Dublin TX Historical Museum

05/06/2026

Dublin Rotarian Ben Pate, who also serves as president of the Dublin Historical Society, presented the program this week on the 100-year history of the local brick streets. He also invited the public to attend a celebration of the brick streets at the historical museum at 2 p.m. Saturday, May 9. Two of the men represented in the old picture ( see photo in comments) were named Bradberry and Leatherwood and their heirs will be honored at Saturday’s celebration. The original brick streets were financed by a $40,000 bond election in 1925. A million bricks, weighing nine pounds each and filling 120 train cars, were purchased.

05/06/2026

Looking forward to making the Central Inn Golf Central once again!!

05/02/2026

04/27/2026

In 1900 there was a population boom in Dublin and the surrounding area. There was also a boom in Purvis where housing was scarce. It was during this time that Mattie Stephen built a 22 room hotel. It housed travelers and permanent occupants. Mattie Stephen owned and operated it for many years. (History of Erath County p-15, Homer Stephen)

The Stephen Hotel was one of the largest in this area. Community gatherings took place in the lobby. Mattie Case Stephen operated it until it burned in August, 1914. (Images of America, Erath County by Sherly Reed Rascher)

The Dublin Progress reported that the two-story hotel was destroyed by fire between two and three o’clock on Saturday morning August 30, 1914. The estimated loss was $4000, including the house and effects on which insurance was but $1500. “Mrs. Stephens was away at the time on a visit of a week or ten days with her son at Galveston. She left her other three boys in charge of the property, only one of whom, Henry, twenty years of age, was at home when the fire occurred. The origin of the fire was not known. It caught, however, in the upper story of the building and young Mr. Stephens was awakened by the dense smoke entering his room.” (Dublin Progress, September 4, 1914)

Rooming houses were prominent during that time. In Dublin we had the Wiley Cottage, and the Lancaster House later called the Harbin House. On summer afternoons people would sit out on the large porches to pass the time. The Hotel Dublin also served as a hotel and rooming house for individuals.

People would come to Dublin during the harvest or to shop for a few days. Some people would stay in the wagon yards or if they had money they would stay in a hotel for the night.

The Stephen Hotel was built and operated by Mattie Stephen. The 22 room building served the Purvis community until it burned August 30, 1914. Jim and Leathia Whisenant are standing center in the photo. In a suit and standing to the right of the front door is J.J. Knox. (Images of America, Erath County by Sheryl Reed Rascher) Photo from the Ralph and Dossie Rogers Collection

04/12/2026

On May 12, 2026 it will be one hundred years since Dublin paved its streets with brick. In this article I want to share the process they went through preparing for and getting the streets paved with the red Thurber brick.

It started in 1919 when Mayor Sheehan visited several cities to ask how paving would be possible for a town like Dublin. He had taken a trip to Dallas, Austin, San Antonio and Cisco. After talking with commissioners in those cities, he announced that “We should be making plans for this to take place.” (Dublin Progress May 16, 1919)

“The mayor has an opinion from the attorney general to the effect that upon the vote of the people, the city council may adopt an ordinance ordering the paving of any street or alley and when this is done the cost may be legally placed against the property owners on a basis of one-third to be paid by the city and two-thirds by the property owners whose property abuts on the street or alley to be paved.” “It is stated there will be no trouble encountered in securing the necessary number of signers.” (Dublin Progress, June 27, 1919)

An election was scheduled for October 6, 1925 asking for citizens to approve a bond for the City of Dublin for the amount of $40,000 to pay for the materials and labor needed for the paving downtown. (Dublin Progress, September 4, 1925)

The bond proposed a property tax of 25 cents per $100 that would pay the city’s part of the cost. They planned to pave with vitrified Thurber brick which had been found to be most satisfactory, more economical, to last longer and may be kept in repair for less money than other materials used for paving. (Dublin Progress, September 4, 1925)

Only 9000 of the nine pound brick was shipped on each a rail car. 120 cars with 81,000 pound capacity each were needed. It totaled 1,080,000 brick for the project. In addition to the vast amount of brick needed, ten car loads of asphalt, four or five car loads of gravel and twenty car loads of sand were needed, not to mention the vast amount of labor needed. (Dublin Progress, February 5, 1926)

