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MARKHAM, TEXAS INFORMATION
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Markham, an unincorporated community, is located about five miles south of the Colorado River off Highway 35 on the junction of FM 1468 and FM 2431. Markham is part of the Daniel Etherton and Richard Graves League that were granted to Etherton and Graves from the Republic of Texas on July 10, 1845. Markham, a railroad town, was established in 1903, formerly known as Tent City, and named after Southern Pacific Lines General Manager, Charles Markham. Before the establishment of Markham, Abel Head “Shanghai” Pierce (1834-1900) owned most of the land in Matagorda and Wharton County. The Pierce Estate sold over 15,000 acres of land to the Moore-Cortes Canal Company for rice farming in the early 1900s. Walter C. Moore (1857-1943), known as the “Father of the Rice Industry in Texas,” pushed for community development in Markham, previously known as Tent City. Moore along with Henry W. Cortes (1856-1908) owned Moore-Cortes Canal Company who were responsible for promoting rice farming and building irrigation canals in Matagorda County. The Markham Townsite Company, formed in 1903, bought 344.6 acres of land from the Moore-Cortes Canal Company. Moore brought in Southern Pacific Lines, which helped boost community growth and for the purpose of extending the rail line from Van Vleck to Palacios. The railroad engineer for Southern Pacific Lines was Charles Henry Markham (1861-1930). The first depot was in a tent before constructing a structure. The train transported products, including crops and cattle, and passengers to and from Markham, and the county newspapers announced daily train arrivals and departures. Passable roads were a necessity for traveling and trade. In 1914, the Markham-Bay City road was shelled according to the Matagorda County Tribune. In 1917, bids were requested for erecting a bridge across the Colorado River on the Markham road. In December 1921, in The Daily Tribune, Judge Perry stated that the Markham-Bay City bridge was in bad shape and that the voters needed to vote in favor of repairing the bridge, rather than having a ferry to transport cars across the Colorado River. Between 1930 and 1931, Highway 35 was constructed connecting Bay City and Markham, and Farm to Market Road 1468 heading to Clemville was paved as a one-lane road. In 1965, Markham’s shell and dirt streets were paved. Markham had many businesses. The first shipment to arrive by train in Markham was a cargo of whiskey in which the first saloon was established. Markham had 10 saloons, 5 general stores, 2 drug stores, 2 boarding houses, 2 blacksmith shops, 1 cafe, and 1 pool hall. The Markham Hotel, according to the Houston Post, opened up for business in 1903 with rates of $3 a day. The hotel attracted prospective land buyers, businesses, and the railroad. One of the most prominent businessmen in Markham was William A. Furber (1871-1935), who worked as a bookkeeper for the Moore-Cortes Canal Company, bought the hotel as an investment in 1905 and his sister Caroline Fisher (1876-1963) ran the Fisher Hotel for many years. The Fisher Hotel, also known as the Markham Hotel, hosted many individuals including Hiroto Katayama and teachers for the Markham and Blessing schools. Harold Barber (1897-1967) owned Barber’s grocery for many years that was located near the Fisher Hotel. In the 1949 Markham High School Yearbook, the advertisement section included George Knebel Garage and Orr’s Groceries of Markham. In the February 1913 edition of The Daily Tribune, it mentions that Markham had a population of 400, a bank, and was located near oil fields. Agriculturally, Markham had a rice plant, multiple cattle pens, lumber yards, and abundant farmlands. In 1903, 25,000 acres of rice was harvested around Markham. In the early 1900s, the Japanese government sent Hiroto Katayama and a group of laborers to Markham to learn about rice farming techniques. W.D. Cornelius (1879-1960) and his father, F. Cornelius (1850-1946), owned many acres of land around Markham, also owned a meat market, and were livestock dealers. Besides the Moore-Cortes Canal Company farming and irrigating rice, Northern Headquarters east of Markham, acquired over 17,000 acres, established irrigation for farming rice in 1902. By 1947, Northern Headquarters was sold off to different people, and continues to be used for farming. The Markham Rice Milling Company was organized in 1904. The Markham Rice Mill established a temporary office at Northern Irrigation Company Warehouse after suffering a fire, according to two newspapers in August 1905. In the December 1918 issue of The Daily Tribune mentions Matagorda County as a “one-crop” county between 1915 and 1916 that includes Markham and Northern Headquarters. The Markham Gin and Milling Company was established in 1918 and organized by Sig Brown (1870-1935), J.A. Bryant (1875-1953), and R.D. Dixon. The Markham Irrigation Company became incorporated in 1912. J.M. Moore headed the Markham Irrigation Company. The Markham Irrigation Company was comprised of 11 companies that was owned by A.J. Hardy and was the largest privately owned irrigation system in the United States. In the July 1918 issue of the Lancaster Herald, the irrigation company purchased water from Lake Austin to save the rice crop in Matagorda County. In 1929, the Markham Irrigation Company sold their property to Victor L. LeTulle (1864-1944) to pay off debt. The first post office was established in Cortes and named after Henry Cortes. Cortes was located near the Colorado River and the Moore-Cortes Canal Company headquarters. Mail was delivered by boat to Bay City. This post office relocated to Markham in 1903. The first postmaster for the Markham Post Office was Richard ‘Dick’ Robertson and it was located on 4th Street and Broadway. Robertson was Postmaster for a brief time before resigning. In 1962, it moved to the corner of 7th Street and Broadway, right across from the Methodist Church. The Markham Post Office is under the management of the Bay City Post Office and does not have a postmaster. The Markham