Home
Up
Talk Under the Tipi
Old Photos of Aubrey
Goin Family History
Goin Family Photos
Harmon Family History
Harmon Family Photos
Jones Family History
Jones Family Photos
Doyle Family History
Cogburn Family History
Cogburn Family Photos
Barrel Page
Indian Girl

07-20-05

I have previously shared with you some of the items Hazel Shelton, wife of J.B. Shelton found while digging in and researching and documenting old facts about the area. Hazel was very careful in finding and researching old rare records that would have otherwise been destroyed. Hazel’s keen eye toward gathering these old documents facts was supplemented by her daughters, Billie and Betty. It seems that they were always busy gathering and putting together information from old events and records.

Before Hazel married J.B. Shelton, he and his other brothers, which included Roy, and Troy (Jack) and their father Tom worked with my Dad in the hay field. They were long time residents of the area.

Hazel was the City Secretary from the 1980's into the 1990's. She came across the street from the City Hall to the hardware store a short while before her health began to fail and gave me a notebook filled with handwritten notes that she had documented from various publications.

These hand written pages have occupied a welcome spot in my collection. I have made reference to her documents may times throughout the years

Hazel went through the many old Pilot Point papers that dated back to the late 1880's and documented all of the information she could find about Aubrey. In her writing of a January 21, 1888 edition, she documented the following clippings and short passages:

Jan. 21, 1888 – J.M. Bruce Dry Goods; Joe Powledge bought the grocery department of Rowley and Gradick. There was a social hop at the Parker and Billingslea Hall.

Sat. Dec. 31, 1887 – Joe Powledge came near to getting his eye put out while fighting with roman candles. Several others received severe burns. J.M. Bruce received a severe burn.

Sat. March 10, 1888 – Dr. Howser – Doctor at Aubrey. A committee selecting a place for the cemetery decided to locate it west of the Baptist Church and bought six acres from L.N. Edwards. (Hazel inserted a note in 1973 that says "The Baptist Church then faced the east at corner of what is now Magnolia and Spring Hill Road on FM 428")

The Aubrey School building is now nearly complete only lacking paint. (Bouncer’s comment in 2005 - this was the large steep roof barn that was taken down among the tall oak trees where the new high school is located on Spring Hill Road. The barn was what was left of the school that was constructed in 1887.)

Sat., Match 31, 1888 – County court is examining evidence in the case of Mrs. Clardy for shooting Mr. Speers at Aubrey, Thursday. Citizens called as witnesses were: Lewis Caddel, Pleas Howser, Charlie Edwards and C.F. McDonald.

Sat. Oct. 20, 1888 – The new Aubrey School is almost ready. It is a beautiful gothic structure. The main building is 30' x 60', in addition to an office a rostrum, 14' x 12' on the east side and a recitation room, 16' x 16' and primary room, 24' x 30' on the west and a hall 12' x 14' extending to the main room. The roof is self supporting. Near the northwest corner a dome tastefully proportioned rises 67'; over the main entrance. There is a basement of rock for furnace and coal. The rooms are to be heated by the furnace and 4 registers. Desks are the latest improved patterns and black boards are on three walls. Ventilators of the most improved style carry off the foul air in the rooms. The building and furnishings cost $3,000. Teaching this year is Professor Stephen N. Howser, late county superintendent of Macon Co. Tennessee. And his assistant is Pleas Howser of Aubrey. (Added by Hazel Shelton – This school was located east of where 377 is now on the south side of what is now FM 428 on the Thompson place - 1973)

Aug. 16, 1890 – They hung massive windows with weights in the Aubrey Institute and have purchased sufficient blackboards, paper, erasers, and slates. Next they will build a music hall. Mrs. Edwards is the music teacher.

Mr. Francis Caddel moved into town to be near his cotton gin.

Mrs. Rhodes has presented her little daughter with an organ.

Sept. 6, 1890 – Mr. Rhodes has opened a bed springs factory in Aubrey. Mr. Witt now has a lumber yard in Aubrey. He purchased the property of James Mullins grocery store and will use it as an office for the lumber yard.

Oct. 4, 1890 – The barber, W. J. Slaton, bought a lot from L.N. Edwards and may build a business house on it. W.P. Parker, of Sandtown, bought a corner lot off L.N. Edwards and is erecting a business house on it. W.L. Zumwalt, and Aubrey lumberman, lives at Sandtown but has bought the Methodist parsonage and will move his family here soon.

Mary Tatum will teach at Martin’s school house this winter.

Crawford Brothers have added drawers to the shelves in their business.

Mr. Parker is having a store house built. Crawford Brothers and J.L. Parker are putting brick pavement in front of their business. W.L. Rector will run Parkers Store here and Parker will run the old one on Elm.

The Aubrey post office receipts were $250 this year.

W.E. Kelley had a boy Wednesday night and woke the town shouting.

Sat. Oct. 18, 1890 – Grocery owned by Pola Cadell and W.H. Tatum.

About 2006 bales of cotton have been weighed to date on the Aubrey Scales.

A Sunday School was organized Sunday at the Methodist Church.

While many of the names are not familiar with the residents of today, they do maintain a place in the history of our town. I have more information that Hazel gathered and will use it in upcoming weeks. Let me hear from you if you have anything you can contribute.

The photo is one I have shared previously. It is of the school building that was described in the above excerpts, and was located where the current high school is located.

 
   
 

[ Home ]