This first phase of paving took place from the Magnolia filling station at the corner of Live Oak and Patrick, down Patrick Street to the red light. Work continued from the train tracks on Blackjack to park street. On Elm Street it

went from the train tracks to Park Street. Also Grafton Street from the Katy train station to Live Oak Street. (Dublin Progress, September 4, 1925)

For weeks the crews had been putting down curbing and preparing the streets. It was on May 12, 1926 late in the afternoon that the city council gathered to have a ground breaking ceremony to officially start the paving with brick. The people had seen what the curbing would look like. But after the councilmen and Mayor E.C. Fewell put down their brick in the ceremony, the real brick layers quickly moved in and started the brick laying process. The crews quickly worked toward the corner of Patrick and Blackjack. It was hoped that the new brick streets would bring new life and encouragement to businesses downtown. (Dublin Progress, May 14, 1926)

It was during the paving process that the Frisco asked the Jake Hamon Railroad to stop using the Frisco freight station for freight business and build their own building.

J.W. Mitchell arrived on March, 24 to agree to start building their own depot and to agree to pay their part of the costs of laying brick on the downtown streets. General Manager of the Frisco and attorney Odell arrived the same day to talk with the Dublin council and confirm their willingness to pay their part of the expense of brick paving. For the Jake Hamon line the materials for the new depot arrived on five cars and work began shortly thereafter. The building size was eighteen by forty-two feet. That railroad depot is now part of the Erath County tax office on Grafton Street. (March 26, 1926)

By August, work had continued in each direction until the paving was done in the downtown section.

Everyone was so pleased with the paving downtown, a number asked for a second bond to pave other streets including residential neighborhoods. That election took place on October 5, 1926. The next section was to pave Patrick street from Live Oak to Clinton Street where it stopped at the gas station. That gas station is where the Dairy Queen is located now. Some additional paving was done downtown, One part of Blackjack Street was extended to the Jake Hamon Railroad crossing close to Highland Ave. East Elm street was later paved along with North Grafton.

The Historical Society is planning to have a celebration on May 9th at the museum for the 100th anniversary of the downtown brick. More details to come.

The city mayor and councilmen held brick during the groundbreaking for paving of downtown. It took place on May 12, 1926 at the corner of Live Oak and Patrick Street.

04/01/2026

It has been 100 years since the original gas lines were laid in Dublin.

It was a big step forward when the new pipes arrived in Dublin in the spring of 1926. Having natural gas as a way to heat their homes was something everyone looked forward to. It was a clean way to warm their homes without the soot and smoke that coal and wood produced. The new gas lines had been laid in the alley way west of Patrick to start the process. Now the crews were laying the pipe in the alley ways on the east side of Patrick. It was estimated that all the pipes for downtown would be laid in the next two weeks.

The main gas pipe would be laid to De Leon, then on to Stephenville, Dublin, and Comanche. The supply of natural gas from the Sip Springs source was said to be almost inexhaustible. For the streets, the curbs and guttering between Blackjack Street and Live Oak had been completed and was ready for the paving brick. (Dublin Progress, April 16, 1926, June 11, 1926)

The contractor for the laying of pipe was Phllips and Fulerton out of Breckenridge. They said the final investment would be as high as $300,000 for connecting all the homes and businesses with gas in Dublin, Stephenville and Comanche. Every home business and manufacturing plant would have gas heat.

“The work of laying the gas mains is being rushed; a crew of more than half a hundred men have been busy this week in the residence sections excavating for the mains and house connections. The C.O. Moore interests plan to have the gas lines laid and the house connections made before winter weather comes and are rushing the work along as fast as possible." (Dublin Progress June 18, 1926)

This was one of the largest jobs ever let in this part of the state. “Tom E. Patton, engineer for C.O.Moore was in Dublin Monday and advised that operations are going straight ahead. Since then Mr. Patton has signed up the acceptance of the franchise granted by the city and placed in the hands of Mayor E.C. Fewell, a certified check for $1000 was a forfeit and evidence of good faith. In addition to that, several cars of gas pipe have been in transit from a point in Pennsylvania, have been routed out from a side track in St. Louis and reached Dublin and is now being unloaded at this point. That the citizenship is now assured of the certainty of gas for domestic and industrial purposes is one of the biggest new items this paper has been able to print in a long time, unless that of last week in assurance that the paving impediments had been removed

should be counted greater. “ “He asserts that laying of mains in Dublin will proceed without delay and those across streets where the paving is to be put down are to be put in previous to the city paving.” (Dublin Progress April 9, 1926)

