped on Ellison's land as they moved west, died of pneumonia and was buried here. Ellison's son John, his younger son J. T., killed in a fight over a horse, and his daughter Lanie are among the 12 family members interred here. The cemetery contains 26 graves in all. In 1901 the land was legally deeded for use as a graveyard. In 1918 petroleum was discovered in the county, and Ellison leased his land for oil exploration. He moved to the Rio Grande Valley with a granddaughter and her family, and bought a citrus farm. He died there in 1923 and now lies buried in the family cemetery.

Marker Title:

Ellison Springs

Address:

City:

Gorman

County:

Eastland

Year Marker Erected:

1974

Designations:

N/A

Marker Location:

From Gorman take FM 8 about 3.5 mile to 2 markers on North side of highway

Marker Text:

Used for centuries by Indians inhabiting the region. Named for James Madison Ellison (1840-1923), a native of Alabama, who was the first settler in this section of Eastland County, erecting a cabin near the springs in Oct. 1858. He soon married Eliza McGough, a member of another pioneer family, and had 3 children. During the Civil War, frontiersmen organized militia companies for mutual protection against the Indians. Ellison joined the company mustered from Eastland, Shackelford, and Callahan Counties. On Aug. 9, 1864, a group of 12 scouts from the company was attacked near the springs, and took refuge in Ellison's cabin. The commander, Capt. Singleton Gilbert, and Leroy "Button" Keith were killed, and Ellison, Tom Gilbert, and Tom Caddenhead wounded. Ellison was disabled for life. After cessation of Indian activity, Ellison Springs became the center of social and cultural functions for the scattered settlers in the area. Picnics, community gatherings, and brush arbor camp meetings were held at the site. In the early 1870s, a Baptist church was constructed, with Rev. C. Brashears as minister. A cemetery was begun in the mid-1870s. The present frame house at the springs was built by Ellison in 1886.

Marker Title:

First Baptist Church in Carbon

Address:

210 East Cannel Street

City:

Carbon

County:

Eastland

Year Marker Erected:

1988

Designations:

N/A

Marker Location:

210 East Cannel Street, Carbon

Marker Text:

Organized under a brush arbor soon after the founding of the town of Carbon, this congregation traces its history to 1885. The Rev W. B. Cobb served as first pastor of the church, which began with twelve charter members. Through the years the congregation has grown and established organizations such as the Woman's Missionary Society and youth programs. Members of the church have participated in area missionary activities. First Baptist Church has been part of the history of Carbon for over one hundred years.

Marker Title:

First Baptist Church of Cisco

Address:

200 West 9th

City:

Cisco

County:

Eastland

Year Marker Erected:

1978

Designations:

N/A

Marker Location:

200 West 9th, Cisco

Marker Text:

The Rev. C. G. Stephens, founder of Red Gap Community (1 mil. W), joined the Rev. W. B. Cobb in 1878 to organize the Red Gap Baptist Church. Forerunner of the First Baptist Church of Cisco, The Red Gap Congregation had 13 charter members who met in a one-room log schoolhouse. This small membership organized seven churches into The Red Gap Baptist Association. The junction of the Texas & Pacific Railroad and the House & Texas Central Railroad established Cisco and began the demise of Red Gap. The congregation moved to Cisco in 1881 and built a church house at 10th and Avenue E. The next year they constructed a 36'x50' building at this site. A deadly tornado in 1893 totally destroyed the building. A new structure, completed the following year, burned in 1924. The collapse of an earlier oil boom, which had brought rapid growth to Cisco and the church, caused financial losses. The congregation met in Cisco City Hall and school houses until a new structure could be completed. This fellowship started a mission at Liberty Hill (4 mil. NW) and a Spanish language mission in northeast Cisco. Former pastors of this church have become presidents of Baptist colleges, missionaries, evangelists and special service ministers.

Marker Title:

First National Bank

Address:

708 Avenue D

City:

Cisco

County:

Eastland

Year Marker Erected:

1967

Designations:

Recorded Texas Historic Landmark

Marker Location:

708 Avenue D, Cisco

Marker Text:

Scene of daring Santa Claus Bank Robbery, Dec 23, 1927. During Christmas festivities, costumed Santa and three fellow bandits looted bank of $12,200 cash, $150,000 in securities. They escaped through gun battle with two little girls as hostages. A three-day manhunt followed. The children and money were recovered; the robbers captured. Six person were killed, eight injured. Later a mob lynched "Santa" when he broke out of jail.

