Sherman Democrat
Sunday, May 31, 1987
Compiled by Joan Ball
Historical highlights of Tom Bean's 100 years
- 1887
- Town of Tom Bean established, named for early surveyor who gave
townsite on Cotton belt Railroad line between Sherman and Commerce.
- 1888
- Dr. John James Devine moved house from Whitemound to be the first one
in city: A.J.Baxter built second house; Lyn Williams opened first
cotton gin; Ed. P. Welch moved cotton gin from Whitemound; first
"one-room" school opened with A.L. (Gus) Clayton as teachers; post
office moved from Whitemound with Bill Grindstaff as first postmaster.
- 1889
- H.H.Stark opened first drug store; "Parson" W.W.Arnold opened
furniture store with J.H.Simmons' barberchair in rear of building;
James H. and Minerva Martin Davis established Tom Bean Hotel, facing
the railroad on the south.
- 1890 - Morris Francis "Blue Goose" and Weber Brothers saloons in operation; Church of Christ organized.
- 1891 - School moved to new building with grade school on ground floor and high school and auditorium on second floor.
- 1892 - Baxter Brothers opened general merchandise store.
- 1893 - A.B.Firquin's Dry Good Store established.
- 1894 - Tom Bean Weekly News began publication; Union Sunday School organized.
- 1896 - Baptist and Cumberland Presbyterian churches organized.
- 1897 - Tom Bean received city charter; Ice B. Reeves named mayor.
- 1906
- First State Bank organized with Dr. William Jackson as president;
G.A.Lackey and P.H.Luby established grain company; Methodist Church
moved from Whitemound.
- 1908 - Pat Luby and George Lackey opened hardware store.
- 1910
- Dean and Dean purchased Baxter Bros. Store; new school built in east
part of town; McAllister Furniture Co. opened; Dickson's Drug Store
occupied new building; Culture Club organized; Farmer's Lumber Co.
opened; Depot destroyed by fire.
- 1911
- Tom Bean Bulletin began publication; McAllister Furniture Co.
purchased used hearse and added undertaking to its business.
- 1912
- Col. T. C. Curtis purchased Bulletin newspaper and renamed it Tom
Bean Times; H. H. Epperson bought McAllister Furniture and Undertaking.
- 1914
- Fire destroys Firquin's, Epperson's, Farmer's Union and Richardson
stores, along with the post office and Tom Bean Times; Joe Vincent
opened grain mill; Firquin rebuilt store and W. A. Vail reopened the
furniture and undertaking companies.
- 1915 - Vail Furniture and Undertaking sold to Tom Francis; Claude Lackey joined First State Bank.
- 1916 - Firquin's store sold to a Mr. Simmons.
- 1917 - First State Bank becomes First National, J.H.Dickson's elected president.
- 1919 - T.G.McCafferty purchased Lackey Hardware.
- 1920 - Dr. Jackson moved to Greenville; E.O.Thomas elected vice president of First National Bank.
- 1921 - Johnson's Dry Goods sold to Grantlin Ball and Vere Sullenger.
- 1925
- Tom Bean's Cotton Franklin named all-state in football and baseball
as a member of Sherman teams; Ike Looney bought McCafferty Hardware.
- 1926
- Ball Mercantile destroyed by fire; Ball bought Looney's hardware,
added dry goods and groceries and re-established business.
- 1928
- Tom Bean Fair attracted visitors from wide area; Simmons Dry Goods
closed; Methodist and Presbyterian churches began meeting together.
- 1929 - Rube Sullenger Grocery established.
- 1930 - City fought "great" depression; school teachers had to wait for their pay.
- 1931 - High school baseball team won every game; Tom Bean Grain Co. replaced building destroyed by fire.
- 1932 - High school adopted name "Tomcats;" baseball team again won every game; won district basketball championship.
- 1934
- Cotton Franklin named Tom Bean coach; Tom Bean Times sold to Bryant,
Merrill & Co. with "boy editor of Texas" Donald B. (Sammie) Bryant
named editor-manager.
- 1935
- New high school under construction; Col. C. T. Curtis died; E. B.
Scott named president First National Bank; Semi-Pro Tomcats won Lone
Star League pennant, defeating Dallas city Champions.
- 1936
- City water system installed; Ford Cafe, W.C.Cole Grocery and the
Masonic Lodge buildings destroyed by fire; sidewalks poured by WPA
workers; new high school graduated first class; Tomcats won Long Star
League pennant.
- 1937 - Ted Pitts took coach's job; Tomcats won basketball conference.
- 1938 - "Boy editor" Bryant moves from city, leaving newspaper without resident editor.
- 1940 - R.R.Hyman became high school coach.
- 1941 - City mourned loss of Boyd England at Pearl Harbor.
- 1942
- Rufus Scott named coach; Tomcats won district in basketball; Tom Bean
Times ceases publication when publisher Russell Bryant of Howe joined
Navy in WWII.
- 1943 - Tomcats won district in basketball.
- 1944 - Tomcats won district in football and basketball.
- 1945 - Tomcats won district in basketball.
- 1946 - Tomcats won district in basketball.
- 1947 - Francis Furniture and Undertaking closed at death of Tom Francis.
- 1953 - New grade school completed.
- 1956 - First National Bank moved to new quarters.
- 1961 - Baptist Church dedicated new building; Ball Mercantile sold after 45 years.
- 1963 - Natural gas installed in city.
- 1969 - Rufus Scott retired after 27 years as Tom Bean coach.
- 1972 - New high school under construction; Livestock Sales Barn opened.
- 1974 - Perrin Air Force Base Chapel moved to Tom Bean and remodeled for Methodist Church.
- 1980 - 600 attend first all-school reunion organized by Warner Earl Lovell and Glenodine Odle Pitts.
- 1982 - Church of Christ occupied new building.
- 1983 - Chamber of Commerce organized.
- 1986 - Tom Bean & Cedar Methodists merge.
- 1987 - Chamber of Commerce sponsors two-day Centennial Celebration.
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