to Van Zandt County "Post Offices, Cities, Towns and People" by Kitty Wheeler of Grand Saline, TX Kitty Wheeler of Grand Saline spent several years researching the post offices, cities, towns and people of Van Zandt County. A portion of her work was published by the Van Zandt County Genealogical Society in "Histories and Biographies of Van Zandt County, Vol. II," which is still in print and available for purchase by sending a check or money order for $60 to the Van Zandt County Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 1388, Canton, TX 75103. This volume contains a portion of her post office research plus over 500 biographies of Van Zandt County citizens. Kitty Wheeler has generously given us exclusive permission to use all or part of her 500 page original manuscript. We are beginning with only part of her entire amazing work but we will complete this site as quickly as possible.
Alsa Post Office Alsa Post Office was established 11 Jun 1894. The postmasters and their appointment dates are as follows: William L. Guthrie, 11 Jun 1894; Cary L. Lynch, 6 Oct 1896; John W. Livesay, 21 Jul 1897; Elelia V. Lumpkin, 21 May 1902. It was discontinued 28 Feb 1907, and moved to Wills Point.
When William Lee Guthrie wrote the name for the proposed post office on the application, he first wrote in Oakdale for the name. This is crossed through and by it is written Lee. This, too, was crossed out and the name Alsa is written in. Alsa was to be located eight miles north of Wills Point, seven miles east of McCoy, Kaufman County and two miles east of Duck Creek. This places it on a map about a mile west of Farm Rd. 751 on VZC Rd. 3810.
Alsa was a thriving little village. It had two general stores, a blacksmith shop and a saw and flouring mill. One of the stores was owned by Lumpkin and Co., and the other by Lemay & Cobb. They both carried very nice little stocks for a place of that size. The mill was owned by W.C. Starnes, one of the oldest and most substantial citizens of Alsa. He enjoyed carrying visitors to the community through his mill plant. His customers were confident they would always be treated fairly. They knew their bags would be as full of meal as it had been of corn. All were pleased with the flour he made for them. It was made by the old bolting process, and while it might not have been as pretty as that of the modern roller process, it made not only delicious but wholesome, nutritious bread. Mr. Starnes also did a very good business sawing lumber.
Mr. J.W. Brooks had a fine gin outfit and did a thriving business at cotton picking time.
The people of Alsa depended on Dr. Echols to minister to their ailments, and he was always quick to respond to their needs.
The fourth Quarterly Conference of the M.E. Church Wills Point mission was held at Alsa 21 Oct 1899. Presiding Elder Adams was present and truly it was a feast of the soul to hear the story of God's love for fallen man, as it fell from the lips of the venerable old preacher. There was a sumptuous dinner on the ground, and everybody went away happy.
The school opened Monday, 30 Oct 1899, with Prof. Alexander as principal. The people of Alsa considered him a splendid teacher and a model Christian gentleman. Good prospects were expected for the Alsa High School.
In December 1899, Mr. Hicks of Elmo bought Lee Guthrie's blacksmith shop and announced he would soon move to Alsa.
Also in December 1899, two households in the Alsa community had cause to rejoice. Mr. and Mrs. J.P. Crow were blessed with a baby girl on the 6th and Mr. and Mrs. Will Davis on the 8th welcomed their new baby boy. During that same month a few of the young folks, Misses Minnie and Bettie Rea, Lula Spears, Lela Lumkins and W.E. Lemay, and the gentlemen, O.O. Orsborne, John Ellis, Bunk Huff, Jim Teel, Knox Cobb and Rufus Nelms had a pleasant time until 10 o'clock one Sunday night "singing psalms and making melody in their hearts" at the home of Miss Beulah Boswell. Oily Orsborne said there was melody in his heart on the occasion, but the singing he denied, as he claimed to have utterly wrecked his voice during the squally days of his childhood.
With cotton picking behind them for the year, among the boys, the order of the night was " 'possum and coon hunting."
Newsworthy items occurring in the community that fall: Will Livesay and lady were on their way to Center one Thursday night, their pony took fright, ran away, and threw the both out of the buggy. Fortunately neither were hurt seriously.
Mr. R.G. Hamilton's dwelling was burned and his family suffered the total loss of the house and furniture.
Commissioner Byrd left a sizable order for bridge lumber with the accommodating mill man, W.C. Starnes. Will Lemay, of Lemay & Cobb, and Jim Green, of Wade-in (that's Ed Wade's) who had been quite sick for some time, were able to be on the street (only) of Alsa one Saturday and with stick in hand, wanted to fight the other because he looked like him. Luther Hamm and Bud Livesay reported a most enjoyable time on their visit to the fair at Dallas.
In June 1900, there was a new mill man in Alsa. Mr. W.C. Starnes, who would have been 59 years old that year, either retired, sold his mill or had competition for Bro. Payne was grinding the corn and wheat and reportedly doing a very nice job. All were encouraged to patronize the mill and assured they would get good flour and meal as well as a splendid turnout.