Marker Title:

First Oil Well Drilled in Eastland County

Address:

Main Street at Loop 254

City:

Ranger

County:

Eastland

Year Marker Erected:

1936

Designations:

N/A

Marker Location:

Main street at Loop 254, across from tracks from train station, Ranger

Marker Text:

The J. H. McCleskey No. 1 Discovery Well of the Ranger Pool was drilled by Warren Wagner under the supervision of W. K. Gordon of the Texas Pacific Coal and Oil Company, July 2 - October 27, 1917. Initial production was 1600 barrels with three million feet of gas. Abandoned May 30, 1930 after producing 275,000 barrels of oil.

Marker Title:

First Presbyterian Church of Cisco

Address:

500 West 6th Street

City:

Cisco

County:

Eastland

Year Marker Erected:

1981

Designations:

N/A

Marker Location:

500 West 6th Street, Cisco

Marker Text:

When the town of Cisco was platted in May 1881, land at the corner of Eighth Street and Avenue G was set aside for use by a Presbyterian congregation. In August of that same year, local residents Lillie Hightower, Mrs. F. F. Lattimer, Mrs. J. A. Lee, and M. H. Lee organized this fellowship. An 1893 tornado destroyed the earliest sanctuary and a second building served until facilities at this site were completed in 1924. Active in local social services and international benevolences, the First Presbyterian Church of Cisco has played a significant role in the growth of the city.

Marker Title:

First United Methodist Church of Cisco

Address:

Avenue H and West 8th

City:

Cisco

County:

Eastland

Year Marker Erected:

1980

Designations:

N/A

Marker Location:

Avenue H and West 8th, Cisco

Marker Text:

The Rev. Lamb Trimble, a Methodist circuit rider, organized this church at Red Gap (two miles west) in 1880. The four charter members met in the home of M. B. Mitchell, a sheep rancher. The congregation moved to Cisco one year later when the city was founded. Services were held in the schoolhouse until 1883 when the members built a sanctuary on this site. A company purchasing right of way property for the railroad donated the land. An 1889 building program, completed during the pastorate of The Rev. T. C. Ragsdale, doubled the size of the structure and added a parsonage. Both buildings were destroyed in 1893 when a tornado struck Cisco killing 23 people and injuring 93 others. Members formed a rebuilding committee and a larger sanctuary and parsonage were constructed, complete with electric lighting. The population growth of Cisco during the Eastland County oil boom made the sanctuary obsolete, and in 1919 work began on a new church building. The Rev. Lewis N. Stuckey conducted the first services when the edifice was dedicated late in 1920. On two separate occasions Cisco headed a district for the Central Texas Methodist Conference until consolidation with Brownwood in 1974.

Marker Title:

First United Methodist Church of Eastland

Address:

215 South Mulberry

City:

Eastland

County:

Eastland

Year Marker Erected:

1985

Designations:

N/A

Marker Location:

215 South Mulberry, Eastland

Marker Text:

Methodist worship services were held in Eastland County as early as 1865. Soon after the town of Eastland was laid out in 1875, Methodists began meeting in a small log house. The congregation was organized and served for a time by The Rev. Melville B. Johnson, a circuit rider. Soon after this property was purchased in 1882, a building known as the "Little White Church" was constructed. It served the congregation until a new sanctuary was completed during the Eastland County oil boom of the 1920s.

Marker Title:

First United Methodist Church of Rising Star

Address:

South Anderson at West College

City:

Rising Star

County:

Eastland

Year Marker Erected:

1984

Designations:

N/A

Marker Location:

South Anderson at West College, Rising Star

Marker Text:

Rising Star was only a sparsely settled community when schoolteacher James Irby organized this congregation in 1879. The Rev. L. S. Chamberlain of Sipe Springs led the first service, which was attended by Irby, his wife Sallie, and Dennis Bond, in a small log building east of the present town. The congregation worshipped at several locations before 1888, when member Lucy L. Anderson donated a plot of ground for the building of a small frame structure at the present site, where the church held worship services and Sunday school classes for nearly forty years. In 1903 The Rev. D. A. McGuire was appointed to serve the First Methodist Church of Rising Star and became the fellowship's first full-time pastor. The 1920 oil boom brought new members into the church, resulting in the need for larger facilities. The current church building was completed in 1926 during the pastorate of The Rev. Fizer M. Noe. For more than one hundred years, the First United Methodist Church of Rising Star has provided the community with significant service and leadership. Its emphasis on Christian education and mission work has produced a number of ministers and missionaries from among its members.

