|
Moline
sign. "Looking north on FM 1047"
Photo courtesy Mark Mauldin, July, 2005 |
History in
a Pecan Shell
Settlement
began around 1884. A blacksmith opened shop with a corn mill as a
side business. The name is said to come from homesick Hossiers - pining
for their previous home of Moline, Illinois. Another story is that
the name came from the popular Moline plow - one of which was present
when town-naming was being discussed. A cotton gin opened in 1900
and in 1910 a post office was established in J. W. Trussell's store.
The town was fortunate enough to have a physician (Dr. Hicks) who
not only opened a drugstore - but also opened a rare emergency operating
room.
Moline's first school was a one-room building 2½ miles south of town.
In the 20s a man named Jim Tom Brown built a garage over the foundations
of the former blacksmith shop.
In the 1930s the town had thirty-five people or so and three stores.
By 1935 a teacherage was added. Moline reached its population zenith
in the early 1940s with around 100 people calling the town home.
Moline's student population declined until the students attended classes
in Lometa in 1943 and then
onward to Star the following
year.
The old school was then converted into a community facility.
The population declined to the point where it was estimated as a mere
sixty in 1949.
The town's post office closed its doors in 1976. Moline had had two
stores plus the post office in the early 1970s.
"The stone structure was Paul Lee's
General Store/Gas Station. The store sold various groceries, feed,
and gasoline. It also housed the Moline, Texas Post Office until the
post office closed in the mid-1970's. The store permanently closed
its doors a short time later. " - Donna Kay (Soules) Mauldlin
|
 |
Molin
Schoolhouse
Photo courtesy Jeremy Herring, 2012
|
Historical Marker:
from Lometa go NE on FM
581 about 8.5 miles, then take FM 1047 N about 5 miles
Moline School
Site
The Moline community
was settled on the north central boundary line of Lampasas
County in the 1880s. Early families in the area were the Carswells,
Cooks, Andersons, Woods, Bakers, O'Neals, Hairstons, Pattersons, Poes,
Murphys, Adamses, and Woolseys.
Children of the settlers attended school in Payne Gap (Mills
County) or in the Gray community. Facilities at these schools
grew too small to accommodate the number of children in the area.
In 1916, Kenneth A. and Olive Patterson donated five acres of land
for the Moline School. Prominently sited on a hill (100 yds. SE) overlooking
the community, the original three-room building was constructed by
G. C. O'Neal with the help of other citizens.
From 1916 until 1949, Moline School grew to include five classrooms,
a science lab, library, homemaking room, shop, lunchroom, and a four-room
teacherage. During its peak enrollment in the early 1930s, Moline
was the largest rural school in Lampasas
County. Although the school closed in 1949 and Moline is now a
ghost town, their history is an important part of the heritage of
Lampasas County.
1985 |
 |
Moline School
Site Historical Marker
South of Moline below the school site on FM 1047.
Part of the structure can still be seen on the hill.
Photo courtesy Mark Mauldin, July, 2005 |
Molin
Schoolhouse - "The exterior of the building is almost completely
overgrown with vegetation."
- Jeremy Herring, 2012 photos
|
Paul
Lee's General Store/Gas Station/Post Office
Photo courtesy Mark Mauldin, July, 2005 |
| 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. |
|
|
HOME
