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Buffalo Express March 26 - April 23, 2003
Taken from "The Flo News" written by Norma Moore
March 26, 2003
It was founded in 1867 with a few
settlers, from Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, and Tennessee. Marquez
was then considered chiefly of prairie land dotted with farms, the
convenience of water from nearby creeks rivers and springs being the
resource of their farm life, they soon learned the sandy and red soil with
the proper mix and the water, produced long growing seasons and with the
wild game and fish, they had a proper living.
Marquez's bright future came in 1871,
due to the arrival of the International and Great Northern Railroad.
This promoted a rapid growth of population, railroad depot provided jobs, a
market for the farmers produce a choice of transportation and a hustle of
activity day and night. The freight room and the cotton wharves a buzz
with the farmers shipping their cotton to other parts of Texas and the
world, and the many travelers gathering around the coal burning stove in the
middle of the room was always filled with crowds of people all this
providing a new flourishing.
Marquez, turned a small preview into
a booming township with organized churches, a school, and professional
businessmen of many walks of life. This Leon County Community brought
recognized wealth and a bright promise to many other people and many other
places.
The Marquez Times and Farmers Journal
were published. The operators D.J. Price and LeRoy Trice welcomed new
residents and much important land development with their advertisement of
land for $1.50 an acre. This was well received by subscribers, and by
them passing on the word and as more land owners called Marquez home.
The first post office was established in 1872. The outgoing mail was
dropped into barrels.
April 2, 2003
Marquez with rich heritage was named
for Marie De Le Marquez, on whose estate Marquez is located. Its first
history was recognized as a prairie land convenient in water resource of the
creeks, rivers, and springs. It was first populated with a few white
settlers who considered themselves as campers thinking they would move on
after they had raised enough food to survive. To their great fortune
they realized the climate, the good rain and the water resource provided an
almost year round gardening. They started planting orchards, large
gardens and cotton and corn crops. With the abundant wild game, fish,
and with their cattle, chickens, and hogs, the settlers were well satisfied
with Marquez as their new home. They gave God glory for their great
abundance.
The Marie Marquez farm and ranch is
the largest landowner. Along with these few settlers were the Marquez
township from 1867 until 1871. When the I. and G. N. Railroad made its
arrival, this provided a prosperous era of Marquez history with a rapid
population and a remarkable growth of business organizations.
The Railroad operation, bringing many
employees from other states and supplying the local men with work; the
railroad depot with production of huge crowds of people from all walks of
life, a market for the farmers crops, a new way to transport their cattle,
hogs, and the recognition of a flourishing town with bright promise.
The Marquez Township developed into a wide trade territory offering general
merchandises, hardware, lumber, groceries, furniture, churches, newspapers,
a post office, blacksmiths, drug stores, improved land status and refined
social fraternal lifestyles.
The Marquez Times Farmers Journal,
The Marquez Listings, The Marquez Monitor, and the Marquez News supplied the
township with promotional population of moral citizens and impressive land
development. D. J. Price, LeRoy Trice, Fred Carrington, Jack Robinson,
E. O. Boggs, and Brad Robinson were the important publishers and editors.
The first post office built was in
1872 and the first post master was Joseph Brown. He traveled by
horseback at times delivering the mail himself when the bad weather kept
people home.
From the wooden areas of Marquez came
timber for homes, barns and split rails for wagons, fencing and furniture.
The timber brought the sawmill operation. A. Amos and Alfred Petty are
the well remembered saw mill owners and operators.
D. W. Carrington and Son owned and
operated the General Wood Shop Company, which supplied carriages, liveries,
Hickory wagons, rib boards, horses and groceries. Buck Winn had a
livery, feed and sale stable. Sid Myers was famous for his material,
yard goods and best jean pants.
Buck Winn's wife operated The Winn
Hotel with rates of a dollar a day. It was neat and clean with a
friendly atmosphere.
The McArthur Hotel with Carrie
McArthur in charge, just across the railroad depot was appealing. Her
hotel offered the best food and pie was so delicious. It was favored
by the railroad men, the traveling farmers and the stockmen. It was
called the Famous Marquez Pie.
The Blacksmiths were James Petty, Tom
Watson, Bob Thames, L. Autry, Bob Horn, and Jeff Collins. The
McArthur's, Carrington's, Boggs', Grayson's, Winn's, Spencer's, Petty's,
Jones', Vestal's, Seales', McCormick's, and Allison's built a one room
schoolhouse. It was erected on the bank of Mill Creek. This
served as the school, the Church, the Community building.