Marker Title:

Flatwood School

Address:

City:

County:

Eastland

Year Marker Erected:

2001

Designations:

N/A

Marker Location:

Marker Text:

Opened 1887. Closed 1944. This school was established in 1887 and was located one-half mile south and on-half mile west across from the cemetery. The school was moved to this location in 1915 and was consolidated with Carbon in 1944. This marker was erected in 2001.

Marker Title:

Fort Blair, C.S.A.

Address:

SH 16, South city limits of Desdemona

City:

Desdemona

County:

Eastland

Year Marker Erected:

1965

Designations:

N/A

Maker Location:

SH 16, South city limits of Desdemona

Marker Text:

A few miles to the southwest. Largest far western "family fort" used throughout Civil War. Started by C. C. Blair, 1857 settler. 1861-1865 occupants were Wm. Arthur; Blair; J. M. Ellison; Jasper, Jim, and Tom Gilbert; W. C. McGough; W. H. Mansker and sometimes others. The fort had 12 log cabins, 14 ft. apart in two parallel rows. Pickets walled spaces between cabins. Ammunition and supplies could be bought only by making long, dangerous trips to the Brazos settlements or to the south. Men were hard to spare for a trip, from the fort's defenders against Indians. Candles, soap, soda, food, clothing were made in the fort, by use of fat renderings, beeswax, wood ashes, wild herbs, bark, roots, berries, animal skins. Families had to promote education for their children. Other area forts included Allen's Ranch, also in Eastland County; Lynch and Green Ranches, Shackelford County; Buffalo Springs, Clay County; Bragg's and Murray's Forts, Young County; Picketville, Fort Davis, Owls Head and Mugginsville, Stephens County. After the war, Desdemona was established as a stop on the Old Waco-Ft. Griffin Road. It boomed to fame when oil was discovered in 1918. Its call for help to end lawlessness added new glory to Texas Rangers.

Marker Title:

Hankins Normal College

Address:

City:

Gorman

County:

Eastland

Year Marker Erected:

Designations:

N/A

Marker Location:

Marker Text:

Site of Hankins Normal College 1905-1912. Founders J. F. and J. H. Hankins. "And their works do follow them" Rev. 14:13.

Marker Title:

Hargus Farm

Address:

City:

Eastland

County:

Eastland

Year Marker Erected:

1982

Designations:

N/A

Marker Location:

North access road to IH-20, just West of SH 69 interchange, 2 miles East of Eastland.

Marker Text:

North Carolina native Larry Hargus (1810-87) and his wife Mary (Corder) (1824-1910) came to Eastland County in 1879. In 1881 they bought the original tract of their farm at this site from C. U. Connellee, a founder of Eastland. Members of the Hargus Family were active in the development of a local Methodist church and a son, James, was a Texas Ranger and a Civil War veteran. The family farm was later inherited by Larry Hargus' son Barry, who lived here with his wife Mackie (Gilbert) and eight children. This land has remained in the family for over 100 years.

Marker Title:

Kean Home

Address:

309 West 6th Street

City:

Cisco

County:

Eastland

Year Marker Erected:

1985

Designations:

Recorded Texas Historic Landmark

Marker Location:

309 West 6th Street, Cisco

Marker Text:

Construction on this home began soon after the destructive Cisco tornado of 1893. Originally built for George and Carrie Langston, it was purchased in 1899 by Edward Everett Kean (1857-1942). A dry goods merchant, Kean had come to Cisco in 1889 and was active in community affairs. This house, which features Eastlake influences, particularly in the decorative woodwork, remained in the Kean Family for more than 70 years.

Marker Title:

Kokomo School

Address:

City:

County:

Eastland

Year Marker Erected:

1969

Designations:

N/A

Marker Location:

From Gorman take FM 2689 6.3 miles to Kokomo Community. Marker is at community center near cemetery.

Marker Text:

First building erected in this once-thriving community was a one-room log schoolhouse, 1886. Only furnishings were a stove and split-log benches. In 1899 better equipment was acquired and a larger (30'x60') frame building was erected. In 1907 it was enlarged to two rooms. This school was consolidated with the Carbon School in 1949.

Marker Title:

Long Branch Baptist Church

Address:

City:

Rising Star

County:

Eastland

Year Marker Erected:

1985

Designations:

N/A

Marker Location:

From Rising Star, take U.S. 183 about 9 mile to CR 294; take CR 294 East about 2.6 miles. Continue on CR 400 East about 1 mile to church. Just South of Long Branch Cemetery.

