by Barbara J. Wood
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FLORESVILLE

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Have you heard of Commerce Street......   in Floresville, Wilson County, Texas?? 

An antique postcard from the "Dan Whatley Collection" shows a postmarked 1908 card of North Commerce St., Floresville, Texas. What building fronts do you recognize?  COURTESY/ Mike Cox of TexasEscapes.com

Court adjourned after judge taken ill

October 18, 2017
Wilson County News 
Historic moments in Wilson County
Wilson County Historical Society
 
Floresville, Wilson County, Texas January 17, 1896 – County court was adjourned this week in something of a hurry, caused by the sudden and dangerous illness of County Judge (Alfred) Stevenson. He is a sufferer from rheumatism and has very serious attacks of it sometimes. The business, however, was about concluded for the term before he was taken sick.
 
The Will of Francisco Ximenes, who died a few weeks ago, was admitted to probate this week. He left about $10,000 worth of property to his two daughters and his personal property to his wife, who survives him.
 
Wilson County camp of United Confederate Veterans held a meeting last Saturday afternoon, which was fairly attended. Five veteran soldiers of the "Lost Cause" were admitted to membership. The old boys of this county who wore the gray during the war and attended the confederate reunion last May in Houston are determined, as far as possible, to be in Richmond this year. Further than this, some of them will not say, but it is an open secret that some of them are counting seriously on parading on Broadway, New York, on July 4th if the railroad companies will get the fare low enough.
 
This article was taken from the Galveston Daily News, of January 18, 1896, contributed by Shirley Grammer for Historic Moments in Wilson County, Texas.

What were cattle buyers paying in 1891.....

COURTESY/ Allen & Regina Kosub, Authors of  Lost Texas Roads
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Floresville, Texas – Band

The Floresville Carnival took place in 1908.  Kneeling in the photo is the Floresville Band. The following photo is a group pose of a Floresville Band in the same era. 
Front row - Heinrich "Henry" Andrew Wagenfuehr (2nd in from the right) is the middle cornet player.
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Floresville 1893

Life in 1893 Floresville Wilson County Texas ....... Courtesy/ Allen Kosub  of Lost Texas Roads .

Floresville Texas Trades Day 1906

A panoramic picture of downtown Floresville Wilson County Texas during the 1906 Trade Days. This photo shows the buildings, people, horses, wagon. On the back of the photograph below it is noted that Mrs. Ed Franklin was queen and Rosalie Stevenson and Maude Neal were the princesses. R.R. Smith, attorney, crowned the queen for the festivities. Courtesy/ South Texas History
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San Antonio - Corpus Christi Road

San Antonio - Corpus Christi Road .... in Floresville, Wilson County, Texas {undated}. A County road that connects San Antonio to Corpus Christi shown in South Texas History  photo. This portion of the road features a farmhouse with a wooden fence to one side. Floresville water tower can be seen in the distance .  Admin.

Note: Richard Luttrell  & Owen Lowak  agree that in the vintage photo that the fence is where the Floresville City Cemetery is today.

PHOTO COURTESY/ The Portal to Texas History

Floresville Carnival 1908 – Wagenfuehr family find

We have a "Finding" ... Kevin Wagenfuehr enlarged the Floresville Carnival 1908 photo. Among the kneeling band members he found his Grandpa Heinrich "Henry" Andrew Wagenfuehr (second to right) and  his Great Grandpa Heinrich "Henry" Alvin Wagenfuehr. (fourth to right). What a great find for the Wagenfuehr genealogist!
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1902 - J.A. Varnon & Son

1902 Photograph of blacksmith shop. Men and boys are standing under sign the left front of the shop that says "J.A. Varnon & Son". Horses drawing buggies are parked in front of the shop. The tower of the Wilson County Court House can be seen in the background. (Courtesy of Portal to Texas History)
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J.C. Merchant Super Market

THIS BUILDING ..... is difficult to know as the architecture is no longer recognizable.  It was the first brick building in Floresville, Wilson County, Texas,  and was completed in 1888 of bricks hand made on the San Antonio River. It is the former site of J. C. Merchant Super Market. The drug store to the right was owned by AGEE.
 