Another doctor was in the area for a Dr. Coffman was called in to treat Walter Livesay, little son of Will Livesay. While riding his papa's horse to water at noon one Friday, he was thrown off by some means which resulted in breaking the little fellow's arm. Dr. Coffman adjusted the bone and dressed the wound and all were assured of his complete recovery.
A very sad affair occurred on 11 Jul 1900, while Barnes' thresher was threshing groin on the Brooks farm. The fly wheel burst and parts of it flew in many directions resulting in slightly wounding two or three parties, exciting many who made narrow escapes, and saddest of all, killing little Jimmie Sullivan, son of Henry Sullivan and grandson of A.P. Sullivan. A large piece of the rim of the wheel struck the little fellow just under the left shoulder penetrating to and entering the left lung. He lived from about 10 A.M. to 9 P.M. He was an industrious, kind-hearted and manly little boy.
In August 1900, the Woodman picnic at Alsa, or rather at the Brooks gin between Alsa and Center, was one of the most enjoyable of the season. There was a good-sized crowd in attendance, splendid order and entertainment. The exercise opened in the morning with an address of welcome by Sovereign John Pratt. It was John's first effort in this line and he did a fine job. This was followed by an address from J.C. Long on Woodcraft. Eld. H.P. Davis was then introduced and delivered an address on the enforcement of the law that was to the point and which was received with much appreciation. Dinner was announced and when spread, it was a feast for all. There was an abundance, and if any went away hungry, it was their own fault. This bountiful meal gave evidence of the spirit of unity in the community, a spirit that all were willing to join in and make a local gathering a success whether they were especially interested or not. In the afternoon County Judge Davidson delivered an address on Woodcraft to the entertainment and education of those present. A well rendered recitation by Mr. A.N. Alford was also one of the features of the evening's entertainment.
During the day the Woodman of Alsa were very much in evidence, the members marching to the ground in the morning. A number of sovereigns from other areas attended.
The music for the occasion was furnished by a splendid string band, young fiddlers that knew how to make the "fiddle and the bow" fairly talk. there was also organ accompaniment and the music made one of the leading features of the day.
There were a couple of ball games during the day. One between Wills Point and Union Grove, won by the latter with a score of 9 to 13 in a game of seven innings. Another between Union Grove and Alsa was also in favor of Union Grove by a score of 5 to 11.
The day was pleasantly spent by all and it was hoped that when the season came again there would be a repeat.
Over a year later in October 1901, Alsa was described as follows by a gentleman of the press, "We reached Alsa about 5 o'clock and found the merchants of that thriving little town winding up the day's business. Alsa has three mercantile houses - Lumpkin & Co., general merchandise, who also have the post office; Falls & Wade, general merchandise; and Teel & Osborne, the druggist. They are all enjoying a good trade. John Snowden is the blacksmith and Allen & Harrell run the barber shop and cold drink stand on Saturdays.
"We spent the night with Mr. and Mrs. W.C. Starnes and were treated with the greatest hospitality.
"Friday morning we visited Mr. J.P. Crow and found him busy loading apples to carry to the black land. Mr. Crow has a very fine place and raises a great deal of fruit.
"We spent several hours with the people of the Alsa neighborhood and everywhere were accorded a friendly welcome. This community has a great opening in the truck growing line and in the event of a railroad coming through this country, Alsa would forge to the front.
"The saw mill at that place, owned by Uncle Billie Starnes, will soon begin cutting the foundation lumber for a new Methodist church building which will be erected there.
"Liberty school house, just over the Hunt county line, will be rebuilt soon.
"Alsa has a splendid citizenship and such men as J.P. Crow, J.T. Rinks, Dock Hart, W.C. Starnes, J.P. Boswell, W.H. Palmer, E.W. Wade, Tom Falls, Levi Teel, W.M. Livesay, and others, have made it what it is.
"The school at Alsa is taught by Prof. C.C. Carr, and he has an attendance of forty-two,"
During September 1904, the people of Alsa were looking forward to the coming of the railroad. "Uncle Bill" Starnes and Lee Guthrie began grading in preparation of the railroad just back of the Lumpkin and Co. and J.P. Boswell stores. Bill was determined to have the depot at Alsa, cost what it may.
In January, 1905, a church in the Alsa community was progressing slowly but surely. The frame was up, covered and floored and soon the door and windows would be added. All were looking forward to when they could hold the first worship service in their new church. After long years of weary waiting, the community was also making some repairs on the schoolhouse. That January the new roof was completed. A need was felt for a new school, but they were having trouble deciding where to build it.
The phone connection with Cedar Grove had been completed and the one to McCoy would be soon.
In March 1905, W.L. Guthrie, the efficient blacksmith at Alsa, was in Wills Point and on a visit to the Chronicle office reported on his community. He said, "Ollie Osborne had recently opened a drug store; that E.E. Wright had received the new switchboard for his telephone exchange, and that his business had grown to such dimensions that he had found it necessary to put in a second forge in his shop and employ another blacksmith."
