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BY DON B, SLOCOMB On the rocky divide between the Brazos and the Colorado, lies the town of Giddings in Lee County. Hardy souls had begun to settle in the southern section of this territory as early as 1866. The Negroes had been freed and the carpetbaggers were insufferable. We are not certain of the reason for set tlement at this time, perhaps to escape from the oppression of the early reconstruction days, which was prevenent in the more thickly populated com munities. It is also possible that premature news of the TC Railroad’s intention to come through this spot, had leaked out, thus encouraging an early settlement. ere was much lawlessness in 1866, following the war be tween the states, Bill Longley, at the age of 15, had killed his first man. Bill had gone to Houston, boarding the TC at Hempstead, to purchase his first six shooter. Instead of buy ing the weapon, however, he and a friend stabbed a Negro police man to death, and Longley took the dead man’s six shooter as his very own. It is noteworthy that Bill Longley, after his first murderous act, beat a hasty retreat back to Old Ever green in Lee County. The F. A. Rice interests in 1868 began to buy up tracts of land from Houston westward and obviously were following the proposed route of the H TC Railroad, which construction was coming out of Hempstead at this time. When these people began to buy land in this area, it became apparent that this railroad seq indeed come through the Giddings settle ment. Fortunately the likes of Bill Longley, Sam Bass, Cullen Bak er, and the James boys were in the minority in those early days, and as settlements, here and elsewhere, began to grow, strong, righteous men began to take control. One such man in Lee County was T.G.B. Willard. Willard was born in England in 1843. He moved with his par ents to Texas in 1850, and pro bably settled in Lee County after his marriage in 1870 to Cath erine Jones. Six children, Hor ace, Shelly, Laura, Ransome, Jones, Kate, and Grace were born to this happy union. Kaillard was an educator at heart, but his con tribution to education was mani fested in the lives of his child ren and grandchildren, Shelly would serve on the news school board from 1913 to 1922, and Kate would serve as a tea cher from 1901 to 1907. His grandsons (sons of Shelly) would serve as educators also, with Horace on the school board from 1950, and Fred as a tea cher from 1954. Fred and Horace are continuing to serve as this treatise is being writ ten in 1970. Bill Lorley and T. G. B. Willard represented two oppos ing forces in the early days of Giddings and Lee County. That right won over wrong is exemplified in their lives. Longley, an outlaw, contributed little of worth to mankind and died in dishonor in 1878 at the age of 27. Willard, an upstand ing citizen, contributed much to humanity and died an honor able man in 1918 at the age of 75. The H TC Railroad was completed through Giddings in 1871, and the certainty that Gid dings would survive as a village was then assured. People began thinking about organizing their town, about building churches for the citizens, and about a school for their children. The settlement of Giddin was surveyed and laid out in blocks and streets in 1871 by Theo Kosse, a railroad engi neer. The town of Kosse, Texas in his namesake. Giddings was named after Colonel J. D. Gid dings of Brenham in 1872, and in that same year the com munity voted to incorporate the little village as the town of Giddings, but the state re fused to recognize it as an in corporated town. In 1872, after the state had refused to certify Giddings as an incorporated town, a trustee groue the citizens of this eee purchased lot 10 in block 44 from the F. A. Rice interests. This pro perty was to be used for a building to house religious, edu cational, and fraternal groups, and the deed contained a rever sion clause, which would revert this property back to the ori ginal owner, should the trustees default on any of the specifics contained in this document. Thus, blt education was born in Giddings with the ac quisition of this property. Even so, the first organized school program would not be imple mented until 1874, and the schools would not become public until the early townspeople were of several nationalities, with the Jews being the most num erous. This fact is contrary to the popular conception in the 1970’s that the rmans held this place of high esteem. The Americans of English des cent, the Germans and the Scotch-Irish followed the Jews in the ethnic makeup of the early settlement. The Negroes were relatively few in number. There are very few Jews residing in Giddings in the 1870s which lends credence to the popular folk tale that the Ger mans and the Scotch-Irish were much too conservative for the Jews, so they (the Jews) left. Such a narrative, if true, is not documented. It has been handed down from one genera tion to the other since the 1880's. Bill Longley, an outlaw and a discredit to the town of Gid dings and Lee County, was pub lchanged in 1878, the first newspaper was pub lished in 1879. The first Lee County courthouse was erected on block 79, and the Grange Store was founded in this year also. The Gran Store was located on lots 10, block 47. The location of the first newspaper plant is not definite ly known, but it is believed to be been located on lot1, block The Cassino Hall was con structed in 1880, on lots 9 10, block 149. Many dramatic fea tures, as well as educational programs and endeavors were presented in this building. As its name seems to imply, the Cassino Hall was primarily a gambling house where cassino and other games of chance were played. The city of Giddings in the 1970’s is renowned for its beau tiful churches. This prestigious image did not come about in a short period of time. The Ger man Methodist and the Pres byterian Churches formed in 1876, were probably the first organized churches in this fledgling village. In 1877 the Methodist Church held its meet ings in the school house located on lot 10, block 44. In 1881, the Baptist Church was constructed on lots 5 6, block 80. Dr. F. M. Law donated the land and money for this church, and subsequently be came its pastor. The Presbyterian Church was constructed in 1885 and located on lots 6 7, block 44. The Immanuel Lutheran Church was constructed in that year also an was situated on block 65. In 1886 the city purchased its first fire truck. It was a clumsy of contraption equipped with a high hand pump. is machine was operated by twelve Negro men, and was quite an improvement over the time honored bucket brigade. The first bank in Giddings was a small private concern, owned by P.M. Cuney and Co., and was organized in 1889. This firm was not a financial suc cess, and in 1891 it merged with the First National Bank of Elgin to form the First National Bank of Giddings. Dr. J. A Fields was the new bank’s first pre sident and would remain in this osition until 1907. P. M. Cuney, J. Archinald, I. J. Fariss, J. L. Rousseau, Ed R. Sinks, and S. F. Wade were its first directors. The bank was located on lots 8, 9 10, block 45, its present location in 1970. J. C. Hillsman succeeded Dr. Fields as president and served for 9 years to 1916. Judge Ed R. Sinks followed Mr. Hillsman and continued in this office until his death in 1936. G. H. Fritsche was then installed and directed the bank’s operations until 1942, when he was succeeded by Mon roe Hannes, who is presently (1970) performing the duties of the chief executive officer for this thriving establishment. Dr. Fields left the bank’s presidency in 1907 to become president of the oil mill. He was quite versatile in his tal ents: a very competent physi cian, a banker, and a business man. He died on May 13, 1921, at the age of 69. Dr. Fields was the grandfather of C. W. Fields, a prominent rancher and businessman in Lee County in the 1970's. Judge Ed R. Sinks was the father of the late Ed and Madgie Lee Sinks, of Giddings, who died in 1965 and 1966, respec tively. The Citizens State Bank was organized in 1906. W. A. Knox was its first president and its first board directors were: J. Durrenburger, I.J. Farris, A.E. Falke, W. E. Williams, August Mierzschin, and W. O. Bowers. The bank was located on lots See OPPOSING FORCES, page 7 CITY OF GIDDINGS SEWER LINE LAID IN 1924
Newspaper Details
Giddings Times and News
Giddings, Texas, US
Thu, Jun 24, 1971
Page 94
Full Page
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Anonymous
USA 08 Feb 2026
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Giddings Times and News