In August citizens were ready for this new development. “There was a big celebration in Dublin.” The headline read:"Gas will be turned on tonight.” “After church tonight the fire whistle will blow, a big gas flare will be lighted on the streets and a public celebration and demonstration will be held.” (Dublin Progress, August 27, 1926)

As they were completing the pipe work, the price of the Dublin project had risen to over $75,000. When completed, they had laid 141 miles of pipe. Gas reached the city 4 days before the time promised. (Dublin Progress, September 3, 1926)

The city fathers gathered to celebrate the laying of gas pipes in town. The photograph took place on Blackjack Street just west of Patrick. Left to right in the picture are: Tom Patton, engineer, D.W. Sheehan, Fire Chief W.P. Hallmark, Alderman C.S. Bowden, Alderman F.L. Jackson, Mayor E.C. Fewell, Alderman W.P. Warren, Alderman E.H. Blain, Alderman C.E. Leatherwood, City Secretary D.N. Kiker, Alderman J.P. Barber, Dr. Frank Bryan and J.S. Daley. Photo courtesy of the Ralph Rogers Collection.

03/13/2026

The first automobiles didn’t arrive in Texas until 1899, so in 1891 local people came to Dublin on horseback or by horse drawn wagon. This 1891 Sanborn map shows water wells that were dug in the streets. The wells were indicated on the map by blue circles. Since there were water wells, there was a good chance we had water troughs for the horses to drink from. If the town didn’t have running water yet, the wells may have been for people too.

A well was in front of the Traweek Hotel shown in the bottom left of the picture. It was located at the corner of Elm Street and Patrick where the Dublin Bottling Works is located now.

Alfred Ignatious Traweek built the building between June and August of 1881. It was called City Hotel. He also had a dry goods store with groceries on the west side of south Patrick Street close to the train station. A seamstress worked on the first floor of the hotel building. In 1881 through 1884 he had a business that sold coffins and caskets. (Dublin Gazette 1882 and 1884)

There was an office, kitchen and dining room on the first floor of the hotel. They added bed rooms on the second floor in November of 1888.

When Sam and Ella Prim came to Dublin, they spent their first nights there. Weeks after this map was created, the hotel burned sometime between April and July 1891. After it burned, Sam Prim leased the building. He cleaned out the burned debris and renovated it into what was later known as The Dublin Bottling Works. He purchased the building in 1902. (The Road To Dr Pepper, Texas, Karen Wright)

Dublin had a population of 2500 people. Our volunteer fire department was organized and had a fire wagon with 100 feet of 2 1/2 inch hose. The blue color of the Traweek Hotel indicates it was built of stone. A room in the back of the building was built with brick, indicated by the red color.

03/03/2026

Patrick Street in Dublin, Texas in 1911

Original source not identified. If this is your photo, please contact us at [email protected]

02/17/2026

The post office at Dublin began on June 14, 1875 with F.C. Oldham as its first postmaster. The railroads had not arrived yet in Dublin, but a company called The Chidister Line established a Ft.Worth to Ft. Yuma stagecoach that brought mail every other day. When the post office first opened, the amount of mail that it handled was a few letters and newspapers that were extracted from a pouch of mail carried on the stage. The pouch was relocked and sent on its way. The mail delivery eventually expanded to every day except on Sunday. Oldham tried to quit several times but people ignored him, so he continued to be postmaster until 1883 when he finally resigned. The postmaster position continued through several hands until H.H. Andrew took the position in May of 1903. (Grand Ol’ Erath, H.G. Perry p 29)(The Dublin Progress, March 29, 1907)

The stage of that day could not have hauled all the mail that was unloaded into the Dublin office any morning from the 1907 Record train alone, to say nothing of mail reaching the office from the seven other trains that arrived during the course of every twenty-four hours. As the town grew, the postal receipts also grew until it ranked as a presidential office of the second class, ranking it with Gainesville, Temple and Cleburne, San Angelo, Abilene, Weatherford and Brownwood. By 1907 the Dublin Progress mailed out each month more than a thousand pounds of its newspapers to its subscribers.