Marker Text:

Formally organized on July 16, 1885, the Long Branch Baptist Church held its first worship services in an old schoolhouse on land donated by R. B. Covington. The thirteen charter members were served by W. B. Cobb, the church's first minister, until August 1886. Missionary pastors continued to hold monthly services over the years. The congregation, which built its first sanctuary on this site in 1905-06, has provided significant service to the Long Branch Community and the surrounding area throughout its history.

Marker Title:

Mangum Baptist Church

Address:

City:

Eastland

County:

Eastland

Year Marker Erected:

2005

Designations:

N/A

Marker Location:

6.9 miles Southeast of SH 6 on CR 192.

History:

The early community of Mangum, established at the juncture of two rail lines, held great promise as a commercial center. It once boasted a population of 500 and was the site of railroad section houses, a cotton gin, stores, a post office, a medical clinic and sawmills. Local wells that produced waters thought to have curative properties supported a mineral water company and a bathhouse operation.

In 1900, residents established a school known as High Point. There, local Baptists gathered for worship services from 1901 to 1904. On September 6, 1904, the congregants formed Bethany Baptist Church with nine charter members. Work began soon after on a building northeast of town, and it was completed the following year. In 1909, members chose to move their sanctuary into Mangum, but the effects of spring rains turned the 1.5-mile journey into a 17-day ordeal. The members persevered, however, and soon began worshipping at this site as the Mangum Baptist Church, adding other facilities over the years.

The community of Mangum started to decline in the 1920s with the removal of rail lines and shifts in population to other towns. Once again the church persevered, continuing to grow in service to a wide rural area of Eastland County. In the 1940s, the church replaced the early sanctuary with a new structure, and membership rose to more than 100 by the 1950s.

Over the years, Mangum Baptist Church has aided in the establishment of local missions, actively participated in associational work and supported many Baptist benevolences. It now serves as an important early reminder of Mangum and of the pioneer work of Baptists in the area.

Marker Title:

Site of J. H. McCleskey No. 1 Discovery Well of the Ranger Oil Boom

Address:

City:

County:

Eastland

Year Marker Erected:

1995

Designations:

N/A

Marker Location:

From Ranger take FM 101 West, just 0.1 mile past city limits. Turn South onto CR 459 to its end, past gate and onto oil derrick replica.

Marker Text:

The Texas and Pacific Coal Company struck oil at 1,000 feet about 10 miles east of Ranger in 1915. This event raised the hopes of area ranchers, farmers, and businessmen struggling to survive an economic slump brought on by severe drought and boo weevil-ravaged cotton fields. Oil expectations mounted then subsided when subsequent test-drillings turned up dry holes. Desperate local leaders sought out Texas and Pacific Coal Company General Manger William Knox Gordon in nearby Thurber to help them continue the search for oil. Contrary to the conclusions of some geologists, Gordon believed oil lay much deeper within the earth than the depths reached by previous test drillings. Gordon agreed to drill to a depth of 3,500 feet and on July 2, 1917, contractor Warren Wagner began drilling here on J. H. McCleskey's farm. On October 17, 1917, at a depth of 3,432 feet, McCleskey Well No. 1 hit pay sand and roared in with an estimated daily flow of 1,600 barrels of oil. The well was plugged on May 18, 1920. J. H. McCleskey Well No. 1 sparked the much-heralded, wild, and prolific Ranger oil boom that gained Ranger international fame as the town whose oil wiped out critical oil shortages during World War I, allowing the allies to "float to victory on a wave of oil."

Marker Title:

Merriman Baptist Church

Address:

City:

Ranger

County:

Eastland

Year Marker Erected:

1999

Designations:

N/A

Marker Location:

Marker Text:

Local Baptists met in private homes for many years between the nomination of Merriman as the county seat in 1874 and the organization of the Merriman Baptist Church in 1892. The charter members were Edmond Duncan, Fannie Duncan, Josie Duncan, Ozella Duncan, T. W. Duncan, Cles Hollaway, H. B. Inman, George Moss, C. J. Pugh, B. R. Williams, I. B. Williams, Virginia Williams and S. Williams. They called J. L. Mays as their first pastor. The congregation erected a small church house in 1893 and a wood frame meeting house in 1903. An oil boom hit the area in 1917. Trustees of the 29-member Merriman Baptist Church leased drilling rights on the property. When the derrick struck oil, the well began to earn $300 to $400 per day. The congregation kept a small amount for operating expenses and gave the rest to various Baptist organizations and charities. For some time, the church was able to give about $100,000 a year to domestic and foreign missions, the Buckner Orphans Home, Dallas and Houston sanitariums, Simmons College, Old Ministers Relief, Baptist Standard Publishing Company, Southwest Baptist Theological Seminary, Christian education and other causes. The noise of oil drilling operations in the area became disruptive to church services in 1918. The congregation built a tabernacle in the area in which services were held until 1922 when they erected a new brick edifice. The Merriman Baptist Church boasted two hundred and twenty-five members in 1999, seven of whom were descended from the 1918 membership, and continued to meet in the structure erected 75 years before. The church continues to serve the area. (1999)

