Jarrell Historical

yprx

Marker Texas in Williamson County Historical Marker Dedication

JARRELL, TEXAS

, EST. 1909

Historical Narrative

I. CONTEXT

The Bartlett Western chartered as the Bartlett-Florence Railway Company on Sept. 15, 1909, was the last railroad constructed in Williamson County with the hope

of investors that the enormous cotton traffic of the county would make the line prosperous. Bartlett Western founders bypassed the community of Corn Hill with 11.2 miles of track running from Bartlett west to the present site of the town of Jarrell, turning the once-thriving community of Corn Hill into a ghost town. In turn, Jarrell was established as one of Williamson County’s newest and most promising communities in 1909. [1] [9]

The railroad and cotton commerce helped put Jarrell on the map from 1909-1920, but the decline of the cotton industry in the 1920s and 1930s along with the closing of the Bartlett and Western in 1935, resulted in a significant population decline. Many of Jarrell’s original downtown structures are still intact and in use today. A recent resurgence in the popularity of Jarrell began in 2000 and has resulted in a population boom. As a result, almost

2,500 residents now call Jarrell home.

II. OVERVIEW

The community of Jarrell is located on Donahoe Creek at the intersection of IH 35 and Farm FM 487, two miles south of the Bell County line in northern Williamson County. Jarrell was named for real estate developer O. D. Jarrell of Temple. Jarrell and E. C. Haeber of Bartlett founded the town in 1909 at the intersection of the old stagecoach road and the proposed right-of-way of the Bartlett and Western Railway. The railroad reached the town soon thereafter. A saloon and two

stores were operating in 1910, followed by a bank and a weekly newspaper, the Jarrell View, in 19ll and a post office in 1912. The town of Corn Hill, a mile south of the newly proposed townsite, moved to Jarrell when residents realized that Corn Hill had been bypassed by the railroad. [1]

By 1914 a prospering community, Jarrell reached a population of 500 and had waterworks, electric lights, a movie theater, and a hotel. With the decline of the cotton industry in the 1920s and 1930s and the closing of the Bartlett and Western in 1935, Jarrell experienced a decline. In 1933 Jarrell had declined to a population of 200 and eighteen businesses. The community revived to an estimated 350 inhabitants and twenty-one businesses in 1945. From 1964 to 1990 the population of Jarrell was

reported as 410.[1]

By 1990 the population of

Jarrell was reported as 410.[1]

On May 27, 1997, Jarrell made national news when a tornado killed twenty-seven people and injured many others. This tornado was one of six Texas tornadoes since 1950 that has been recorded in the F5 category. The Jarrell tornado had winds

between 261-318 miles per hour.[2] By 2000, Jarrell had reached a population of 1,000. Currently, the population of the community is 2,400 and growing with new infrastructure, homes, and developments focused on the east side of IH-35[1] [3]

In December of 1909, the first lot was sold in the Jarrell Townsite. The

town as we know it today is Jarrell, Texas. It was named for Orlando D. Jarrell, a real estate broker from Temple, Texas.[5] Some of the last platted lots were sold to F. R. Conlee by Jarrell in 1916.[8]

Prior to 1909, the primary town in northern Williamson County, Texas, was Corn Hill. At one time, it was a prosperous village of over 500 residents. It was located two miles south of present-day Jarrell, Texas. In 1909 a short line railroad was proposed to run from Bartlett, Texas to Florence, Texas. It was to serve as a feeder line to the Katy Railroad, which passed daily through Bartlett. Residents assumed that the

line would run through the town of Corn Hill, even though some were against it. [9] O.D. Jarrell and E.C. Haeber of Bartlett saw an opportunity and proposed that the railroad run north of Corn Hill through what was known as the Jarrell Lease. The residents of Corn Hill were surprised when the railroad bypassed their village and intersected with the highway two miles to the north. The two hundred acres known as the Jarrell Lease was changed to the Jarrell Townsite. In 1909 the lots were laid out, platted, and on sale. Free barbeque and fish fries were held each Saturday, accompanied by convincing talks about the opportunities of the future. The lots were soon sold. By the end of 1911, when the Bartlett-Western Railway had become a reality, practically every family had moved their residence from Corn Hill to Jarrell.[9]

There were also many structures constructed during the founding of Jarrell that helped the town prosper. Mr. Wilson, a cotton buyer from Taylor, Texas, invested his money in building the mercantile building and the bank building. He also built the hardware store. The mercantile and bank buildings still exist today, and

pictures are attached. All of these were completed in 1911. The mercantile building sold clothing, groceries and had a doctor’s office. The hardware sold furniture, building materials, and caskets.[5]

The Glass Hotel was constructed in 1912 and was owned and operated by the Glass family. It was known for its excellent food and warm hospitality. Drummers and salesmen would plan their

schedules so as to have meals and lodging at the hotel. [5]

The Post Office was moved from Corn Hill on March 8, 1912. The building itself was

moved several times and currently exists as a beauty shop. [6]