On a Thursday afternoon in May 1905, at 3 o'clock a heavy storm of wind and rain passed over the area of Alsa and Center. In the immediate settlement of Alsa a heavy northwestern preceded the rain which fell in torrents for four hours with very little intermission. In the immediate section around the Center school house, the wind took on cyclonic form and moved northeast with terrific force, blowing and twisting down trees, fences, barns, out-houses and unroofing wholly and partly others in its course.
At Uncle Henry Fuller's, about where the cyclone seemed to form, it blew the top off his residence and demolished fences generally. At Dr. Williams, Mrs. Gabe Richardson and Will McDonald's, it blew down fences, orchard trees and other timber, especially several large oaks just in front and near Mrs. Richardson's were blown and twisted up by the roots and moved some distance. Her orchard trees were torn off and blown over onto J.W. Brooks' farm. The very bottom fence rails were blown from around said orchard, a fence of long standing.
Passing on, the cyclone next struck Will Pratt's and Jack Teel's, doing some slight unroofing at each. A little further on it passed George Dodd on the Rucker farm in the open field very affectionately hugging a Bois d' Arc fence post and left him unharmed. Next it came to Tom Spears' but passed on doing no damage to the premises; dipping down just east of the Spears', it struck the ravine timber and wrenched, twisted and blew the trees in all directions. Next it reached Sam Spears', partly unroofing his barn and blowing down some small cribs and a great deal of fence. Next came Prof. Alexander's where the cyclone caught his buggy on the outs and wrecked it almost to total ruin. Next it struck Steve Huff and Jake Hart on the Hughes' farm, doing some slight damage to Steve's premises and blowing down the barn and garden fence and upsetting wagons, etc. Mr. Hart's children were at work in the field and in trying to get home ran into the whirlwind which tossed them up and round and round but did them no serious injury. At Floyd Trimble's it unroofed his barn and blew down a heavy log smoke-house. Next, and last of it was at Mrs. Furrh's when it unroofed the barn and blew down and clear off its situation a large log smoke-house, leaving a bench with two or more cans of soap grease and some cakes of home-made soap unmolested.
In October 1905, a gentleman from the Wills Point Chronicle visited Alsa and had this to say, "This pleasant village is situated some eight miles north of Wills Point in a timbered belt, much of the up-land being sandy. It is naturally fertile ad its citizens have usually done well farming. Owing to the nature of the soil, the past season of wet weather has cut crops short on many farms.
"Lands are rated from ten to thirty dollars an acre. In fact, there are as many inducements to those who like a timbered country to secure homes here as in any neighborhood north of the railroad.
"We note the following business firms; Lumpkins & Co. and G.L. Brewer engaged in general merchandise, O.O. Osborne handling drugs, and Lee Guthrie as blacksmith. They all say their respective businesses have been satisfactory the past year. The genial Guthrie is even enthusiastic over the debt paying qualities of his clientele. He usually does not lose over five percent of what he has credited. He is very anxious that some one should establish a regular high school with a practical business course.
He thinks it would be a paying enterprise. The public school is in charge of that veteran old long-time teacher, Prof. Alexander, and favorably known in the county.
"Lumpkin & Co. are erecting an elegant store room 24' x 50' with a Woodman's hall in the second story. That order is prosperous, having membership of eighty-six. this speaks well for the town and shows that the citizenship are looking well to the future and are providing well for their wives and little buds of affection. This is a noble trait of character.
The members of that order surely secure cheap insurance and gain all the advantages of fraternity enjoyed by other institutions.
"G.L. Brewer has bought the old store of Lumpkin & Co. and will move his business to the same about the first of next month.
"Our attention was called to a fine clay for brick and someone could do a profitable business in burning brick. Competent judges pronounce it as good as the Millsap clay. Drs. Williams, Echols and Coffman of the Center vicinity are the practicing physicians of that section. J.W. Brooks is the owner of their gin, and was just getting ready for business. "We happened upon a golden nugget of news by interviewing our old friend, W.C. Starnes. We always knew William would turn up something and has he 'been and gone and done it.' He has turned railroad promoter.
"His line is to run from Greenville by way of Alsa to Wills Point. He desires us to inform his friends and the public spirited citizens of the latter place that he contemplates visiting at an early date some of the most important Eastern cities for the purpose of placing the necessary bonds and that he will shortly give them an opportunity to assist him in a substantial way.
"He promises them to spend their funds with as much grace and dignity as characterized the last promoter who visited them and to render a better showing after he has taken his trip.
"Mr. Guthrie thinks a good hardware store would do a good business. Take it all in all, Alsa is a pleasant place surrounded by good and industrious citizens."
Through the years the village as such faded away. Sad to say, they never got the railroad and perhaps this is the main reason it no longer exists today.Back to Post Offices Index Page Back to the Genealogical Research Group's Home Page You are the person to visit this page since June 7, 2006
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