Marker Title:

Merriman Cemetery

Address:

City:

Ranger

County:

Eastland

Year Marker Erected:

1993

Designations:

N/A

Marker Location:

From Ranger take FM 2461, 1 mile South of I-20 to cemetery

Marker Text:

According to local tradition this site was established as a community graveyard about 1873, the year Eastland County was organized and one year prior to the community of Merriman's selection as county seat. Although there are many unmarked gravestones in the cemetery, the earliest recorded burial is that of Orthosias Scarborough (d.1879). The first legal record of the Merriman Cemetery occurred in a deed executed by the Taylor Charcoal Company conveying two acres for use as a public burial ground to trustee M. V. Brewer in 1891. Oil discovered in 1917 on land owned by John H. McCleskey (buried here in 1918) started an oil boom that ultimately threatened the sanctity of the Merriman Cemetery. Oil speculators reportedly offered members of the Merriman Baptist Church a large sum of money to lease the cemetery grounds for drilling. The congregation, although its association with the cemetery is uncertain, turned the offer down. Josie Fox Duncan (d. 1940) deeded 75 acres to trustees of the cemetery in 1938 to provide an income for its perpetual care. The cemetery contains graves of early settlers, veterans of conflicts from the Civil War to Korea, and victims of a 1916-17 influenza epidemic.

Resource Name:

Mobley Hotel

Address:

4th Street and Conrad Hilton Avenue

Architect:

Olsen, A. J. Construction

City:

Cisco

County:

Eastland

Architectural Style:

No style listed

Narrative:

The Mobley Hotel is typical of the vernacular commercial and institutional architecture of the southern frontier found throughout west central Texas. It is a two-story building of solid brick construction. The parapet, pedestal and other features of stucco over brick decorate the exterior. Alterations and time have changed the original structure, but current restoration efforts seek to recreate some of its former appearance as well as turn it into a museum.

The Mobley Hotel is a two-story building of solid brick construction situated at the end of Conrad  Hilton Ave. (former Avenue D) on south side of the Texas and Pacific Railroad. The hotel was built in two stages demonstrated by the roof parapet wall - in the interior west side, where the original exterior wall is noticeable and on the front and rear exterior wall surface on the west side, where the joining of the two moments of its construction is evident.

This building is typical of the vernacular commercial and institutional architecture of the southern frontier found throughout west central Texas. The building has a flat roof, a parapet of stucco over bricks, two belts of brick and stucco over brick, ledges and pedestal also of stucco over brick and sash type windows. Its front entrance consists of a wooden porch leading to double doors with four lights on the upper part and two molded panels at the bottom. On the side facing the original site of the Cisco Railway Station is the entrance to the original cafe. This door is surmounted by a four-light transom. It has four lights on the upper part and a molded paneled moveable apron. This same type of door is also found in the rear of the hotel.

The entrance lobby leads directly to the cafe, the kitchen area, the restrooms and the coats and baggage stage room, which are in the east wing of the building. A stairway leading to the upper floor and a narrow multi-level corridor leading to the downstairs rooms are to the left of the lobby. Another stairway is situated in the west wing of the building. Some of the original solid oak doors to the guest rooms (with numbers on them) have been found on the premises. These doors consist of five molded panels on a solid frame and a top-hung transom light with clear glass. The ceiling in the lobby and restaurant area is of press formed metal which is in a deteriorated state. The ceilings throughout the rest of the building are of plaster over wood laths. The perimeter of the building is brick cavity wall plastered inside. All interior walls are of wood frame construction with plaster finish on wood laths. The floors are of pine on bridging joists with herring-bone strutting. Because of previous remodeling by past owners who used unskilled workers, much of the wooden structure of the building is in a state of decay.

The interior timber structure will be replaced with a fire resistant structure of light metal and pre-stressed concrete. The few rooms which still remind us of the original hotel will be reconstructed, as will the lobby and stairway. The remainder of the space will be reorganized into display areas, theater, meeting room and archives. The area at the rear of the building which was used for outside storage and deliveries, will be roofed over and glassed-in to be used as a meeting room for civic groups in Cisco. Dr. Rinaldo A. Petrini de Monforte, a restoration architect from Italy will direct the rehabilitation of the building.

