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Extensive Improvements Mr. Ab Haslam has contracted with Mr. Claude Jester to build quite a number of houses for him on his land at Collegeport, Matagorda county, and Mr. Haslam will leave at once with several Corsicana carpenters to push this work.
Corsicana Daily Sun, December 23, 1911 |
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Texanische Golfküste [Texas Gulfcoast]
Das Land der Erfolge fur den Deutschen
Farmer
Copyright 1915 By Claude W. Jester
Jester Land Company
In 1915, Claude W. Jester of New York, attempted to relocate German farming families to a colony in Matagorda County near Collegeport. The pictures on this page are from a promotional brochure distributed by Mr. Jester. The actual brochure, which can be viewed at http://archive.org/details/texanischegolfk00jest , includes these photos with captions and well as other persuasive information encouraging farmers to move to Matagorda County. Unfortunately, the colonization never occurred apparently due to the recent onset of World War I. More about Mr. Jester. The wording in the brochure is in old German type and would require expert translation to be included here. If anyone would be interested in assisting with the translation, please email. |
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Claude W. Jester |
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Party of New York Capitalists Will Look Over Recently Purchased Lands Hon. George T. Jester and his son, George T. Jr., of Corsicana made a brief visit to Galveston Thursday. They left in the afternoon to join at Houston Claude W. Jester, the representative of a New York syndicate, and a party of Northern capitalists en route to Collegeport, Tex. The company which Governor Jester’s son, Claude W. Jester, represents has purchased 15,000 acres of land, including part of the Townsite of Collegeport, from the Burton D. Hurd Land Company. Included in this purchase are some of the finest lands in Matagorda County. This rich land lies between the Colorado and Trespalacios rivers, and when placed in a high state of cultivation will be among the most valuable in Texas. It is generally believed that some important business ventures and enterprises will soon be inaugurate in the Collegeport country at an early day. With a small amount of dredging at the mouth of the Trespalacios this stream can be made a part of the intercoastal canal, and will give this section direct water communication with Galveston.
Galveston Daily News, Friday, May 24, 1912
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Claude W. Jester of
Burton D. Hurd, Hon. Theodore
Harris, Claude W. Jester, E. H. McVey and W. B. Martin, Jr., left
here Sunday
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COLLEGEPORT
Miss Emma Smaha of Red Oak,
Miss Sutherland of
Mr. Claude W. Jester of
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Mr. Claude W. Jester came in Friday last and was
here several days on business as trustee of the Hurd Land Co. |
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COLLEGEPORT
The power two-mast schooner, the "Sterling,"
loaded with cotton for Galveston, came to our dock last Thursday
noon and took aboard four commercial men bound for Matagorda
City. The Drainage and road bonding our district is the great topic of interest with our citizens with no prospect of a change until an election is called and settled by a vote of the people. Some are in favor of drainage only; some for roads only and some for both. It looks now as though that the territory may be divided into two districts and drainage voted in one and roads in the other, the dividing line being the Collegeport canal from Halsby's south. Mr. Hill, a son of Wm. Hill, while picking cotton last Friday, was bitten by a rattlesnake. His prompt action in securing our local physician, averted a probably fatal result. Aside from three days of excruciating pain, the victim is doing fine and was at work again on last Monday. The reptile was hidden under a bunch of cotton and gave no warning of its presence and the first known was when it struck Mr. Hill's finger.
Mr. Claude W. Jester of
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COLLEGEPORT
Mr. Claude W. Jester spent Monday in
Mr. W. C. Hubbell of Des.
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Mr.
Claude W. Jester went to |
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NEW COMPANY FOR COLLEGEPORT Last week's Matagorda County News has the following concerning the sale of the Collegeport properties at trustees sale on the 7th.
The townsite and all the lands belonging to
the company which have been advertised for sale under Trustee
deed, were sold at the court house door Tuesday
Palacios
Beacon, |
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Eight Thousand Acres of New Land Being Put
Into Farms
Engineer Gustafson was back from Collegeport Monday, for a few days. Mr. Gustafson is camped down on Oliver Point where he and his force are subdividing 8,000 acres of good farm lands for the southwestern State Realty Company, operated by the Jester Brothers of Corsicana.
Mr. Gustafson says they are putting in good improvements, real good tenant houses, with artesian wells, and barns, etc., and expect to sell after the first of the year.
This is the way to develop a country. This way some alleged real estate men have of selling land at top prices, or rather top double prices, and having the buyers to improve it, is ruinous to the farmer and the country, even if it is profitable to the dealer who thus imposes upon the buyer.
Matagorda County News and Midcoast Farmer,
September 18, 1914 |
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COLLEGEPORT Among the guests registered at the "Hotel Collegeport" the past week were Col. John N. Simpson and Mr. Royal A. Ferris of Dallas, Mr. Featherston of Weatherford, Mr. L. E. Beadle of Beadle, and Mr. Jester of Corsicana.
Matagorda County Tribune, November 13, 1914 |
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To Have a Good Colony of German Farmers.
Mr. G. M. Magill is in receipt of a late letter from Mr. Claude W. Jester of New York City, stating that he is now organizing a good colony of German farmers to move to their Collegeport lands during the coming month of November.
Mr. Jester thinks that they will perhaps get 50 families to start with and then by next year they will be able to secure sufficient to settle all their lands in the Collegeport country.
It will be remembered that the Jester syndicate took over from the Hurd Company about 17,000 acres of Hurd Company lands in the Collegeport country, being the lands mostly formerly owned by the Pierces of Blessing.
Mr. Jester seems to feel much encouraged over the good price of cotton and the general favorable business outlook.
Just let the good work go on.
Matagorda County Tribune,
October 29, 1915 |
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Claude W. Jester left Wednesday morning via Southern Pacific for |
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CORSICANA, Texas, Feb. 17.--Funeral services were held here Tuesday for Claude Jester, Corsicana native but a resident of new York City fifty-four years, who died in New York. He was a brother of the late Beauford H. Jester, former Governor of Texas, and a son of the late George T. Jester, Corsicana, one-time Lieutenant Governor of Texas. Surviving are his mother, Mrs. George T. Jester, Corsicana, and a sister, Mrs. Clay Johnson, Fort Worth. Burial was in Oakwood Cemetery. The rites were conducted by Dr. Chet C. Henson, pastor of the First Methodist Church.
Dallas Morning News, February 18, 1953 |
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Copyright 2013 -
Present by Carol Sue Gibbs |
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| Created May 17, 2013 |
Updated May 17, 2013 |