1951 - Martin Kneblick

1952 - Willie E. Boehm

The first bale of cotton grown in Jackson County, and this entire section for that matter, was brought in Monday afternoon by Martin Kneblick, who farms 100 acres near El Toro. Martin is shown at the left here and on the right, still dirty and tired, from rushing the first bale through the Hillman gin in Edna, is W. L. Hillman, ginner. The cotton came off 18 acres of the 67 acres Martin has in cotton. The bale, strictly middling, weighed 500 pounds exactly. It was picked Monday by a group of 22 pickers. It was Mr. Kneblick's first bale. It will be auctioned off down town. (Photo by Nelson) Edna Herald, July 12, 1951
 

The first bale of cotton from the 1952 crop was brought into Edna Tuesday at noon by Willie E. Boehm, Ganado farmer. Boehm (right) is shown here with R. L. Branstetter, manager of the Farmers' Co-Operative Marketing Assn. Gin, which ginned the county's first bale. It weighed 585 pounds and will be auctioned off at the courthouse square Saturday at 2 p. m. The second bale was ginned in Ganado at Lind's Gin, about 5 p. m. Tuesday. It was grown by Tom H. Braddock, a tenant on the I. T. Seale farm at Red Bluff. The bale weighed 549 pounds. Emil Egg bought Braddock's bale and paid 38 cents per pound. Several other bales have been ginned at Edna since the first bale came in. (Photo by Westmoreland) Edna Herald, July 24,1952
 

1954 - Isaac Reyes

1955 - J. J. Venglar

First Bale--Isaac Reyes, on top of the bale, produced Jackson County's first bale of cotton for 1954. It was tinned last Thursday afternoon, late. With him is R. A. Hanson, Dario Hinojosa, J. D. Gaithright, ginner and C. J. Trojcak (left to right). (Photo by Finnell) Edna Herald, July 15, 1954

1955--First Bale of Cotton--J. J. Venglar of LaSalle, right, brought in Jackson County's first bale of cotton. The bale was ginned July 9 at the Farmers Coop Gin. Ginner R. L. Branstetter, at left in picture, said the bale was of good quality and weighed 564 pounds. The owner will receive a cash premium and merchandise certificates for having the first bale. Edna Herald, July 14, 1955
 

1956 - WIllie Boehm

1957 - Edward Boehm

First bale of cotton in Jackson County this season was brought in by Willie Boehm of Ganado, on July 5, four days earlier than last year's winner. The bale of good quality cotton was ginned at teh Ganado Farmers Association Gin, and weighed 659 pounds. The photo shows Boehm sitting on top his prize bale, and Ginner R. A. Hanson standing at left. Edna Herald, July 12, 1956

Edward Boehm and first bale of cotton for 1957 is shown before the Citizens State Bank at Ganado. Boehm, 25, farms the old Willie Boehm farm just east of Ganado. He started picking the bale at 8 o'clock last Thursday morning, took it to the gin at 3:15 p. m. and it was ginned at 4 by Ganado Farmers Coop Gin. It weighted 516 pounds and had 970 pounds of seed. His father had the first bale last year on July 5. Edward also had the second bale, ginned at the Farmers Coop Gin at Edna Friday at 11 a. m. It weighed 498 pounds and had 975 pounds of seed. The young man served in the armed forces two years and this was his first crop since. Edna Herald, August 1, 1957
 

1958 - Willie Matak

1959 - Ray Webernick

First Bale--Willie Matak of La Salle, left, brought in the first bale of Jackson County cotton for 1958. The bale, weighing 630 pounds, was ginned at Edna's Farmers Cooperative Marketing Assoc. at 10:30 a. m. Monday, July 14. D. E. "Red" Curtis, right, the ginner said the bale was picked from eight acres. The bale will be auctioned off Saturday at  4:30 at the courthouse. Edna Herald, July 17, 1958
 

Number One--Here's the picture of Ray Webernick's first 1959 bale of Jackson County cotton, brought in July 23 and ginned at the Edna Farmers Coop Marketing Association. Shown with the bale are, left to right, D. E. Curtis, ginner; Webernick and his son, Phillip Craig; and R. L. Branstetter, general manager of the Edna Farmers Coop. The 481-pound bale will be auctioned off Saturday at 2 p. m. at the corner of Main and Wells. Edna Herald, July 30, 1959
 

1960 - Eugene Hajek

1961 - John N. Hunt

(Picture at left}
1960--First Bale Auction Saturday--Of course they are all smiles. They should be, for last week Eugene Hajek (left) brought in the first bale of 1960 cotton in Jackson County at Vanderbilt and Walter Krenek did the ginning at his Vanderbilt Gin. The bale weighed 171 pounds. It will be auctioned off Saturday at 10 a. m. at the Courthouse lawn. Edna Herald, July 28, 1960

(Above)
1961--First Bale--John N. Hunt, who farms on the Frank Marek place at Deutschburg, Tuesday brought in Jackson County's first bale of cotton. It was ginned at the Edna Farmers' Co-op Gin at 2 p. m. and weighed 668 pounds. In the photograph with the first bale are D. E. "Red" Curtiss, ginner; Frank Marek, Mrs. Marek and Hunt. Edna Herald, July 27, 1961

1963 - James L. Kresta

1965 - Sasario Jacinto

First 1963 Cotton--James L. Kresta is shown with Mrs. Kresta, their 17-month old daughter, Geraldine, and Jackson County's first bale of cotton which he took to Farmers Co-op in Edna about 6:30 p. m. Monday, July 8. The bale, from 20 acres in Casa Blanca area, produced 1600 pounds of seed cotton and the bale weighed 569 pounds. The bale has been purchased by R. B. Dept. Store for 40 cents per pound. The Krestas live in Koop Settlement. She is the former Martha Riel, from a small town near Munich, Germany. Edna Herald, July 11, 1963

First bale of cotton ginned here this year was raised by Sasario Jacinto, left. It was ginned by Farmers Cooperative Gin. Head Ginner, Bob Curtis, is shown at right. The picture above could have been a re-run for last year since the same two were shown with the first bale of 1964 cotton. The first 1965 bale is now on display in front of RB Department Store here, having been purchased by the local business firm for advertising purposes. Edna Herald, July 22, 1965