Timpson & Tenaha News (Timpson, Tex.), Vol. 32, No. 19, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 10, 2012 Page: 1 of 16
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Thursday
MAY lO, 2012
751
The Timpson & Tenalia
News traveled to Four
Corners (Arizona,
Colorado, New Mexico,
& Utah) with Jim & Jan
Barrett of Timpson last
week.
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Serving Timpson & surrounding communities since 1885
Itinpsion &
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Home of Dee Hollyfield
‘The sweetest sounds to mortals given are heard in Mother, Home, and Heaven. ” W.G. Brown
I VOL. 32 NO. 19 936-254-3618 FAX 936-254-3206 P.O. BOX 740, TIMPSON , TX 75975 (email: ttnews@ttnewsinc.com) web: www.ttnewsinc.com
Another Homicide in Shelby
County
Mug Shot furnished by SCSO
Shelby County Sheriff
Newton Johnson reports
that on May 1, 2012, at
approximately 5:50 PM,
Constable Stanley Burgay
notified the Sheriff John-
son that there had been a
shooting in the Timpson
area. Sheriff Johnson and
several deputies imme-
diately traveled to 7379
FM 415.
Upon arrival 64 year
old Jimmy Hopkins was
found sitting in his pickup
slumped over in the seat.
Justice of the Peace, Jim
Powers, was called and
pronounced Mr. Hopkins
deceased.
Reportedly, Mr. Hop-
kins’ girlfriend left him for
Mr. Baker. Mr. Hopkins
told people that he was
going to kill the couple and
drove to Mr. Baker’s house
with his shotgun sticking
out of his pickup’s win-
dow. Again, reportedly,
Mr. Baker saw him and
shot first hitting Mr. Hop-
kins as he sat in his truck.
Frank E. Baker, 43, was
taken into custody without
incident and booked into
the Shelby County Jail
where he was charged with
“Homicide, Felony 1.” He
will likely also be charged
with “Felon in possession
of a firearm.” His bond
was set at $30,000 by JP1
Maxie Eaves.
Mr. Hopkins body was
picked up by Taylor Funer-
al Home. JP5 Jim Powers
ordered an autopsy.
Dr. Tom Franks to speak at
May TAGHS Meeting
By: Suzanne F. Warlick
The Timpson Area
Genealogical and Heri-
tage Society will meet on
Wednesday, May 16 at
2:00 p.m. at the Genealogy
Library, 191 S. Bremond
Street.
Speaker for the event
will be native son, Dr.
Thomas D. Franks, who
will share stories, memo-
ries, and experiences from
"Growing Up in the Weav-
er Community." A graduate
of Timpson High School,
Dr. Franks is recognized
for his distinguished con-
tributions in the field of
education. He received
a bachelor's degree from
SFA, master's degree from
the University of Houston,
and doctorate from Indiana
University.
He began his career
as an elementary school
teacher in Brazosport,
Texas and held numerous
positions in higher educa-
tion until his retirement
as Dean of the College of
Education at Stephen F.
Austin State University.
Among his awards are
the 1994 Christa McAu-
liffe Award, a national
award for innovations in
teacher education; the
1973 SFA Distinguished
Professor Award; and a
recipient of the 1999 SFA
Distinguished Alumnus
Award.
He has been active in
TAGHS, and other Shelby
County historical efforts in
recent years. Dr. Franks
and his wife, Dorothy, live
in Nacogdoches where
they are very involved in
church and community
activities.
Grand ‘ole’ Timpson home
now a pile of rubble
Three years ago, when I
moved to Timpson, I used
to drive the back streets
looking for short-cuts and
admiring the old homes.
But there was one home
in particular that fascinated
me. I knew that home only
as 499 Washington Street,
mostly because when I
asked some of the ladies
who volunteered at the
genealogy library if they
knew anything about the
home, they told me no.
Fast forward through three
years of passively admir-
ing 499 Washington Street
on my way home from
the post office, and you
will find me working for
the Timpson and Tenaha
News. For my first assign-
ment, I was sent to cover
a storage locker auction.
Not much happened at the
auction itself, but as my
mother and I (she came
along for moral support)
began talking to the winner
of the auction, Mr. Gregory
Gay, he told us about a
home he was tearing down
across from the Methodist
Church. He told us to go to
499 Washington Street and
he would give us a tour.
As we walked through the
gates of that grand and de-
crepit old home, he began
to tell us the history. In
1898, Mr. Albert F. Bryan
built it as a second home
for his family. Mr. A F.
Bryan had built the first ho-
tel in Timpson, the Capital
Hotel, around 1886, and
Mr. Bryan's sister, Loabelle
“Belle” Bryan Smith (Mrs.
Alva Smith) operated this
hotel for many years. Mr.
Bryan was also a dry goods
merchant, and after his
death, his wife, Mrs. Onie
Freeman Bryan and son,
William Jennings Bryan,
carried on his business.
Mr. Bryan had raised
four children in that home,
namely sons Selma L.
Bryan and William Jen-
nings Bryan, and daughters
Princess Louise Bryan
and Dorothy Bryan. Mr. A
F. Bryan died on August
4, 1916, to be survived
for thirty-six years by his
wife Onie Bryan, who died
January 8, 1952.
Sometime during the
1940s the home was turned
into four apartments, and
through my research, I
believe that, at least for a
time, Mrs. Onie Freeman
Bryan was the landlady.
In 1970, the home was
purchased by Mr. Tommy
Wheeler, who bought the
home from the Bryan heirs.
Mr. Wheeler began restor-
ing the home to its former
glory, removing the apart-
ments and refurbishing
parts of the home.
Kenneth Wheeler who
was 9 years old when his
father bought the home
said that he had wonder-
ful memories of living in
the home - lots of warm
Christmases were spent by
the family around the many
fireplaces in the house. He
said that since Mrs. Bryan
was a petite lady and the
house was built for her,
the kitchen cabinets and
By: Skye Todd
bathrooms had to be rebuilt
to a standard height for
the Wheeler family. He
remembers that as sawing
and hammering was going
on, an apparition, thought
to be Mrs. Bryan, would
often appear as if she were
annoyed by the construc-
tion going on in the house.
He said several people saw
the apparition. Then elec-
trical appliances like hair
dryers would mysteriously
turn on and off as if being
tried out curiously to see
what they were.
He also said that over
the years, lots of prominent
Timpson citizens, one be-
ing Mrs. Frances Graves,
would stop in to say they
lived in the apartments
during the boarding phase.
The Bryan heirs also visit-
ed occasionally to check on
the progress of renovation.
Tommy Wheeler's family
lived there for a number of
years. Then Mr. Wheeler
continued to live there by
himself until his health got
poor and he had to move
out the home.
The house sat vacant for
approximately ten years,
until it was recently pur-
chased by Mr. Tim Mc-
Donald.
Mr. McDonald hired
Mr. Gay to tear the house
down, but they saved what
lumber they could from
the old home. There hadn't
been much left in the house
during it's years of va-
cancy, but one hidden gem,
♦ Cont’donPg7
The Bryan home
l
around 1950.
Mrs. Onie Bryan
sitting on her
front porch with
the Methodist
Church in the
background.
CM K
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Pena, Hilda. Timpson & Tenaha News (Timpson, Tex.), Vol. 32, No. 19, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 10, 2012, newspaper, May 10, 2012; Timpson, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth655907/m1/1/: accessed July 11, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Timpson Public Library.