Written by Clay Riley – Although there are few pre-1894 copies of Brownwood newspapers, editors shared news items with other newspapers. This gave their readers interesting news to help their sales and subscriptions. Many of the newspapers of 1880 were full of news items with bylines from other cities and even other states.

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The Brownwood newspapers were no different. To understand what was happening in Brownwood and Brown County at that date, I have gleaned items from other newspapers that had Brown County news items for 1880. Some of the stories were later revealed as exaggerated stories, but that did not stop them from being published.

What follows are news items about Brown County, by month, for the year 1880.

JANUARY

The Austin Weekly Democratic Statesman – January 15, 1880

• Brownwood is on her ear again. Silver mining excitement is high. A Mr. Kimbrew started a new bore and at 110 feet and found rich mineral deposits (silver). It is said the two pieces were estimated to bring three thousand dollars per ton, but did not think there was enough to pay.

The Austin Weekly Democratic Statesman – January 22, 1880

• The silver boom is going again at Brownwood. The Banner (Brownwood Banner) says it will not exaggerate any of the facts about it, and in the meantime, will be glad to welcome new comers. The two propositions ought not to be mentioned in the same breath.

FEBRUARY

Chicago Daily Tribune – February 4, 1880

• (Brownwood) A horrible murder occurred a short distance from here last week, resulting in the death of two of Brownwood’s most promising young men. Last Saturday, W.H. King, Deputy Sheriff of this county, summoned three citizens here – Messrs. Robertson, Ross and Keith – to serve papers on one Rusk Holloway for unlawfully carrying pistols. Rusk Holloway resisted and a gunfight ensued. As a result, Ross and Robertson were mortally wounded. Ross and Keith escaped the gunfire. Rusk and his father old man Holloway were arrested and charged with murder.

MARCH

The Dallas Daily Herald – March 11, 1880

• There are only five prisoners in the Brown County jail. – Brown County has another boom. It is petroleum this time. Mr. Martin Meighinger claims to have found petroleum on his place in Brownwood, which yields sixty-five percent of pure oil. He was digging a well in his wagon yard and struck oil at one hundred and fifteen feet. He thinks he has found a bonanza.

Brenham Weekly Banner – March 26, 1880

• The Brownwood Banner says work has once more resumed on the silver mine, and an artesian well is being sunk within two feet of the former hole. The company means business this time. It is believed that silver exists in paying quantities.

APRIL

Brenham Weekly Banner – April 2, 1880

• Brownwood has a new paper called The Sentinel. It will soon make a fortune.
• Wagons loaded with hides (buffalo) may be seen passing through Brownwood almost every day.

The Weekly Democratic Statesman (Austin) – April 22, 1880

• Brownwood, Brown County will have a telegraph line by the middle of June next.

MAY

The Dallas Daily Herald – May 5, 1880

• We have been shown a sample of crude oil taken from a well which is in process of being bored at Brownwood, that is pronounced by those experienced in the matter, as of very fine quality.

The Memphis (Tennessee)Daily Appeal – May 14, 1880

• Brownwood refuses to be incorporated.
• The coal-oil well at Brownwood, Brown County, yields two barrels of oil per day

JUNE

The Weekly Democratic Statesman (Austin) – June 10, 1880

• Brownwood is after being connected with Waco with narrow gauge rails.

The Weekly Democratic Statesman (Austin) – June 17, 1880

• Crops in Brown County and all the section about it are fine. The pecan crop is going to be a huge one, and it is said over 200,000 bushels will be shipped from Brownwood.

JULY

The Dallas Daily Herald – July 15, 1880

• (Brownwood July 14) A rattlesnake fourteen feet long, with forty-eight rattles, was killed in the mountains near this place yesterday, by one John R. James. It is probably one of the largest of its kind in the world.
• Crops are excellent. The weather is exceedingly warm. Rain is expected to gall tonight, as clouds are low and it is thundering.

Brenham Weekly Banner – July 22, 1880

• The fight reported near Brownwood, the land of the big snakes, appears to have been a tempest in a teapot. Two men were deputized to arrest one Puckett for illegally using estrays. They found Puckett in a field and fired at him; he then went to town and preferred a complaint against them for assault.
• A Brownwood special to the news says that a rattlesnake was killed in the mountains near Brownwood that measured 14 feet in length and had 48 rattles. We make it a matter of honor never to dispute or doubt a snake or a fish story, no matter how extravagant it may appear; and while we believe the above great North American snake to have been killed as stated, our confidence in the quality of the whiskey dispensed in and about Brownwood is materially weakened.

AUGUST

Brenham Weekly Banner – August 12, 1880

• The Brownwood Banner insists that we believe the snake story telegraphed from Brownwood, on pain of being classed as a greenback paper. We would believe the Brownwood snake story, even if it was twice as long. Don’t put us in the greenback ranks.

The Daily Cairo (Ill.) Bulletin – August 27, 1880

• The Fort Yuma stage line has moved its headquarter from Weatherford to Gordon forty-three miles further west, and will run direct to Concho via Stephenville, Brownwood and Comanche, in order to secure via the Texas and Pacific a large amount of military post travel that has heretofore gone to San Antonio.

SEPTEMBER

Brenham Weekly Banner – September 16, 1880

• The Brownwood Sentinel newspaper is dead. It has picked up its grip sack and will be moved to Brady City where it will begin again.
• The Brownwood Banner learns that gentlemen authorized to procure the right away, for the Santa Fe, through Brown County have arrived.

OCTOBER

Brenham Weekly Banner – October 14, 1880

• At Brownwood, pecans are plentiful and sell readily at $1.75 to $2 per bushel.

NOVEMBER

Brenham Weekly Banner – November 18, 1880

• Ed. P. Mickel, editor of the Brownwood Banner, was attacked by W. H. Shelton who attempted to shoot him, and succeeded in beating him over the head with a revolver. The Banner does not give the cause of the attack.

DECEMBER

The Weekly Democratic Statesman (Austin) –  December 16, 1880

• The mail coach between Eastland and Brownwood has been robbed by highwaymen who did not even mask themselves. The stage coach was stopped by two robbers, and the passengers and mail sacks were made to disgorge. They took $165 from the passengers and $350 from the mail.

Source; photo-Portal of Texas History, Ibid.

This and many other stories are available at the Brownwood Public Library – Genealogy & Local History Branch at 213 S. Broadway. Volunteers from the Pecan Valley Genealogical Society are there to assist you in your family or local history research.

Clay Riley is a local historian and retired Aerospace Engineer that has been involved in the Historical and Genealogical Community of Brown County for over 20 years.

Should you have a comment, or a question that he may be able to answer in future columns, he can be reached at; [email protected].