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A city that lived only four years is Provident City, located on the Wharton-Colorado County line on property belonging to the late R.H. (Bruce) Hancock known as the Goldenrod Ranch. The Provident Land Company of Kansas City, Missouri, was responsible for promoting land sales in 1910 and eventually 500 families from the Middle West arrived to claim the five and ten-acre tracts they had bought sight-unseen. The settlers were promised a railroad, but it never got beyond the roadbed stage. A bank was built, a two-story school house, an elegant hotel and a general store. Five-room houses were advertised for $365 in The Homefinder, a newspaper about Provident City published in Kansas City, but they were never built because there was no railroad on which to ship them. The school house was used for many years,
and Mr. Hancock turned the hotel into ranch headquarters and his hunting
lodge. The History of Wharton County, 1946-1961 Provident City, located 18 miles southwest of Nada in Colorado County, cannot be found on the map. Established in 1909, this ghost town was founded on the exaggerated claims of the Provident Land Company of Kansas City, Missouri, which promised a wealth of farming opportunities in the new town. Using slick advertising techniques and false documents, the Provident Land Company passed off the barren land, oftentimes site unseen, on unsuspecting buyers. The Provident Land Company drew in clients by using photographs taken from rich farmland nowhere near Provident City. The company loaded its Homefinders magazine with false testimonials. Although more than 500 families settled there, the town never really took root because the boastful claims that the land would grow figs, sweet potatoes, oranges, peanuts, tomatoes, and other crops in abundance were totally false. When the landowners tried to discourage buyers from wasting their money, the Provident Land Company came back with the reply that the land was so valuable that locals did not want any more settlers to share in its riches. The company also built a hotel in Ganado for prospective buyers to stay in while touring the town. Most people who bought the land soon were faced with the sobering realization that they had been taken. Within four years of its founding, Provident City became a ghost town. The tracts were on the worst of farming land. Even larger tracts of 20 or more acres could not support a family. People moved out as soon as they could, but a few of them remained. During its short four-year life, Provident City had 21 businesses, two churches, a two room schoolhouse, a post office, and a baseball team. Today, all that remains is the hotel, now used as headquarters of the Goldenrod Ranch (owned by the Hancock family of El Campo), as well as a few tenant houses. The Medallion One
Woman's World "Brigadoon", the play recently put on by our high school, was about a town that disappeared and only reappeared every one hundred years. Not too many miles from us is a town that was born and grew to maturity, only to disappear within a few short years. I don't think it will physically reappear in a hundred years, but in the hearts and minds of many people of this vicinity it ofttimes reappears in memories. Out on the prairie north of Sandies Creek once lay the thriving city of Provident City. It boasted a bank, a jewelry store, a saloon, a feed store, a lumber yard, a Baptist Church , a Methodist Church (which met upstairs over the grocery store), the grocery store, a hotel, a canning factory, a broom factory, a doctor, a contractor, a blacksmith shop, a post office. There were caskets for sale also. These were stored in the feed store. And because where there's life, there's death, a cemetery sprang up. It's still there, lonely and perhaps forgotten, back in the woods. The town was born around 1900 when the Provident City Land Company bought up from fifteen to twenty thousand acres of land. Two sections of land were laid out in lots for the city, with five to ten acre plots surrounding the city area for fruit and vegetable farming. The land company built a hotel in Ganado to house their clients who came to buy, mostly from the Northern States. They took them in surreys out to see this prospective new city and showed them a railroad grade which had no beginning or no end but which promised to eventually bring the railroad from Glen Flora to Provident City. Traces of it can still be found. Eventually a large two story hotel was built in Provident City. Maggie (Mrs. Elbert) Goff was one of the residents of Provident City who remembers it as a thriving town. When she was three years old her father traded their home and store in Missouri for a blackland farm near Cordele sight unseen. It had been misrepresented to them and when her father died shortly after their arrival they