H. Henry Andrew was commissioned as Postmaster at Dublin, signed by President Theodore Roosevelt, February 14, 1903. By 1907 there were eight rural carriers who took deliveries to the doors of farmers residing in all directions from Dublin. Nell Andrew also was an important part of the post office. She made sure that all patrons received excellent service. W.B. Andrew was his assistant.

A.L. Morgan made his first trip as a carrier from Dublin in September 1903. His route covered 24 and a half miles and served 184 families. The route left Dublin on the Hazeldell road by way of Edna Hill and returned on the Fleming road. J. Lee Carlisle was the carrier for route two and made his first run on May 15th 1904. His route went west from Dublin past Roch school house, south to near Proctor road by way of St. George.

E.M. Pollan was the carrier on route three and started his run on May 16th 1904. His route went west from Dublin to Highland, then south four miles to the De Leon and Stephenville road across to the Dublin and De Leon road then back to the office. The route covered 23 and one half miles and served 150 families. A.G Howell was the carrier for route four and started in

December 1906. His route left Dublin on the Lingleville Road from Dublin to the Lingleville post office, then west through the Cow Creek community and on the Highland road, back to Dublin. It covered 27 miles and served 143 families.

Davis Kiker was the carrier on route five and started in December 1906. His route covered 25 and one half miles. He would leave Dublin on the upper Stephenville road to a mile north of Kiker’s Gin, then east returning on the lower Stephenville road. The route served 155 families. C.R. Hagler was the carrier on route six starting in May 1904. His route went from the lower Stephenville road to near Harbin and returned through the Cottonwood community. It covered 23 and one quarter miles and served 102 families.

I spoke with our current Postmaster, Ronnie Belew about the Dublin Post Office operation. We still have eight routes from Dublin, two are in town and six are rural routes. Cars allow carriers to serve customers for many more miles today. The longest route today is 140 miles and the shortest is 85 miles. The post office also delivers live creatures too. It is not unusual for them to deliver fish, crickets as reptile food, live shrimp for aquariums, honey bees, sometimes just a queen bee, baby chicks, lady bugs for gardens and fertilized chicken eggs.

Our Post Office has served the Dublin community for 150 years. We are lucky to have such dedicated servants in our community.

02/11/2026

Childhood friends William Harley and Arthur Davidson shared a fascination with bicycles and motorcycles. They worked together creating their first motorcycle in 1903 in a backyard 10' by 15' shed. After they completed their first prototype, they immediately began working on their second design using improvements they had learned about on their first model. Several years later, in 1906 Harley-Davidson built their first factory on Chestnut Street in Milwaukee.

(Wikipedia / Harley-Davidson)

We continue to find interesting images in the Ralph and Dossie Rogers collection of negatives. This image was taken on a glass plate suggesting that it was recorded around 1915-1917. It is a gentleman on a Harley Davidson motorcycle. Looking at the features of the motorcycle, it has the features of a 1912 Harley-Davidson 8A Twin model. One of these recently sold for $235,500. (hotcars.com)

The two cylinder engine had a 26.84 cubic inch displacement (440 cc). The engine could propel the bike up to 60 miles an hour.

On the back wheel there is a large pulley that took a leather strap to connect it with the motor. I am told by a local expert that it had two tanks on it. One held gasoline and the other held oil. When servicing the bike, one would put gas in one tank and oil in the other. There was no oil pan on the engine. Oil simply dripped through the engine and onto the ground. It was necessary to fill both the gas tank and the oil tank often.

Our friend on the bike is dressed up for the day’s ride. The bike itself is not new. The photo shows it has a broken spoke on the front wheel and several nicks on the front tire. It must have been new to him to be all dressed up and have his picture taken.

The headlight on this bike appears to be an carbide lamp. They were dangerous but could create light needed to travel at night. The light worked by combining calcium carbide with water. The acetylene gas would burn bright enough to light the way.

The Harley-Davidson company is one of two motorcycle companies that survived the great depression. During World War I and World War II Harley-Davidson provided motorcycles to the military.

This appears to be a Harley-Davidson 1912 Model 8A. The photo is from the Ralph Rogers collection. The photo was taken at the Edmond Photo Studio on Patrick Street. The gentleman is unknown.