State Bank was organized in 1903 and closed in 1923. J.M. Moore, W.S. Goode, A.A. Moore, S.S. Perry, and others organized the Markham bank. Frank J. Hardey (1863-1924) was the first president of the bank. After Hardey resigned in 1907, W.A. Furber became the president. In 1908, the State Superintendent of Banking approved the Bay City Bank and Trust as a reserve agent for the Markham State Bank. For many years this bank was a part of the community until it closed in 1923. Lawlessness occurred and the citizens depended on the Bay City sheriff since there was no law enforcement within Markham. Those caught were placed in the stationary boxcar until the sheriff arrived. Jim Moody, leader of the Blackjack Gang and member of the Dalton Gang, was captured at the Markham Train Depot after being suspected of murdering Dallas deputy sheriff Addison Pate in 1903. In June 1915, in the Matagorda County Tribune, W.A. Lewis stabbed Albert Mehrens at a dance held in a warehouse at Northern Headquarters and Lewis turned himself in. While business was booming, many residents decided to establish a place of worship. The First Baptist Church and the Pilgrims Rest Baptist Church were established in 1903 with the Markham Methodist Church being established in 1904. The First Baptist Church built a structure on the corner of Canal and Avenue J in 1903, and they shared the church with the Methodists since they did not have a building. The Pilgrims Rest Baptist Church congregants, the first Black church, erected their building in 1909. In 1924, William A. Wells (1860-1941) built the Methodist Church. In 1966, the St. Robert’s Catholic Church was erected on a 4-acre tract donated by Mary Cornelius and W.D. Cornelius. As the town grew, educating children became a priority. Professor Murray of the Markham School told in the October 1904 Matagorda County Tribune that they approved the contract with T.S. Sanford and H.J. Falke of $4,290. This school taught elementary to high school age white children. The school mascot was the mustang with the school colors being blue and gold. In 1925, Markham ISD held a bond election. In 1930, Robert Black (1901-1997) became the English teacher at Markham, in which he organized the department to meet the state requirements, and taught over 30 years. When Black was not teaching he was preaching at the First Baptist Church in Markham. This school district was composed of students from Clemville, Buckeye, Northern Headquarters Ranch, and some from Danevang. Clemville and Buckeye consolidated with Markham by 1935. By 1935, the old structure was replaced by a brick structure and the wooden building was auctioned off. Markham Independent School District lasted from 1905 to 1948 until it consolidated with Blessing, El Maton, and Midfield to form Tidehaven ISD in 1949, because of the Gilmer-Aikens Act. This consolidation led to the colors changing to red and blue, and the mascot changing to the tigers. Students that lived in the original Markham school district still attended the Markham school through eighth grade. Once they reached high school, students were sent to Blessing until a new high school was constructed. In the era of segregation, Black children attended school on Avenue D and Tenth Street. After receiving elementary education, the students went to El Maton to the Jefferson School or to Bay City at Booker T. Washington School. It would not be until 1965 when Tidehaven ISD integrated. Markham needed housing to meet the influx of businesses and for laborers. Joe Whiddon constructed the first house and the McElraths erected the first brick home. In the northeast section of Markham, the canal company built many homes that were painted red for the Black laborers. This section of town was known as “Red Town”. The railroad set aside land for a cemetery for the Black section hands. In the 1960s, many different entities in Markham were established. The Markham Municipal Utility district was established in 1963 with the Markham Gas Company being established in 1967. With both entities, residents could have water, sewer, and gas to pay for the services. The Markham Volunteer Fire Department was established in 1967. The fire department holds annual fundraisers to fund their department and provide scholarships to graduating seniors. Markham holds Markham Day every year in the spring. Women fought and sought the right to vote since the women’s convention in Seneca Falls in 1848. In Texas, women gained the right to vote in the Texas primary in 1918. This led to many women in Matagorda County to register to vote in July 1918. In both the Daily Tribune and Matagorda County Tribune, the newspapers listed the women who registered to vote and where they were from. There were over 100 women that registered to vote from Markham. In the May 1919 edition of the Matagorda County Tribune, women from the Markham Suffrage Society signed a petition asking men to vote for equal suffrage. Many people contributed to the development of Markham. Furber was active in the community through his business endeavors and helping to raise funds to erect the Methodist Church building. Caroline Fisher was active in the Methodist Church and entertained many guests that stayed at the Fisher Hotel. Nellie Gullett Jesse was the first telephone operator in Markham and worked as a salesperson in A.B. Turner Drug Store. With their efforts and determination, the town developed with many different businesses for shopping and to conduct agricultural related business.
Without the railroad and the Moore-Cortes Canal Company buying many
acres of land from Abel Pierce, Markham would not be where it is today.
By the 1970s, the rail line in Markham closed due to less usage and the
construction of the South Texas Nuclear Plant. Despite the loss of the
railway, Markham continues to be a small unincorporated community with
strong agricultural roots. W.C. Moore, Henry Cortes, W.A. Furber,
Caroline Fisher, and others contributed to the development of Markham.
The irrigation canal companies contributed to establishing rice farming
in Markham and Matagorda County. |
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