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"Picture
of unpaved main street c. 1925. Before the streets were paved they
had rows of sidewalks going across the street."
- Photo courtesy Kathy Spier |
History in
a Pecan Shell
Long before the
formation of homeowner's associations there was a man called Isaac
(Nat) Smith. According to local legend, Smith had donated land for
the formation of a town to be called Rowe,
Texas. Since he had donated the land, he felt he had a say in
the types of houses that should be constructed. Smith's stipulations
didn't sit well with people moving in - so the town moved out. Even
though the town had a depot, school, bank and churches, they hooked
everything up to mules and hauled the town a mile east in 1907.
As soon as the move was over, the town couldn't wait to sever all
ties with Rowe and Mr. Smith. This they
did by applying for a post office and incorporating as Hedley - after
a railroad official of the Fort Worth and Denver Railway who saw to
it that the railroad moved its shipping pen and depot from Rowe
(in 1909). Rowe became a footnote and
Mr. Smith's reactions are not known.
Hedley built a school in 1910 but no population figures are available
for that period. The town became a cotton-production
center and a huge ginning operation was built in the 1950s but from
a healthy population of just over 800 in 1930, Hedley declined to
just 380 for the 1980 Census. |
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First Methodist
Church of Hedley
2005 Photo courtesy Jon Leggett |
First Methodist
Church of Hedley in 1915
Click on image to enlarge
Photo courtesy Mary Lynn, daughter of Pastor Wilber Lynn of Hedley |
First Methodist
Church of Hedley in 1915
Click on image to enlarge
Photo courtesy Mary Lynn, daughter of Pastor Wilber Lynn of Hedley |
"The first
three brick businesses built along the Hedley Main St. Today they
house the Hedley Senior Citizens and Hedley Lions Club."
- B.L. Shaw, September 03, 2006 |
Hedley water
tower
Photo courtesy Ken
Rudine, July 2006 |
Hedley, Texas
Forum
Subject:
Hedley, Texas
MY FATHER (JAMES DONALD BAILEY SR) WAS BORN (JULY 14 1928) IN HEDLEY
AND LIVED THERE UNTIL SOMETIME IN THE EARLY 1940's. MY FATHER HAD
THREE BROTHERS, JOHN TRAVIS, JAMES DONALD and FRANCIS MERLE. MY
GRAND FATHER, OLIN EDGAR BAILEY AND MY GRANDMOTHER WAS ELEANOR MARTHA
BAILEY ARE BURIED IN ROWE CEMETARY AS WELL AS SEVERAL OF THEIR CHILDREN.
I DO NOT KNOW MUCH ABOUT HEDLEY OR MY GRAND PARENTS OTHER THAN WHAT
I HAVE PICKED UP FROM OLD STORIES OF MY AUNTS AND UNCLES AND WHAT
I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FIND IN CENSUS AND OTHER REPORTS ON THE INTERNET.
I BELIEVE THAT MY GRAND FATHER WAS A MERCHANT / MANAGER AND HAD
SOMETHING TO DO WITH PROVIDING ICE FOR HEDLEY. I BELIEVE THAT MY
GRAND MOTHER WAS A HOUSE KEEPER AND LATER DID SOME SORT OF TEACHING
AFTER MY GRAND FATHER DIED. FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND MY GRAND FATHER
WAS HIT ON THE HEAD WITH A TRUCK WHEEL AND WENT BLIND AND DIED (AFTER
BEING SICK FOR A GOOD WHILE) WHEN MY DAD WAS ELEVEN YEARS OLD. MY
GRAND MOTHER EITHER HAD BEEN TEACHING OR STARTED TEACHING AFTERWARDS
AND THEN FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND SHE HAD DEVELOPED CANCER AND DIED
SEPT 27, 1947 IN PLAINVIEW, TEXAS. MY GRAND MOTHER WAS RETURNED
TO HEDLEY AND BURIED IN ROWE CEMETARY. MY UNCLE CHARLES EDGAR WENT
TO SCHOOL IN MCLEAN AND PLAYED FOOTBALL. I HAVE ONE OF HIS FOOT
BALL GAME PROGRAMS. THAT IS ABOUT ALL OF THE IMFORMATION THAT I
HAVE PERTAINING TO HEDLEY. I HOPE TO GO THROUGH SOME PAPERS AND
PICTURES IN THE FUTURE
I PLAN ON DRIVING UP TO HEDLEY SOON TO SHOW MY SON WHERE HIS GRANDFATHER
WAS BORN AND LIVED FOR THE FIRST 19 YEARS OF HIS LIFE. I DO NOT
THINK THAT WHAT I HAVE GIVEN YOU IS GOING TO HELP, BUT I WAS HOPING
THAT IT MIGHT AND IF ANYTHING RINGS A BELL WITH YOUR READERS, THEY
MIGHT BE ABLE TO SHARE SOME IMFORMATION WITH ME. - JIM, MARY & J.D.
BAILEY, SAN ANTONIO, October 31, 2007
Subject:
Hedley, Texas
I am in the process of writing a history of Hedley. Attached are
a few photos I have recently acquired. If anyone has historical
information about Hedley's early years, they can contact me. pkspier@valornet.com
- Kathy Spier, Hedley, Texas, September 23, 2007
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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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