“Haskell told me it was built as a fish hatchery; Around the year 1900, it became a general store. Then, in the the early ‘teens of the last century, it became a gas station/ general store and continued as such until the late 1930’s. It was O.C.Childs Grocery (shadow print on steel over front door).”
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Established in 1892
The building was established in 1892.
“Haskell told me it was built as a fish hatchery; Around the year 1900, it became a general store. Then, in the the early ‘teens of the last century, it became a gas station/ general store and continued as such until the late 1930’s. It was O.C.Childs Grocery (shadow print on steel over front door).”
HISTORY of 'LAST STATION `TIL JUNCTION' aka 300 Guadalupe St.
HISTORY of ‘LAST STATION `TIL JUNCTION’ aka 300 Guadalupe St.
First deed of record: April 22, 1892 as researched by Diane Green of Kerrville Title
These are the stories told to me from local historians, Haskell Fine, Juanita Maples and ClaraBell Snodgrass….all now deceased.
Haskell told me it was built as a fish hatchery; Around the year 1900, it became a general store. Then, in the the early ‘teens of the last century, it became a gas station/ general store and continued as such until the late 1930’s. It was O.C.Childs Grocery (shadow print on steel over front door). The cut limestone blocks were the ‘culled’ stones from the Guthrie Building (downtown Kerrville, corner of Main & Earl Garrett). The front half of building (river rock, petrified wood) was added in the late 1920’s, during the Depression. The lentils over front and side windows are old truck frames! They used what they had!
It’s next incarnation was as a Bait Shop. People have told me that they remember seeing ‘the biggest catfish they’d ever seen’ in there! It continued as a bait shop into the 1960’s then became a TV/Radio repair shop, operated by John McNeely.
Early 1970’s, it became a neglected storage building….for just over 25 years.
In 1997 it was lovingly purchased by Barbara Burton. It was the first time since being built that it would be used as a residence.
Juanita Maples grew up in Mountain Home….born in 1914(?) She remembered it as `The Toilet Paper Store’! She told me that they would come to town about once a month, “But Daddy didn’t want to go all the way into town since all we needed was coffee, sugar and TOILET PAPER!” she said with a big grin on her face! She went on, “We grew our own corn for flour, had a big garden and raised our own meat or Daddy would go out hunting. So, going to town was a big day for me. We’d get all dressed up and spend the whole day getting there and then back home before dark. When we got to town, Daddy would water the team at the (Artesian) well across the road from the store and we’d eat our lunch under the big Mesquite tree, right down from the well. Then, we’d go to the store and I remember a shelf, way up high, that had nothing but toilet paper….what a treat!!!”
ClaraBell Snodgrass told me that “Daddy would always stop at that little store and buy us a candy bar and soda, then we’d go right around the bend to the Fairgrounds.” She said, “You KNOW that Guadalupe St. was a dirt road back then.” I said “Yes Ma’am”
Upstream on Guadalupe St., below the Dietert Senior Center where the River is very shallow, was an area that was known by the cowboys as ‘The Scatters’ (late 1800’s).