A modern metal shed standing on the grounds of the property is a nonconforming intrusion which detracts from the integrity of the site. Few of the original trees planted by Mr. Lee Lieske, gardener of the hotel from 1916 to 1925 still flourish. French mulberry's and two 100 year old mesquite trees still stand. In the garden are the remains of a gold fish pond and fountain which used to be called a gazebo. The streets surrounding the property on the north, west and south sides are of red brick paving. All other buildings in the immediate vicinity contribute to the period and atmosphere of the Mobley Hotel.

A. J. Olsen Construction built the Mobley Hotel in 1916 for Henry Mobley. Conrad Hilton purchased the hotel in 1919, during the time it catered to the participants of the Ranger oil field boom in west central Texas. The building is significant for being the first Hilton Hotel. It was the birthplace of not only one of the world's leading hotel chains, but also of the modern hospitality industry itself.

Henry Mobley of Cisco built his hotel on property purchased from A. J. Olsen, who had purchased it from the Texas Central Railroad Company in 1914. The Mobley Hotel opened its doors in 1916. Most of its guests came from the railway station across the road. The major feature of the hotel was its cafe which catered to railway passengers who had short stopovers in Cisco. When the oil boom began in the Ranger field, Cisco attracted a large population of oil field workers, itinerant salesmen, businessmen, gamblers, and other professionals who usually flocked when sudden riches amassed. Mobley, taking advantage of this sudden demand for beds, transformed his 40 room hotel into a 120 room establishment by renting his rooms for eight hour periods that coincided with the shifts in the oil fields.

In 1919 a young banker from New Mexico, Conrad Nicholson Hilton, arrived in Cisco in order to purchase a bank for $75,000. When the deal fell through, the 32-year-old Hilton went to the Mobley Hotel to get a room for the night. He discovered that the hotel was renting its rooms three times over. After inspecting the books, Hilton offered to buy the hotel for $40,000 cash. Mobley accepted, for despite his hotel's success, he too was taken with oil fever and wanted to try his luck in the oil fields.

Hilton's first partner and hotel manager was L. M. Drown, a banker from San Diego. According to Hilton, the Mobley Hotel was the "ideal hotel to practice on." He regarded it as his "first love; a great lady." "She taught us the way to promotion and pay, plus a lot about running hotels." Two principals which are basic to all Hilton hotels were first tried in the Mobley: maximum reduction of wasted space and "esprit de corps" among the employees. He was the first to put a novelty shop in the lobby thus initiating the boutiques trend in hotels as an added service for guests and as a new source of revenue and space usage. Hilton realized the need for hotels that catered to middle and upper middle class patrons by providing maximum services and comforts with a minimum of cost. Hilton even coined and copyrighted a word to express his philosophy - mini max - which meant minimum cost and maximum comfort.

Hilton conceived of a systematic approach to hotel planning based on the economic use of space (columns in the hotel lobbies became showcases for high fashion designers, jewelers, craftsmen), sophisticated planning, innovative management, and a deep understanding that an atmosphere of comfort, luxury, and taste could be provided at an economical cost. These ideas became a basic blueprint that revolutionized the planning and architecture of hotels the world over from the siting of the entrance, front desk, and restaurant, to all parts of the hotel that catered unobtrusively to the comfort of the guests. He polished these concepts at the Mobley and then expressed them with total success when he personally designed the first Hilton Hotel in Dallas in 1924.

Hilton sold the Mobley Hotel in 1929. During the Depression it fell into disrepair. In 1956 after several changes in owners it was purchased by Mrs. Prissy Springer, who transformed it into a senior citizens home. Some rooms were turned into apartments, mechanical heating and cooling were added, corridors were ramped, and some of the larger rooms were subdivided so that the original 40 rooms became 46 rooms. In May 1971 Harold Martindale, a gold prospector from Alaska, bought the Mobley for $5,000 to turn it into apartments. That same year, the Cisco Historical Society gave the hotel a historical marker. Martindale sold the building on December 15, 1977 to G. H. Glanville who, acting on behalf of Eric Hilton, transferred the deed that same day to the University of Houston Foundation. In February 1979 the University of Houston Foundation, the Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management, and the Hilton family designated the Mobley Hotel in Cisco, Texas a memorial museum to house a collection of memorabilia that belonged to the late Conrad Hilton, who died on January 3, 1979 at age 91.

