Refugio Timely Remarks and Refugio County News (Refugio, Tex.), Vol. 7, No. 8, Ed. 1 Friday, December 14, 1934 Page: 50 of 78
This newspaper is part of the collection entitled: The Refugio County Newspaper Collection and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the Dennis M. O’Connor Public Library.
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Page 44
THE REFUGIO TIMELY REMARKS CENTENNIAL EDITION
December 14, 1934
Austwell Had First Accredited
High School in Refugio County
First Postoffice Called Duboise, Later Being
Moved and Called Faulkner—W. H. Gisler Was
First Mayor of New Town of Austwell.
Many decades ago the land on
which the town of Austwell now
stands, and that comprising the fer-
tile farms surrounding it, belonged to
Judge J. H. Hines. No fences, wire
or other kind, marked its boundary.
In time, however, Judge Hines built
a fence from the head of Hines Bay
across to St. Charles Bay. This fence
was made of rough pine planks and
cypress posts. This was before or
about the time, of the Civil War, and
was the first pasture fence built in
this end of Refugio County. In time
the planks were torn from the posts
and replaced by wire. Some of the
planks taken from this fence are now
in use, as a fence, on the J. H. Cook
place near Austwell and are in good
condition.
For many years a postoffice which
served the people of this section stood
where the lovely home of H. H.
McDowell now stands, and was called
Duboise. After a number of years
this office was discontinued, or moved
farther down the bay beyond Dag-
ger’s Point and this time was called
Faulkner. Miss Midkie Handy, daugh-
ter of Mr. and Mrs. R. H. Handy, and
who is now the wife of Floyd Bissett,
residing at Tivoli, was the postmis-
tress.
In 1910 P. R. Austin of Victoria,
and J. C. McDowell of Pittsburgh, Pa.,
began the development of the farming
section.
The original townsite of Austwell
contained 180.5 acres of land, later
more being added. The name of the
new town was suggested by Mrs. W.
H. Dunsen, now liviing in Abilene,
Texas, by taking the first part of the
surname of the late P. R. Austin, and
the last part of Mr. McDowell’s name,
thus making the name “Austwell.”
Lots in the townsite were put on
sale in 1912. On September 10, 1913,
an election was held to determine
whether or not Austwell should be
incorporated. The vote for incorpora-
tion carried, and W. H. Gisler was
the first mayor of the new town.
I. H. Nelson is the present mayor,
W. H. Gisler is postmaster.
A school house was built in 1911,
and the first school was taught by
Miss Ida Mae Johnson, the daughter
of P. A. Johnson, who for 14 years
served Refugio County as sheriff.
Miss Johnson later became the wife
of W. R. Loman, who is at present a
Refugio County citizen and business
man.
In February, 1913, a common school
district was created. In 1915 a two-
story brick building was erected,
which is still being used and is in
good condition.
In 1927 an independent school dis-
trict was voted. High school students
began taking college entrance exam-
inations at the end of the 1920-21
term. The school was granted class-
ification and seven credits in the sum-
mer of 1925, and by 1928 had com-
pleted affiliation of 19 credits.' Since
then one credit in general science has
been added. Home economics and
❖--
Lives Quietly
❖----
J. F. B. HEARD.
Refugio sees little of Mr. Heard
these days, although not so many
years ago he was active with his
ranching and other interests. He
is a member of a family who has
caused things to come to pass in
Refugio County, and he, too, has
contributed his share. He now
lives quietly at the home of Mrs.
Fannie V. W. Heard.
vocational agriculture were added in
1923.
The Austwell school was for sev-
eral years the only affiliated school in
Refugio County.
The Mexican school is held in the
frame building formerly used for the
white children. The colored school
now has an eight months’ school. The
building was repaired and given a
coat of paint the past summer and
is a very neat and substantial build-
ing.
In the year of 1912 there was
opened in Austwell a sister store to
the Tivoli Mercantile Company of
Tivoli, with S. C. Crews as manager
for the owners. In 1921 the original
building burned to the ground. The
origin of the fire was unknown, but
the general opinion was that is was
started by rats. After the fire, the
business was carried on in the brick
building owned by Zieske, until 1925,
when a new structure, modern in
every respect, was erected on the site
of the original building. In 1924
Claud Dunseth took charge as gen-
eral manager, a position which he
still holds. The firm name was
changed to Austin-McDowell Com-
pany.
Refugio’s
Professional
Man Congratulates
'T'HE town and its citizenry in
this celebration of the mu-
nicipality’s One Hundredth
Birthday and in commemorat-
ing its early settlers.
J. TURNER VANCE
ATTORNEY-AT-LAW
DRS. BAUER & GRUNDER
DENTISTS
K. D. HALL
ATTORNEY-AT-LAW
DRS. DODSON & SHIPP
PHYSICIANS AND SURGEONS
DR. E. P. ZARSKY
PHYSICIAN AND SURGEON
DR. H. B. WOODS
PHYSICIAN AND SURGEON
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Jones, J. L. Refugio Timely Remarks and Refugio County News (Refugio, Tex.), Vol. 7, No. 8, Ed. 1 Friday, December 14, 1934, newspaper, December 14, 1934; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1098094/m1/50/?q=%22%22~1: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Dennis M. O’Connor Public Library.