lost the farm. She and her mother and brothers and sisters moved to Provident City. They bought their groceries at the Coleman-Newman Store, later owned entirely by Mr. T.B. Coleman. He was the father of Ralph, George, and Howard Coleman, residents of El Campo. She remembers him as a kind, generous person who gave her candy when she was a child and who never knew how to say no to his broke customers. Other residents she remembers were the H.P. Fischers, Mr. Fischer owned the broom factory and was the father of Edity (Mrs. Ralph) Coleman. Others she mentioned were the Upchurches, Hazelys, Withams, Guinns, Spencers (he was the doctor), Stimsons, Jim Price (the mailcarrier), two families of Clinkscales (Frost and Ollie) with Frost Clinkscale having the first automobile in the community that she remembers, Knights, Whitleys, Finlays, Tenners, (two families, Dick and A.T.), Giffords, (he was the notary public), Crosses, Terrells, (they ran the hotel), Neumans, Nolans, Shacklets (he was the blacksmith and his wife ran the post office), Fuller, Menos (they ran the restaurant), Browns, McClains, Burns, Hopkins, Crabbs, Arnolds, Spores, Wilbanks, Kings, Hunts (he was the well-digger), Lapphans, Spoldings, Andersons, McGees, Carpenters, Rees, Townsends, Roger, and Maritzkes. The town started breaking up between the years of 1915 and 1920; with the families drifting away, mostly back to the North from which they came. When I saw the town for the first time in the late 1920's all that remained of the business district was the stately old hotel, a grocery store, a schoolhouse, and a deserted bank. Today the hotel is the headquarters of the Hancock ranch. The school house which was once a two story building with two rooms upstairs and two down has been torn down and made into a little one room red school house. That is all that remains of the once booming city out on the prairie. Over the years, heirs of those early residents have come down from the North to see the land which their relatives left behind. Most all of it has been consumed by larger acreages but most of the present owners pay off the heirs at current market prices for their small acreages. El Campo Citizen Provident
City Colorado Citizen Carey Shaw's Road Surveyors Are Out Winfrey, Schafli and Porter, civil engineers of Houston have started a full corps of surveyors to lay out the preliminary survey for the new line of road that is to be built through Wharton, Colorado and Lavaca counties by Carey Shaw of Houston and prominent capitalists of Kansas City. The surveying corps with 16 men, under charge of Chief Engineer A. Schafli, left El Campo Tuesday morning and will survey the line by way of Glen Flora, Provident City and Hallettsville. The preliminary survey will require about six weeks time after which the construction work will be commenced immediately. The organization of the company to acquire the right of way was noted in The Chronicle. Mr. Shaw and his associates will, in the near future, change this to a railroad construction company with adequate capital already subscribed and will begin to build the road which touches and drains one of the richest agricultural sections of the state. Eagle Lake Headlight Hon. Carey Shaw left on Monday night for a
trip to Oklahoma in connection with his proposed new railroad through
several counties in South Texas. Mr. Shaw was seen by a Chronicle
representative prior to his departure and said that the active work of
surveying the line was now in full progress with a complete corps of
surveyors in the field. As soon as they have outlined the route the
actual construction work will commence. He thought that grading
would begin about October 1. The road as it is being surveyed will
run through Wharton, Lavaca, and Colorado counties and will open up new
and rich shipping territories. Eagle Lake Headlight On October first, at eight o'clock a.m. about 500 people from Provident City and vicinity, gathered at the depot sight, to see the commencement of actual grading operations on the P.C. & G.C. Railroads which will connect this place with Glen Flora on the Santa Fe, and Pierce on the Southern Pacific After the people had all gathered Col. J.D. McManus, the president of the railroad delivered a few remarks and then introduced the Hon. Carey M. Shaw of Houston, the vice-president of the road, and one of the greatest railroad builders of the South. Mr. Shaw spoke of the past, present, and the great future now assured for this country, and was received with much enthusiasm by the people present. After a few remarks by some of the old settlers present about their past experience in this section, the vice-president of the road descended from the speakers platform, and after a few more appropriate remarks placed the first shovelful of dirt on the grade at 10:10 a.m. and at the same time assured the future of