The Church was the hub of the
citizens social activity. Worship services were held every Sunday if
weather permitted. They had dinner on the ground staying long hours
sharing, visiting, and their feast was under the shaded trees. Also
some memorable summer revivals would be held for two weeks at a time.
Traveling Evangelists held the services staying in family homes. These
were the best of God's ministry. Many souls were saved and baptisms
were held at the old Mill Creek swimming hole.
Later the first Baptist Church was
established in 1892. The Christian Church in 1895, organized by D. W.
Carrington, E. Bateman, and A. D. Boggs. The Methodist Church was
established in 1919. It was organized by B. D. Dashiel, Oscar Keeton,
J. S. Moore, W. H. Joyce Gill, Charlie St. John. The first pastor was
Rev. J. S. Steward. The black Baptist Church was in 1909 and was
organized by Reverends Williams and Allen. It was a thriving church
with many added to their membership. The Presbyterian Church was
established in 1922. Brothers J. L. Ward and J. M. Black were pastors.
This being a one room church was replaced.
April 9, 2003
The Historical Marquez
settlement was two settlements. The first with only a few in number.
These were farmers, named for Marie Marquez, who owned a large tract of land
and was the most important of the establishments of Marquez. Then with
the arrival of the Iron Horse, the T and G. N. Railroad, Marquez became a
booming township providing an increased population and a wide section of
territorial growth.
Marquez at first with a one room
school house which was their school, church, and their community center in
1867. Marquez became a foundation of an impressive ministry of God's
Christian work of the second Marquez township. The First Baptist
organized in 1892, the Presbytery erected in the 1800's only with one room,
this being replaced in 1922, with a larger more beautiful church.
The Grayson family donated the
Baptistery. Mrs. (Grayson) Love gave the piano. This church held
services for over 90 years, many preachers and many dedicated members have
been faithful servants. The Christian Church was built in 1895, a deed
obtained from the New York and Texas Land Companies was a one room building
until 1928; when a larger church was erected and now is of brick. The
Methodist Church founded in 1919 was reconstructed in 1920 by Charles St.
John.
The Black Church was vital of God's
Ministry and was established by Reverend Allen and Williams with a great
number in membership. It is well recognized as a great mission.
Marquez first little school house on
Mill Creek in 1871 has become one of the best planned organized education
systems of our Leon County.
A Leon Academy organized by the
Trustees Sydney Myers, F. M. Carrington, Silas Spencer making provisions in
1902. There were 166 students enrolled. H. H. Wahl was the
superintendent. These students started in the 1st grade and
continued through their senior year. They with the highest marks of
academics and devoted of marches, drills, and patriotic songs, vocal music
and art. The teachers were Ida Yarborough, Zela Seale, Zula Powell,
Sid Bateman, Mrs. F. M. Carrington, and Lula Barkley.
From 1902 until 1957 Marquez's school
system was of the highest standard with Cicero German, English Literature,
Debate, Latin Composition, Shakespeare plays, Geometry, Essay and oration,
bookkeeping and commercial law, were added to their basic states of
educational skills. Other teachers were Troy Davis, Herman Easterling,
Ruby and Blanch Petty, Hardy Seale, Julia Sadler, J. M. Bandeen as
principal, Guy Lanier, Willie, Dean, Beene and James Atkisson were some of
the teachers of the 1940's and 1950's.
In 1958 the enrollment of the Marquez
school had declined due to World War II. The Marquez and Jewett Schools
consolidated their schools to form the Leon School, which is a most
influential Leon Country school system.
The most remembered Druggists were
Lloyd Powell, Hugh Cundiff, and Edwin Evans, their recommended remedies was
often as good as a doctors, lemon juice, honey, juice of boxwoods, tansy
tea.
(the issue April 16, 2003 was combined with the first part of this story)
April 23, 2003
Marquez with its unique history and
the preservence of this recorded history can respectfully be accounted to
three of their special ladies, Thelma Jones, Vesta Petty, and Mabel Cash,
with their deep love of the people and their loved Marquez.
They have compiled and shared
recorded family, community heritage since the Marquez establishment until
its present day. It has been passed from one generation to another,
all sharing the same love of God, their families, and dedicated pride for a
moral Christian, family township for all their citizens of its beginning.
It has grown into a wide territorial prairie of churches, several
businesses, a social status that includes all families and visitors.
The once dotted farms of the land now
rich with ranch, farm, oil & gas wells, beautifully well kept gardens,
orchards, flowers, and sweet watermelons of Leon County.
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