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Citrus Grove Business Ads Citrus Grove Newspaper Articles |
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In April, 1908, A. B. Pierce of Blessing contracted with the Burton D. Hurd Land Development Company to sell land in the Ace of Clubs Ranch situated in southern Matagorda County, bounded by the Colorado River on the east and Matagorda and Tres Palacios bays on the south and west. A town was laid out in 1908 and named Satsuma as orange groves were used as a lure to entice farmers from Kansas, Nebraska, and other midwestern states. The name, however, was changed to Citrus Grove since another post office was using the name Satsuma.
Land agents were employed in towns all over the target area, using the mild winters and rich soil, where anything would grow--especially citrus fruit--as enticements. Large numbers of "landseekers" came on excursion trains that were met by surreys, hacks, and wagons to take the buyers to see the land for sale.
Frank King was ranch manager for the Ace of Clubs Ranch with headquarters near the bay. When the first settlers arrived in 1909, the Pierce cattle were running wild but were soon corralled. The farmers built temporary shelters until more comfortable homes could be built.
The following are names of the first land buyers and their children. The first deed was issued to O. H. Gableman, a bachelor, on January 14, 1909, followed by many others: Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Batchelder and children, Verne, Thelma, Cecil, Irene, Nellie, Reuel and Lois Henry Delaplain, Lyle Delaplain and H. L. Delaplain , who lived to take an airplane ride on his 100th birthday (Mrs. Batchelder's father, brother and grandfather) George W. and Anna Corporon and children, Gaines, Ira, Ona, Lester, George, Percy, Dick, and Reba Mr. and Mrs. Burnes and children, Charlotte and Jimmy
Mr. and Mrs. Joe Banneau and
children, Ella Adelaide, Marie, Angelina, George, Josephine, Mr. and Mrs. Joe Peltier and children, Ronald, Ronalda, Dora, Walter, Roy, Mitchel, Annette, and Willie Mr. and Mrs. Foulks and children, Luther and Alice (later Batchelder) Mr. and Mrs. H. A. Crabill and children, Charlotte, Evelyn, Sanford, Faith, and Billie
Mr. and Mrs. Lynn Yeamans and
children, Donald and Lucile (Mrs. Yeamans was a musician Mr. and Mrs. A. H. Yeamans and son, Victor Amos R. Johnson, a bachelor Mr. and Mrs. M. A. Johnson and Dan and Phoebe Mr. and Mrs. A. R. Meyers and child, Billie Mr. and Mrs. Joe Fief, Eddie (a seaman middie), Fred and Nellie Mr. and Mrs. Kielhorn and Anna Mr. and Mrs. Buzzett and son, Timmy George and Della Shuey Braden (daughter of S. P. Shuey) and children, Ruth and Paul Mr. and Mrs. Anderson and Carl Mr. and Mrs. Pete Johnson, Irene and Russell Mr. and Mrs. C. S. Douglas (Mrs. Douglas was aunt to Ester Smith) Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Hilbs [Hibbs?] Mrs. Stanfield (Mrs. Hilbs' mother) Mr. and Mrs. I. P. Miller, Glen, Raymer and Gerald Mr. and Mrs. A. E. Erickson and son, Billie Frank Ives Mrs. Benedict and daughters, Francis and Ethel (a musician who played piano for the church) Myrtle Benedict (one of the early teachers) Mr. and Mrs. L. G. Cobb, joined later by son Frank and wife, Anna Mr. and Mrs. A. G. Hunt, Nellie, Teddie, Buster, Lera and Gertrude Mr. and Mrs. Frank King, Frank Jr., Able, Francis and Fred Mr. and Mrs. Yates, Stella (who was a piano teacher) and Janie Mize Family Mr. and Mrs. Willis Reeves and brother Jack who were rice farmers
In the 1920s many new families began migrating to the area from East Texas: Bullington, Jenkins, Brown, Wells, Wood and Harvey.
The Hill brothers, George, Earl, Luther and Lawrence with their families were rice farmers.
The Chiles and Kopecky families, George Bowers and H. I. White were also rice farmers.
The early history of Citrus Grove is best told with the schools, churches, industries and community affairs.
In 1910 the first schoolteacher, Omar Crabill, was paid by the patrons and taught classes in Corporon's barn. The first county school was held in a house built by a Mr. Foulks before he was ready to occupy it. Velma Mills was the teacher. This building was a meeting house also for the United Brethren who had organized a Sunday School. When a larger structure was needed for both school and church, lumber and labor were donated by community members. The church was built north of the Yeamans store on land donated by Burton D. Hurd Land Company. The new school/church building had no siding on it when the first classes were held there. May Powers was the teacher.
The school was divided in 1913-14 with the northside students attending the church/schoolhouse; Myrtle Benedict was their teacher. The southside students went to a new building situated in the center of the population. A Miss Belknap was their first teacher. The list of teachers who taught in these schools and later at a new location nearer the center of both groups where two teachers were needed were: Margaret Holsworth (1915-16) and Thelma Sikes (1917-18), North School Elda Jacobson (1915-18), South School
Adelaide Bonneau (1918-21) Hulda Elder (1920-21) Ruth Braden (1921-22) Thelma Batchelder (1922-25) Nellie Batchelder (1924-25) Faith Crabill (1925-28) Irene Batchelder (1925-26) J. R. Laslie (1928-29) Louise Walter (1929-30) Dorothy Corporon (1930-31)
The district was consolidated in 1932, and the students were transported to Collegeport by bus. Later Collegeport was consolidated with Palacios Independent School District.