...taken from "Wilson County Centennial  Book".
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WHAT BUILDING IS THIS?  The Belknap Rifles are standing in front of an history-filled building in Wilson County Texas ... can you give me some information about it?

LOOKING FOR OLD IMPALA CLUB & TEJAS BALLROOM PHOTOS  

Julia Castro in her "Apple and Pie Salsa Column" wrote the article about remembering the Impala Club and Tejas Ballroom.  COURTESY/ Wilson County News 
 
I greatly enjoyed the story by Connie Morales that was published recently in the Forever issue of the Wilson County News. Frequently I see people posting their memories of the Impala Club on Facebook, but I haven't seen anyone mentioning the Tejas Ballroom. So I thought it was time to write about it, but I had to do some research.
 
I knew that it was "Nacho" (Ignacio) Martinez who had it built and named it, but I didn't know when. So I met with his sisters, Aurora, my forever sister-in-law, and comadre Elvira.
 
They said that Nacho had it built in 1963 on the property where the Sears store now sits. But the area was very different. The building faced Highway 181, which is now 10th Street. It was farther back because I remember it having a large parking lot in front. And there was no road next to it. The whole strip was undeveloped, no businesses. It became a very successful endeavor. The dance halls that had been around for years no longer existed — el Jacalito Mexicano and the old Lodi hall. People came from the surrounding towns. Nacho brought entertainers who are now well-known, such as Ruben Ramos, Flaco Ximenez, and many others. Aurora said that her husband, Arturo, worked for Nacho on Saturday nights as a bartender after delivering beer there for Henry in the morning.
 
They recalled that their parents had their 50th wedding anniversary reception there (of course). Also, that the Garcia girls, their cousins, all had their wedding receptions there.
 
The LULACs were very active here at the time, and Nacho let them have their meetings there. One year the LULACs had a contest to elect a queen to represent the organization in the Peanut Festival Parade. Sophie Gonzales won. Another time Dora Ann Castro, Henry's cousin, was selected to represent the Impala Club in the Peanut Festival Parade.
 
In 1975, Nacho sold the property to a Jimmy Rodriguez from Karnes City and moved his family to San Antonio. Supposedly it didn't go as well for him. At some point the property changed owners again, bought by a Delmiro Garcia. In 1984, Joe Tejada leased it from Garcia, and according to him, the last person that had operated it before him was Emilio Flores III. By then the name had changed to Tejas Ballroom. The building was getting old, so Joe put on a new roof and new floors. And he says that he too had worked for Nacho years earlier. The sisters also remember Luis Quintanilla working there with Nacho.
 
The local "Good Times Band" played there frequently, but Joe brought in a lot of other artists, who he feels really got their start here. Of course, he couldn't remember all of them. These are some that he remembers: "La Sombra," "Los Chamacos," Roberto Pulido, Laura Canales, "Los Hermanos Farias," Little Joe "y La Familia," Ruben Ramos, "Los Palominos," and Agustin Ramirez.
 
In 1992, Joe decided not to renew his lease. Instead, he bought "El Patio" downtown, where he continued to have dances.
 
Of our kids, not all were into dancing, but those that were went either to the Impala Club or the Tejas Ballroom, from the oldest to the youngest.
 
I'm sure that they remember the good times and "The Good Times."
 
Joe called me later to tell me that one Saturday night when Roberto Pulido was performing, a family stopped by. They were just passing through and saw that there was a dance. The father asked Joe if his daughter could sing, that she was quite good. It was Selena, only 13 years old! You Selena fans know the rest of her story.
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Floresville – 2nd and C Streets

FLORESVILLE WILSON COUNTY TEXAS .... Street scene photo taken from the corners of 2nd and "C" street looking west toward the courthouse. Horse, buggies, wagons and mule - people in front of stores. Can anyone read what is written on the horse-less wagon where the ladies in white are standing?
[The Portal to Texas History]
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A View of the Courthouse

This amazing 1907 photograph from UTSA Library shows the photo's view looking northwest from Wilson County Courthouse in Floresville Texas. Third Street on left, B Street on right. Among the businesses are the W. W. Rhode One Price Case Store,  the John Griffith store, and the Palace.