Provident City as one of the bests in the gulf coast country, for the only thing needed to develop this section is the railroad, and now after many months of waiting the people of Provident City and vicinity can truthfully say to all the doubters and knockers, that he who laughs last laughs best. (Colorado Citizen) Weimar Mercury No Rails on Provident City Railroad Put Down Yet Mr. Cole Hopkins who lives near Provident City, was a visitor in the city Monday. He says work is still progressing on the Provident City railroad, though very slowly. He says the dup has now been thrown up from Provident City as far as the Sandies creek, but that no rails have yet been laid. Several months ago this paper published that that rails on this road had been laid as far as the Sandies. A man, claiming to be from Provident City, called at our office at the time and volunteered the item of news. We had never seen the man before, but believing of course the item of news having been given us in good faith we printed it. Eagle Lake Headlight Another railroad begun but never finished was one connected with what was known as the "Provident Trac." A section about thirteen miles northwest of Louise was purchased by Northern land promoters for development, and in 1908 the Santa Fe Railway Company surveyed a route from Glen Flora to Cuero and San Antonio, having already spanned the Colorado with a $60,000 bridge and extended their track to a distance of six miles in this direction. The grade was built up between Provident City, on the borderline of Wharton and Colorado counties, and Glen Flora, but the road was never built. (Louise News, Oct. 10, 1908) The History of Wharton County 1846-1961 R.M. Rowse, one of our popular retail merchants is having an addition built to his store this week. Mr. Rowse has one of the best equipped medium size stores in Southwest Texas, but his ever increasing business demands more room. The Provident Commercial Club met at its regular meeting May 7-11 and adopted by-laws and elected officers. The new concrete store building of the Provident City Lumber Company is nearing completion and will be ready for occupancy soon. This is one of the nicest store buildings yet erected at Provident City and is a credit to any town much larger than Provident City. Colorado Citizen The Provident City Commercial Club met at its regular session Friday night and among other business ordered a five hundred dollar stock issue to start a canning factory. The stock was subscribed for almost at once and work began on the building Tuesday morning. It is expected to have the factory in operation by June 15. The buildings under construction are almost all completed but several more are just starting, so the rapid growth of the community is still progressing. Jas. F. Rice, our furniture man is very busy these days unpacking the large stock of new goods he has received lately. Mr. Light Townsend will have his meat market open for business in a few more days. D.Dale, our real estate man, returned from a quick trip to El Campo Tuesday. Colorado Citizen Population 150. In Colorado county, 20 miles north of Louise, the nearest shipping point and 35 miles south of Columbus, the county seat. Has a bank. Mail daily.
R.L. Polk & Co. In December of 1909, charter number 567 was issued for the Provident State Bank with a capital of $10,000.00 and the following men as directors: T.B. Coleman of Golden Rod, Texas, as president, Chas. O. Fenner of Cordale, Texas, as cashier, R.J. Clark of Seclusion, Texas., Emil Reinhold of Kansas City, Missouri, A.D. Peoples of Ganado, Texas, and A.R. Knight and Daniel Willett of Golden Road. The bank's post office address was also Golden Road, Texas A statement of condition on February 4, 1913, showed deposits of $13,230.00, loans and discounts of $7,600.00, and total assets of $23,612.00. As Provident City failed to grow, so did the financial institution, and in July of 1914, the bank was forced into liquidation with N.M. Craft in charge of disposing of the assets. History of Banking in Colorado County,
Texas
Source: U.S. Postmasters Colorado County, Texas. National Archives and Records Service, General Services Administration, Washington D.C. News was received here Saturday afternoon of the death of Mrs. Bronson, which occurred at 11 a.m., at her home on the Sandies after a two weeks' illness. At the time of her death Mrs. Bronson was 68 years of age. She was before her marriage Miss Sidney Ann Harris. In 1869 she was married to Mr. L. Bronson, their home at that time being Missouri. In 1869 she was married to Mr. L. Bronson, their home at that time being Missouri. In 1872 they came to Texas and have been residents of Colorado county for 31 years. Mrs. Bronson is survived by her husband, one son Mr. Bates Bronson, five daughters, Mrs. Gus Weisler of Eagle Lake, Mrs. Mose Townsend of Rock