This is just the beginning! Our collection holds over 300 years of history, including rare newspapers, obituaries, marriage records, birth records, and so much more—most of which you won’t find anywhere else!
Blackwell’s early growth and key town landmarks
The article chronicles Blackwell’s origins from named streets to post office moves, rail line completion in 1909, and early businesses. It notes founder names, first postmasters, the Orient Railroad impact, bank formation in 1907, first telegraph, school, church, and hotel histories, and a 1936 fire that destroyed much of the town. It also recalls editorials predicting a sanitarium site and early community leaders.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Coke County News
Abilene
Reporter News
Charles Ragsdale
James
Orient Railroad
Orient Townsite Company
Sweetwater
Robert Lee
Jerry MecShan
Olga
D. T. Hunt
Roe McRorey
Jerry McShan
Post Office Department
Blackwell
P. Q O. Department
Orient
McDonald Brothers
Ben Palmer
First State Bank
First National Bank
Bronte Bank
J. F. Campbell
J. T. Hamilton
J. L. Ross
J. B. Henslee
L. T. Youngblood
Bronte
J. J. Montgomery
Tom Carlisle
Henry Fulton
W. P. Hunt
Oscar Shepherd
San Angelo Telephone Co
John Collins
N. B. Robinson
Hylton
Doc McDorman
Dark Downing
O. M. Ratliff
J. W. Reed
Primitive Baptists
Old Oie
David McLaughlin
Dan
Jim
John Patterson
Lawson Russell
John Russell
Will Whiteside
Ruff Whiteside
Griffin McRorey
J. Q. Hanna
Nolan County
John
Tom Ford
Ben
R. L
Bob) Hall
Oak Creek Lake