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History in
a Pecan Shell
Francisco
Ruiz, a Mexican officer was the recipient of the original land grant.
A man named Brown operated a stagecoach stop in the 1840s and a post
office operated out of a tavern/ general store. Christopher Hearne,
a planter that came to town in 1852, saw that the railroad was the
thing of the future. He offered the railroad a right-of-way in 1858
on some of his 10,000 acres with land for a townsite thrown in for
good measure. But the Civil War put things on hold and it was Hearne’s
widow that eventually deeded 700 acres to the Houston and Texas Central
Railway in 1867. The railroad arrived in April of 1868 and boom days
followed. A post office opened in 1869. In 1870 the International-Great
Northern came through which made Hearne a railroad “Crossroads.”
The town incorporated in 1871.
Hearne had 1,300 people in 1885 and 2,129 in 1900.
The town was about 3,511 the year that the general Texas population
shifted from rural to urban (1941). |
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The Hearne Depot
- Moved in the year 2000 awaiting a complete restoration on the south
side of Hwy 6.
TE Photo, Dec. 2001
More Texas Depots |
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The
Smith-Welch Library downtown.
TE Photo, Dec. 2001 |
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City
Cafe in Hearne
TE Photo, Dec. 2001 |
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The
former Queen Theatre in Hearne
TE Photo, Dec. 2001
More Texas Theatres
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Fourth Street,
Hearn, circa 1930s
Postcard
courtesy www.rootsweb.com/ %7Etxpstcrd/ |
Farmers' &
Planters' Oil Mill, Postmarked 1916
Click on image to enlarge
Old Photo
courtesy Dan
Whatley Collection |
Hearne Chronicles
Camp
Hearne - WWII POW Camp
Not
so great escapes by Clay Coppedge
On Aug. 9, 1944, three German soldiers put a homemade raft into
the Brazos River as part of their plan for a return trip to Germany.
They were Prisoners of War at a camp near Hearne in Robertson County.
They made their Huck Finn-style raft from waterproof GI ponchos
and wood and used umbrellas for sails. ... more
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Camp
Hearne
›
1942 - 1947
One of the largest Prisoner of War Camps in Texas during WWII.
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People
Dr.
Edward Arrel Pye, A Texas Medical Hero by W. T. Block Jr.
Whenever the virulent yellow fever plague came to town, the townsmen
who were cautious packed up their families and belongings and fled
elsewhere. Sometimes a town’s physician did not leave; they stayed
to treat their patients and occasionally died...
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Hearne Texas
Forum
Subject:
Chatmas Theatre
The picture you show as the Chatmas Theatre is not the Chatmas.
The one you show is actually west of the Chatmas. This was the Mexican
theatre, the Queen.
The Chatmas was where the Guy Chandler Park is now. They have a
Veteran's Memorial there.
I grew up in Calvert, lived there a while as an adult, and taught
in Hearne for many years. I spent a lot of happy hours in the Eloia
in Calvert and the Chatmas in Hearne,
with trips to the drugstore afterward.
The night the Chatmas burned, we could see the glow in the sky from
Calvert. We were all sad that it was not rebuilt. So, there is nothing
left of the Chatmas.
You might contact the "Hearne Democrat" for a picture of the two
theatres in Hearne, when they were in good shape. Someone in Hearne,
maybe the library, might have a picture to share.
There was also a drive-in theatre in Hearne. It was located where
the motels are just north of Hearne on Highway 6, and that triangle
formed where the Cameron Highway goes past the Fireman's Hall.
An Austin artist, Larry Willcott, I believe is his name, has a lovely
watercolor of the Eloia in Calvert. All that is missing is movie
posters in the display cases, the popcorn machine, and Miss Eloise
in the ticket booth, Carl standing by the popcorn machine, and their
son in his A&M uniform selling popcorn. (They didn't sell drinks
and candy at the Eloia. But, the Chatmas had a glistening candy
counter inside.) Hope this helps. Check with some oldtimers to be
sure you have the right buildings. Some of the newcomers don't know.
- Cecelia Conitz Heinrich, January 28, 2006
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Grain silos in
Valley Junction TX, outside Hearne toward the Brazos River.
They were torn down in the 2010s.
TE photo, June 2003
More Grain
Elevators |
Robertson
County 1907 postal map showing Hearne and the railroads
From Texas state map #2090
Courtesy
Texas General Land Office |
| Texas
Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing
Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history, stories,
landmarks and recent or vintage photos, please contact
us. |
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