Hilton's genius in hotel administration and design, together with his philosophy of honesty and hospitality became the seed of modern hotel and restaurant management practices in the world today. Today there are 250 Hilton Hotels, employing 25,000 people in the United States and 23,500 in the rest of the world. In 1977 the gross revenue of the Hilton Corporation was $376 million; net profit after taxes was $40 million. C. N. Hilton is regarded as the father of the hospitality industry today. He had deservedly earned the title by which he was know the world over; "the world's finest innkeeper."

BIBLIOGRAPHY ON FILE IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER

Marker Title:

Old Mobley Hotel

Address:

104 East 4th

City:

Cisco

County:

Eastland

Year Marker Erected:

1970

Designations:

Recorded Texas Historic Landmark

Marker Location:

104 East 4th, Cisco

Marker Text:

First hotel owned by Conrad Hilton, who proceeded to become "The World's Foremost Innkeeper". Built in 1916, who sold out (1919) during Cisco's great oil boom to Hilton, then a 32-year-old ex-legislator and banker from New Mexico. On night of purchase Hilton "dreamed of Texas wearing a chain of Hilton hotels". In time reality outran that dream. Hotel was in use many years after sale by Hilton in 1925.

Marker Title:

Old Shinoak Springs

Address:

City:

County:

Eastland

Year Marker Erected:

1966

Designations:

N/A

Marker Location:

From Gorman take FM 8 about 1 mile West to dirt road leading to Frank Gray Park. Follow dirt road about 1 mile. Marker is located near picnic pavilion in park.

Marker Text:

Named for Dwarf Oaks. Before fencing began in 1880's, springs attracted cattle, horses, deer. Settlers hauled water for home and stock us. Town of Shinoak Springs thrived until M. K. & T. Railroad  bypassed it in 1880. Schoolhouse of rawhide lumber was built in 1882. Had seats of split logs. Pupils numbered 55. School grounds drew crowds of 8,000 for political rallies and camp meetings. A lake was formed in 1911 by a rock dam. "Frank Gray Memorial Park," given to city of Gorman, is now recreation and reunion ground, at site of old springs.

Marker Title:

Penn House

Address:

City:

County:

Eastland

Year Marker Erected:

1988

Designations:

Recorded Texas Historic Landmark

Marker Location:

On private property, from Cisco take FM 2945 West about 2.5 miles; go over bridge over railroad tracks. Then turn North on dirt road, about 0.8 miles to house.

Marker Text:

This Cumberland-plan vernacular farmhouse was built in 1898-1899 by Velzie W. Penn (1876-1954) with the help of his brothers and neighbors. Penn and his wife Addie, who lived here for over fifty years, were the parents of four sons, all of whom were born in the house. Originally consisting of three large rooms and a porch, the home was later enlarged. In 1933 the house was rocked with local stone gathered on the farm by Velzie Penn.

Marker Title:

Pleasant Hill Baptist Church

Address:

FM 2526

City:

Pleasant Hill

County:

Eastland

Year Marker Erected:

1992

Designations:

N/A

Marker Location:

From Carbon take FM 2526 West about 6.3 miles to church

Marker Text:

Eight charter members met in the Old Pleasant Hill Schoolhouse in 1892 and organized the Pleasant Hill Baptist Church. The congregation joined the Regional Cisco Baptist Association in 1893 and organized a Sunday school the following year. Although the first church structure, built in 1905, was destroyed by fire later that year, another was erected in 1906. A new structure was built in 1945. Several pastors of this church have also held eminent positions at institutions of higher learning in the area. This congregation has remained active in community and missionary programs.

Marker Title:

Prairie Oil and Gas Company Housing

Address:

1201 South Seaman

City:

Eastland

County:

Eastland

Year Marker Erected:

1983

Designations:

N/A

Marker Location:

1201 South Seaman, Eastland

Marker Text:

The Eastland County oil boom, 1917-1922, prompted construction of many of Eastland's substantial public and residential structures. Prairie Oil and Gas Company began oil exploration in the county, and in 1919 erected housing in this area for their company officials. W. I. Clark, the Eastland Superintendent, occupied this two-story structure, which was typical of 2 other company houses located directly north of this residence, one of which still stands. Sinclair Oil Co. purchased the operation in 1932 and in 1935 sold these houses to individuals.

Marker Title:

Old Ranger Post Office

Address:

205 Main Street

City:

Ranger

County:

Eastland

Year Marker Erected:

1963

Designations:

Recorded Texas Historic Landmark

Marker Location:

Medallion is inside Greer's Western Store, 205 Main Street, Ranger

Marker Text:

Application for Texas Historical Building Medallion included.

