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EARLY HISTORY ~iOF COLMESNEILMeadows, Tibitha Mann and' many years an attorney at Wood -others worked tirelessly at thej ville, Wiley Martin, who was for many years superintendent ofIn addition to the hotels of Ogden mentioned above, there were three prosperous hotels which began operation in what was known as the lower town. The J. E Riely home, or the old Meadows home, was originally the Douglas Hotel. Mr. Douglas was immaculate and outsand-ing in appearance and was an excellent leader in church work. To the rear of this hotel was a little store operated by a man who called himself Cheap John. He was a talented musician and would draw the crowd by playing his accordian. Then he would auction off his wares.The Fortenberry Hotel was the smaller two-story part of the old East Texas Hotel still standing next to the road. In 1888 Mrs. Minnie Sturrock, as she recalls, with her grand-mother, Mrs. Mary Enloe, had lunch at this hotel and waited for the train t that would take her to Woodville for a visit with her uncle, Geo-j rge Enloe, sheriff of the county., Other early proprieters were the Gormans, who were Mrs. Marty's family,and the McDonalds, and later, the Woodalls, Perry Manns and the Matthews.( The Collier Hotel was built on I the site where Marlin Fortenberry ’s home now stands and the name was later changed to the Commercial Hotel. The Widow Leggett ran this hotel for years and married Dave Russell, a large man connected with the T.H.Neylandbusiness. Jim Milner bought the hotel and sold it to John Maim, Sr. and later Issae . Hayes and Tom Abbott had their turns as proprietors.Churches During the days of Ogden's prosperity, two churches near the old Masonic Hall seemed to have been well attended. To the west of this building was a Catholic Church and on a little clay hill to the rear, and very near the old Shillings home, was a Methodist church. The Baptist church had its birth under a brusli arbor on the branch in what is now Pat Gleaves' t : pasture, to the left of Lake Tejas j road. Bro. Arnold Rhodes did the | preaching and he was said to | have been a great exhorter and j one to stir the hearts of his j listeners to the point of over-.| flowing.The first church build-ing was a long structure built on the side of the hill where I the Katy church now stands.! Here Bro. Jeff Rhodes, Bro. Arnold's son, was one of the principal preachers. He was also very powerful and an excellent orator. The rear end of the building was several feet off the ground, so, when a storm came in 1902, the house was j. wrecked. The pastor then was Bro. John Martin. Month after month he was shepherd of hislittle flock in visiting the ill0 and feeding the attendants on the gospel, accepting no moneyI for his services while the good1 women of the church raisedfunds for the erection of a smal-2 ler building, Mrs. Mollie Shil-s lings, Virginia Sturrock, Ellatask while the men did the build ing. To announce services, Bro. Martin's brother-in-law, S. H. Meadows, would climb the hill from his store and ring the belL This bell has recently been placed on a steel tower to the rear of the new church where it still calls folks to services on Sunday morning. Near the old Baptist church was also erected a Methodist church and the people of the town attended either church which could provide a minister for the aermon.Other early Baptist churches in this vicinity were Sand Hill, Mount Zion, Bethany, Egypt, Ebenezer, Mount Carmel and last, Sunny Dell which was organized in 1883. Each of these churches had three services on one weekend out of each month and one revival each summer after crops were laid by. This was called a protracted meeting and considered the big eventof the vear.i nere were other ministers besides those mentioned above. Bro. Sam Mann, father of Dr. D.A. Mann of Beaumont, Bro. Mann was a kind and loving old man who had a very emphatic manner of delivery, punctuating every sentence with a shake of his head and a wag of his beard Old Bro.Kimmey had long black hair and beard and a wiered, shaking, quivering voice that seemed to make the rafters in the old church buildings vibrate, and old Bro. Mastcrson, tall and stately and witli long beard, a charming maimer and a Godly appearance, resembled a pat riarch from the pages of the Old Testament. Bro. Blackshear had short white beard that cncolsed his face like a rounded frame, and Bro. Hensarling had a bald head around wliich his glasses were tied with a string. He also had a long beard and came on horesback from old Concord in Angelina County. When he preached and Bro. Pascall Lawrence led the singing from the old Scared Harp, the walls almost burst from the overflowing of the spirit and there was much weeping and shouting among the members of the congregation.Schools The first school building designated as such was on a hill near the cemetery and to the south of the old Collier home. This was a two-story wooden structure with three rooms and was considered an excellent school for its day. Among the first teachers in this building were Wyatt Kirkwood and Mrs. Nettie Nell who lived near the building with her husband and first child. Those who followed were a Mr. Collins, Clara Hig-nett and Sallie Scott. In 1893 the building burned and classes were then conducted in churches, the Masonic Hall and other | available space. Tom Maim, forthe Kirbyville schools, and Mia [ Vierra Griffin were among those who taught in the Masonic Hall. Later another wooden building was erected in the oak grove to ithe rear of Mrs.Lizzie Riley's jhome. Among the several teachers who taught here was Miss Willie Neel, daughter of Mrs. Nettie Neel, who was teacher of the primary grades for many •years. This was replaced by a brick building between this site and the Masonic Hall, and when consolidation came, the present school was built on the opposite side of town beyond the Texasand New Orleans Railroad track.Today old Colmesneil, with its shady lawns and board walks, is quietly retreating into pastliis-tory. A new Colmesneil is fast pushing up the slope and across the track toward the school and new churches, but the lovely old homes of the past, with their cherished memories, arc still the town’s richest treasures.HENRY FLOWERS RITES HELVGraveside services for Henry Levi Flowers, 98,of Steels Grove, near Colmesneil, were held at 2 p. m. Thursday at the Steels Grove Cemetery.Rev.Decker Sanders, Colmesneil, officiated, Edwards Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.Nephews served as pallbearers.He had lived in the Steels Grove Community 97 years. He had engaged in farming and ranching until he retired. He was a Methodist.Surviving arc three daughters. Miss Fallic Flowers, Mrs. Vadna Barclay and Miss Sallie Flowers of Colmesneil; four grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.Mrs. Ann Bowen attended the Cosmeticians Beauty Show Sunday at the Ridgewood Motel in Beaumont. She also attended private classes in advanced liair styling under the direction of Edward Kitz Miller, famous hair stylist from St. Louis, Missouri.
Newspaper Details
Woodville Pineywoods Press
Woodville, Texas, US
Thu, May 28, 1964
Page 2
Full Page
Clipped by
Catherine B.
USA 15 Oct 2023
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