The community built the church/schoolhouse which was the center of religious life for many years. In 1926 C. S. Douglas, H. A. Crabill, and I. P. Miller--the three trustees of the United Brethren in Christ of Citrus Grove--conveyed the church property to Citrus Grove Community Church under Presbyterian supervision. This was the Houston Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church (USA). The board of trustees were A. F. Johnson, H. A. Crabill, A. R. Myric, with Mrs. A. F. Johnson, Mrs. H. A. Craybill, P. V. Corporon, Lu Ellen Corporon, and R. L. Corporon. The relationship was helpful with the regular visits of the Presbytery representatives from Houston. An unfortunate confrontation with the missionary of another denomination disrupted the church. Several families moved their memberships to the Presbyterian church in Collegeport. The Roman Catholics worshipped in the home of Joe Fief.
The first Thanksgiving dinner, November, 1909, began a tradition that continued for sixty-eight years, ending in 1977, when the reunions were no longer feasible. The first dinner was in the Satsuma House. During 1910 a depot was built, and the freight room became the home of the annual Thanksgiving dinner. The train crews always enjoyed the dinner.
In 1940 the schoolhouse was moved to become a community house on land conveyed by Jane Savage to the board of trustees, R. L. Corporon, H. S. Crabill, P. V. Corporon, Lawrence Hill, and A. F. Johnson, for a community center. This building served for all community gatherings and elections until 1977, when there was no longer a need for a community house.
As in all pioneering communities, the residents enjoyed many kinds of entertainment. Dances were held in the depot; Joe Buzzett played the violin while George Braden and Verne Batchelder took turns on the guitar. Berry-picking, pecan-gathering, fishing, oystering, domino playing, and card games comprised other forms of entertainment.
In winter several men went to the bay and gathered oysters for oyster suppers. A copper boiler filled with milk produced the savory oyster stew for which Della Braden was famous.
A. H. Yeamans and his sons, Lynn and Charles, owned and operated a general store. Yeamans called his customers "snow-diggers." Mrs. Yeamans sold Brown Swiss milk cows to the newcomers. Amos J. Johnson was manager and later owner of the Theo Smith Lumber yard and Grocery Store. Grace Shuey was a clerk. She became expert at grading milk to find the butterfat content. As a means of living, many families shipped milk in ten-gallon cans by rail to Bay City.
The post office was at the Johnson Store. the main gathering place in the afternoons was at the depot at train time, and afterward, to wait for the mail. Fred S. Robbins and a nephew, Savage Cartwright, came on horseback from their ranch on the Colorado River for their mail.
Verne Batchelder was a clerk at the Johnson Store. He also ran a cotton gin in the fall. When the fruit industry did not prove profitable, cotton became the main crop.
Everyone grew fruits and vegetables which were preserved for winter. The first home demonstration agent was Betty Hart, who introduced pressure cooking and canning to the homemakers.
A. G. Hunt and wife, Ina Corporon, built a blacksmith shop that was expanded later into a machine shop, which was important to the farmers.
With the introduction of rice farming, many changes took place. Joe Peltier had the first deep well to provide water for his rice. Because the rice canal system was not finished in time, the first crop was lost. A pumping plant on the Colorado River, ten miles east of Citrus Grove, furnished water through a canal system to Collegeport by way of Citrus Grove. George Braden barged fuel on the canal from a tank car on the Citrus Grove railroad siding. A team of mules driven by Jimmy Bruns on the canal bank pulled the barge. The Braden children, Paul and Ruth, with Reuel and Nellie Batchelder, made the trip several times. Albert Le Compte and his sons operated the pumping plant. Joe Peltier invented the Peltier Sulky Road Drag. Gaines Corporon was a salesman for Peltier.
The use of rice dryers was introduced by the Broughton Brothers of Bay City, followed by Ray Bowers and his sons, and rice growing became more profitable.
Will Cornelius of Markham leased land from people who had moved away, and he had a ranch of about 5,000 acres for many years until rice farming provided more rent for the owners. Dick Corporon rode pasture for the Cornelius ranch.
In 1930 good roads finally were being built, however, there was not enough money to provide paved roads to the small towns. A six [nine]-foot slab connected Collegeport and Citrus Grove and passed through El Maton to State Highway 35. This roadway was a great boon to these mud-road communities and served for many years.
There were some disasters. In 1914 an outbreak of anthrax disease reached epidemic proportions, and all the work stock were killed. In a time when farming was done by mules and horses, this was a real tragedy. The gulf storm of 1912 did much damage to the homes and crops. Any medical need became a real problem because the doctor was so far away and transportation so slow. Mr. and Mrs. Braden and many others were skillful with home remedies. Mrs. Corporon served as the community midwife.
The only persons from the original families now (1986) living in the Citrus Grove area are R. L. and Dorothy Corporon, their son Russell and his family, Percy and wife, Lu Ellen, and their son, Duane.
[In 2007, Russell Corporon's family are the only Citrus Grove residents from the original families living in the Citrus community.]
Ruth Braden Matthes Dick and Dorothy Corporon
Historic Matagorda County,
Volume I, pages 324-327 |
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 Yeamans & Sons Dry Good Groceries & Furniture |
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Mr. and Mrs. S. P. Shuey, daughter
Grace and son Will and his wife, Pearl (picture at
right courtesy of Ethel Williams, granddaughter)
