Page last updated:

Nov. 3,  2007

   MAIN INDEX   EARLY YEARS INDEX   NEIGHBORS EXPEDITION    BIGFOOT WALLACE    1890s

    A Mr. Whaley took these photos in June 1909 just after Mr. Ayers completed four new buildings along the east side of Texas Avenue.  Those buildings include all the storefronts from the Counts (De Leon’s Monitor) building to the Streety (Frank’s Home Center) building.  Over the years, the buildings would house the City Market, Hansford’s Barber Shop, Coy’s Cleaners, Leon Theater, Mary Kimball’s Dress Shop, Margaret’s Beauty Shop and Craig’s Jewelry, to name only a few.

    Left:  Mrs. M.V. Schellingear (L) and Miss Kate. Miss Kate’s last name is not known.

       The sign suspended from the overhang reads “G.H. York Restaurant.”  G.H. York opened a cafe in 1904, eventually moving to this building.  He sold the cafe in in 1920 to Blake Heath.

     In November of 1906, the William Dale family returned to De Leon for a visit. Dale had organized De Leon’s first bank in 1890. They took a number of photographs of friends and homes in De Leon and sent copies to the family of B.J. Pittman.  The above photograph was taken from the balcony of the Bragg Hotel located directly across the present City Hall.  On the right with the white awning is the Farmers and Merchants Bank which had been founded a year earlier.   The wooden water tank was constructed in 1903.  In the blowup on the right a banner hangs on the tank that says “NOW FULL”.

    The vacant lot between the Bragg Hotel and Higginbothams was the site of the First Baptist Church.  The church had been replaced earlier that year with a new building at the the church’s present location.  The old building had already been removed by November.  The Ayers Building was constructed on the site in 1915.

     Displayed in the store window are what appear to be undershirts.  Most have a sales price of 50 cents.  Notice the reflection of the Wilson & Whaley /Rush & Rush building.

    A small pox epidemic hit De Leon around 1900. It was contained on the north side of the railroad tracks through quarantine.  People on the south side of the railroad would daily fill a wagon with food, medicine  and supplies.  Marshall Kimball would drive the wagon over to the other side of the tracks where another driver would deliver the supplies to those in need. Pictured here is John W. Tate Sr. who was stricken at about age 35.  He lived to age 83.

THE 1900’S

The Comanche Chief Describes the De Leon of January 1, 1907

Information contained in parenthesis has been added  

     In its January 5, 1907 issue the Chief ran an article about De Leon as it existed on January 1.  It estimated the population to be 1,500  but in fact the population changed little between 1900 and 1910 growing from 807 to just over 1,015 in that decade.

     The Chief described Higginbothams, the Streety and Ham Company and Wilson-Whaley company as the largest department stores and noted that they “handle practically everything needed by man or beast.”

     The First National Bank headed by its Cashier Ben J. Pittman and the Farmers and Merchants National Bank and its Cashier, O.E. Whaley were the town’s financial institutions.  The deposits of the two institutions were said to total about $150,000 (the banks reported $165,000 at the end of that year).

     De Leon had eight general stores, two drug stores, two livery stables, three restaurants, two meat markets, four hotels, two feed stores, two lumber yards, three barber shops, one dentist shop, four physicians (Rush, Weaver and Self), two lawyers (Alf Hampton and Mr. Dabney), three blacksmith shops, two tin shops, one cobbler shop, one saddlery and harness shop, three confectioneries, one photograph gallery, two real estate offices (one was Hampton & Dabney), one newspaper, one wholesale poultry concern, two wagon yards, three cotton gins, and four churches (Methodist, Baptist, Christian and Presbyterian).  A “splendid “ water system featuring a large tank on the business street which is kept filled by power furnished by the light plant begun the previous year (see De Leon Ice and Power).

      The town also had a “fine canning factory with a capacity of 12,000 cans daily.  The finest fruit land in Texas surrounds De Leon and orchards are being put out by farmers on an extensive scale.  J. Doss Miller and others are leading in this industry.”

      “De Leon today boast on of the most commodious opera houses and public halls in West Texas.  It is a fine building, 56x103 feet, the first floor being occupied by the Wilson-Whaley Company as a ware room for their implements and their surplus stock.”

      “Secret fraternities are represented in De Leon by the masons, Knights of Pythias, Maccabees, Woodmen of the World, Odd Fellows, and the F.U.A.’s, all of which are prosperous lodges.” 

      “The Pittman Hotel is one of the best hotels on the Central Railroad and is a drummer’s favorite.  It is magnificent, containing 31 large rooms, an elegant parlor, and a table that cannot be surpassed for good meals.”

      “Ben J. Pittman and wife who own the property, have a suite of rooms on the first floor and the hotel is conducted in a modern way under Mrs. Pittman’s supervision.”

      “The De Leon school house is a handsome brick building, the best school house in the county, and is splendidly furnished.  over 300 pupils are receiving instruction at the hands of Superintendent Kline and a corps of assistants.  The trustees are going to have to build an addition to accommodate the growing scholastic population.”

      “There is not today a vacant resident or business building in De Leon. Some costly modern homes have been erected.  among these are  the homes of Charlie Bartlett, Zollie Nelson, Young Ayers and others, all of which should be a credit to a larger city.”

      Information was supplied by several people including Alice Farmer who was the Postmistress.

1900s