Island, Mesdames W.S. Griffitts, W.H. Pinchback and Albert Loughridge of Garwood and a number of grandchildren. Mrs. Bronson had been a member of the Methodist church since she was a little girl and lived an exemplary Christian life, Internment took place at the family cemetery, near their home at 2 p.m. Sunday. Rev. Mr. Baine conducted the funeral ceremonies. The Garwood Red Cross, the Missionary Society and the W.C.T.U. sent beautiful floral offerings. The bereaved ones have the sympathy of every one in the community. Eagle Lake Headlight A petition asking the revocation of the license of a saloonkeeper at Provident Cit, Colorado County, has been received by Comptroller Terrell from Citizens of that place, who allege that the saloon was kept open during the recent county school trustee election. This is the first complaint against a saloon for keeping open on that election day received by the Comptroller. An investigation will be made. Weimar Mercury Provident
City Man is Under Federal Arrest Sheriff T.J. Blhorn last Saturday placed Dr. F.C. Spencer, a practicing physician of Provident City, this county, under arrest on a charge of having made inflammatory remarks against the government. Dr. Spencer is a man of about fifty-five years of age. Sheriff Balhorn went to Provident City in his car and brought the man with him back to Columbus where they boarded the train and the prisoner was taken to Houston and there turned over to the federal authorities. The man arrested is said to have made remarks against the government, against the United States flag and against registration for army service. Sheriff Balhorn states hat he was told that the man even went so far as to sent to Hallettsville in an attempt to get a German flag. Mr. Balhorn was called by telephone from Provident City and told of the event. He placed the man under arrest and notified the district attorneys office at Houston and asked what to do with him. He was instructed to bring him right on to Houston. When Sheriff Balhorn approached Dr. Spencer in Provident City and introduced himself and told him that he had come for him, Dr. Spencer said: "Well, I reckon I have talked to much." "I reckon so," said Sheriff Balhorn, "let's go from here." And they got in the Sheriff's big Chandler car and hit the trail across the prairies for Columbus. Eagle Lake Headlight While riding after cattle in a pasture near Provident City on Monday morning Master Billy Hopkins had the misfortune of having his horse fall with him, caused by the horse's feet becoming entangled in some net wire. He was thrown to the ground and apparently lifeless when his father, Mr. Jim Hopkins got to him. Physicians were at once summoned and pronounced the injuries as concussion of the brain. On Monday afternoon he was brought to Garwood to his grandmother's, Mrs. J.D. Hopkins, the family Dr. Hutson and Mrs. Terrell a trained nurse from Provident City being with him. Up to the present writing he has not regained consciousness but other conditions are favorable and all hope he will soon be well again. Eagle Lake Headlight Halletsville New Era Tells of Land Sharks at Provident City The following is copied from the last issue
of the Halletsville New Era: He says that the Kansas City land sharks are still "bumping suckers" in Provident City. Lately a man came down all the way from Wichita, Kansas to inspect a tract of 40 acres adjoining Provident City that he had bought from the company at the rate of $40 per acre, and what was more, he had paid for it all. On arriving at this wonderful "city" he found that his tract was part of a large block of land that had been sold under sheriff's sale by the Provident Company at the rate of $4 per acre some months back. The land company thereupon agreed to give him any 40 acre tract he wished to take. Mr. Clark happened to talk to the man about this time, and at once advised him in this wise: "Don't take any of their land. Ask for your money back, instead. Be satisfied if you et just half your money back, but don't take any of their land, as it is worth but a small part of what you paid for it. You can't possibly make your living on forty acres of it." The land grafters have pretty thoroughly prejudiced their dupes against accepting the advice of the native Texans living near Provident City tract, but this Kansas man did accept Mr. Clark's suggestion and is now trying to get his money back. Of course there are hundreds of others that are not even as fortunate, but have sunk their all in this "crawfish" land and have no hope of getting a cent in return. Speaking of prejudicing the newcomers that is done to this wise: The land sharks know that our people know that the land is almost worthless and are the kind of folks that would not hesitate to tell the poor Northerners the truth about it. So the land sharks craftily fill their victims