Marker Title:

Roaring Ranger

Address:

City:

Ranger

County:

Eastland

Year Marker Erected:

1967

Designations:

N/A

Marker Location:

At Roaring Ranger Oil Boom Museum (former train station), Main Street at Loop 254, Ranger

Marker Text:

Boom of high excitement and strategic importance. When oil demand was high during World War I, Texas Pacific Coal Company General Manager W. K. Gordon, a believer in deep drilling, persuaded his company to make the venture that started Ranger's oil boom at McCleskey No. 1 (1 mi. S). This blew in, October 1917, as a 1700-barrels-a-day gusher. Later gushers yielded up to 7,000 and 11,000-barrels-a-day each. Ten daily trains brought in prospectors packed in the aisles or on tops of coaches. Ranger's dozen or so houses became a city of drillers, suppliers, oil company offices. Living quarters were so scarce that not only were beds of day-tour men occupied by the graveyard-tour men, but overstuffed chairs were also rented for sleeping. Food was hard to get and prices were high. For two rainy years, Ranger was a sea of mud. A sled taxied people across streets, or a man in hip boots carried them piggyback. However, money was plentiful, and forces of vice moved in. After five murders occurred in one day, law officers arrested many criminals and expelled gamblers and vagrants. Ranger's success overshadowed its troubles. It is said to have yielded in a year twice the wealth of best years in California and Klondike gold fields.

Marker Title:

Rising Star

Address:

City:

Rising Star

County:

Eastland

Year Marker Erected:

1968

Designations:

N/A

Marker Location:

City Park, Highway 36 at West side of town, Rising Star

Marker Text:

First settlers - families of Andrew Agnew, Isaac Agnew, Fletcher Fields, David McKinley, Allis Smith and W. W. Smith - arrived in a wagon train from Gregg County, Jan. 6, 1876. Area was known for hardships: Indian raids, vigilante activities, gunfights. But a stable community developed around log school-church building erected in 1876. First store was founded about 1879 by Thomas W. Anderson and son William. Post office established 1880. The most creditable story as to how the town got its name is that the settlers suggested the name Star for the post office but it was rejected by the U.S. Postal authorities as another Texas town had that name. The settlers argued all night over the name selection, looked up and saw the morning star as they started home from their meeting and agreed to call it Rising Star. The city was first incorporated in 1891. In a 1905 election, there was a vote to dissolve the corporation but the charter was restored later the same year. Rising Star is the home of Texas (1939-1941) poet laureate Lexie Dean Robertson. Unique local structure is city hall built of stone from buried petrified forest. Economy is based on ranching, farming (a chief crop is Spanish peanuts), commercial pecans, industry, oil.

Marker Title:

Scranton Academy

Address:

City:

Cisco

County:

Eastland

Year Marker Erected:

1971

Designations:

N/A

Marker Location:

FM 1864, Scranton, 12 miles Southwest of Cisco, Cisco

Marker Text:

A private, coeducational school organized in 1903 to augment Scranton Public School (opened 1887). Scranton, a small farming-ranching community, was only 13 years old when citizens founded the academy, by public subscription. The school expanded rapidly, reaching an enrollment of 325 by 1910. At its peak all grade levels (then numbering 11) were taught. First president, O. C. Britton, presided 1903-1908. He was followed by W. W. Griffin (1909), S. P. Collins (1910-1911), and J. E. Temple Peters (1911-1915). Under Peters, courses were standardized, a science program begun, and a modern laboratory and library added. Later presidents were J. W. Hawkins (1916), and L. E. Ratten (1917). Among early trustees were G. W. Bailey, F. G. Boyd, A. P. Brown, W. D. Clinton, W. T. Gattis, E. B. Lane, J. J. Ray, W. T. Rutherford, A. M. Sprawls, J. R. Sprawls, and John L. Woods. In addition to basic subjects, school offered a teacher training program. Physical plant consisted of a large classroom building, a 500-seat auditorium, two dormitories, scientific laboratory, and library. During its lifetime, the academy contributed much to the town's culture and its graduates entered many different walks of life. It closed with the advent of World War I in 1917.

Marker Title:

Stubblefield Building

Address:

City:

Eastland

County:

Eastland

Year Marker Erected:

1926

Designations:

N/A

Marker Location:

Lamar and Main on the courthouse square, Eastland

Marker Text:

Application for Texas Historical Building Medallion included.