full of tales about how the cattlemen and ranchmen of that part of the county are opposed to settlement, how they will try all they can to keep settlers out even to the point of cutting fences, etc., stories that of course sound ridiculous to any Lavacite. However, the poor fellows believe what is told them at least long enough for them to be tied up hard and fast with nearly valueless land on their hands. "Why," said Mr. Clark, "one good lady on whom was unloaded some of this land, was made to believe that on a certain large tree near the colony the ranchmen had hung eight settlers in past years. She believed it so strong that just before returning to her northern home she took a Kodak picture of the tree as a souvenir of Texas toughness to show her people. Of course, we all took it as a joke, but it was darned serious when you think of it." (Marked copies of this article will be sent to various leading newspapers in Kansas Missouri and other states from where the poor fellows come from that are cheated in this respect. We are going to do what we can to stop this infernal robbery. Eagle Lake Headlight Prairie Fire Menaced Small Town in County (Citizens of Provident City fight prairie fire which threatened that town one day last week) Provident City, a small town in the extreme southwestern end of this county, just within the Colorado county line at a point where Colorado, Lavaca, and Wharton Counties come together, was near destruction by a prairie fire the early part of last week. The surrounding country is a prairie and overgrown with grass, nearly all being grazing lands and pastures. The fire originated two days before it reached Provident City and would have missed the town had it not been for a change of the wind which twisted the flames directly toward the town. Every available person in the community began hasty preparations for the "fire fight." The flames reached the town about 1 o'clock in the afternoon and it took heroic work on the part of the inhabitants to save their homes and the hotel, a large two-story frame building, church, and other buildings. Prof. C.K. Kuykendall, principal of the school, with the pupils old enough to "fightfire," especially distinguished themselves in the work. The fight continued until five o'clock p.m. Wet sacks, sand, mud, etc. were used and when it came to a "show-down" wet sacks were used as weapons and the fire was actually beaten out like one killing snakes. Eagle Lake Headlight Mr. Lewis Edwin Brownson, a prominent and popular young man, living with his parents about twelve miles from Garwood, accidentally shot and killed himself Sunday morning about 6:30 o'clock. He had just gotten out of bed and was dressing when his mother informed him that a number of cows and hawks were near the house, and after finishing dressing, went into another room to get his shotgun. In reaching for the gun, a 12-guage L.C. Smith hammerless, he caught hold of it by the barrel when in some unaccountable manner it was discharged, the whole load of No. 7 1/2 shot taking effect just below the heart, ranging downward. He was evidently in a stooping position when shot. Medical aid was summoned immediately but he expired before the arrival of the doctors. Mr. Brownson regained consciousness shortly after being shot and spoke a few words, but life was extinct about one hour later from the time of the fatal and deplorable accident occurred. Mr. Brownson was a young man of high standing, an excellent gentleman and well liked by all who knew him, and the news of the sad accident that befell him was received with regret here. (Garwood Express) Weimar Mercury H.M. Crabb one f the leading citizens of the Seclusion section, was in the city yesterday. A reporter asked him of the status of Provident City and he says that this boom city is now practically a dream city. Everybody that was financially able to leave has shook its dust from his or her feet, while the few that still remain are there only because they are as yet not able to get away. Tar and feathers would be too good for the real estate sharks that were responsible for this wholesale robbery of poor fellows from Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma and other states who bought this land "sight unseen" on the flattering representations of the sharks aforesaid. One victim told the writer only a few weeks ago that he had been "roped in" by the land agents, after seeing some moving pictures of the wonderful Provident City country at a moving picture show in a Kansas town, the smooth agents having of course "doctored" these pictures and arranged with the proprietor to show them to the suckers. In these pictures, by the way, there were great orange trees and groves, the building of the Provident City "Railway", etc. (Hallettsville New Era) Weimar Mercury
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