From the Matagorda County History & Genealogy page
EDITOR’S NOTE: The Bay City Breeze was the city’s first newspaper, with its first edition appearing the year of Bay City’s founding in 1894.
Most of the following articles are from the late 1890s and early 1900s from the Breeze, as well as state newspapers reporting about Bay City events.
Bay City
The town plat of Bay City will be one mile square, near the center of which will be the court house and public square. All streets will be eighty feet wide except the four streets of either side of the public square, each lot of which will be one hundred feet wide.
All blocks will be three hundred feet square and every one will be 140 feet deep, to a 20 foot alley giving every lot, whether on the corner or inside, an outlet.
Tree planting will be encouraged, streets being wide enough for a row of trees on either side.
As trees grow rapidly here Bay City can soon be a forest city. The town plan is a model of beauty and utility. All streets will be uniform and each a mile long.
Bay City Breeze,
September 13, 1894
PURELY PERSONAL.
Contractor Sykes made a flying trip to Wharton Saturday.
R.G. Kuykendall, the rustler of Wilson's creek was a pleasant caller Tuesday. He was on his road to Caney, the Egypt of Southern Texas, for corn.
Sheriff Hamilton and Attorney Gaines were in the city last Tuesday, looking after their improvements, and Mr. Gaines selected some good resident property.
Both signified their intentions to build residences and move their families to Bay City at once.
Hon. R. C. Duff, of Columbia, candidate for Legislature, on the Democratic ticket, gave us a pleasant call last week, and made a speech Thursday night at Hardeman.
He is well qualified and if elected, will render his district valuable service, by looking well after our interests.
S.M. Wilcox, U. S. Assistant Engineer, of the U. S. Engineer's office, Galveston, was escorted down from Wharton Friday by Messrs. Reeves and Barbee.
From here he was escorted by the Town Company to Matagorda.
Mr. Wilcox was sent out by the Government to make a preliminary examination of the Colorado river from Wharton to the coast, with a view of making a regular survey of the river, if it appears that its importance for navigation warranted it, and the people needed protection from the raft. We believe he will recommend the survey.
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Almost every day some new firm or enterprise is located in Bay City.
WANTED. Ten thousand furs, by H. E. Moore, Deming's Bridge. Top prices guaranteed.
Four wagon loads of lumber came in Tuesday from Columbia, for the Sims livery stable.
Rowold Bros. have done a fine job painting the Breeze office. They are reliable and competent.
Dan Moore and J. L. Bandy have both selected resident lots this week, for immediate improvement.
We are requested to announce that Bro. Morris will preach at Matthew's Church on next Sunday. All are cordially invited to attend.
The real estate announcement of Shirley & Co. appears in this issue of the Breeze. They are a good reliable land company and are good rustlers, and if you want to buy or sell real estate give them a call.
We are glad to call the attention of our readers to the announcement of J. J. Shirley & Co., in which they propose to have a good variety of pear trees for sale in Bay City at the proper season. It is always well to get reliable goods from reliable people.
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Mr. J. J. Shirley returned from Bay City Saturday and is well pleased with the outlook. He purchased a lot on which will be immediately built an office for the real estate firm of Richardson & Shirley, they having associated with them E. C. Ray, who will take charge of the Bay City Office.
Mr. Ray is a hustler and we predict a prosperous run of business. Those wanting information in regard to that country, will do well to address him.
Bay City is the new capitol of Matagorda county. The lands of Matagorda are said to be very fine, but they are very remote from transportation.
The Gulf Shore railroad is expected to be built through that county in less than a year. Lands are now cheap and the advent of the railroad will run prices up. It is a good general farming country. Most of the county is held in large tracts which will soon be cut up and sold in small bodies.
Alvin Sun.
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J.W. Sims arrived yesterday from Columbia with a fine new livery outfit, finest in the country, and T.Y. Spencer, of Velasco, is putting in a lumber yard.
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FRESH OYSTERS.
Every day direct from Matagorda, served in all styles. Will also sell in quantity to consumers for family or hotel use. The very finest oysters at rasonable rates.
C.E. YEAMANS, Bay City, Texas.
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COLORADO'S
NAVIGABILITY.
Wharton, Texas, October 16.--Mr. G. M. Magill, of the Bay City Town Company, with Messrs. Lee and Mangum, old residents of Matagorda county, have just taken sounding in a skiff from Wharton to Bay City and report three and a half, four and thirty feet, after leaving the sandbar at Wharton down to Bay City.
The river is now at the ordinary low stage. The river is in fine condition for navigation, with very few snags.
As Houston is the nearest market for the two cities, and as the Post has done so much for Southwest Texas, and especially for Wharton, through its able and efficient correspondent, Judge W. F. Linn, a little space for this communication is asked for Matagorda's new county seat, Bay City.
J.L.C.
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COMMISSIONER'S COURT
PROCEEDINGS.
Commissioner's Court of Matagorda county convened in special session in Bay City on Monday, October 15, 1894.
Present, Hon. E. S. Rugeley, Sr., County Judge; Commissioners, H. H. Serril, H. W. Bowie, G. R. Brown, T. J. Poole, and Geo Austin, Clerk, comprising a full board.
Ordered by the Court that the building on the court house square at Bay City, be used as a temporary court house.
Ordered by Court, Poole objecting, that bid of L.T. Noyes, agent Diebold Safe and Lock Co., for building of a two-story brick jail be accepted, according to plans and specifications, for $8,475.
Warrant ordered for Conrad Franz, for $413 for bridge work on Hardeman slough.
Ordered by Court that county erect a modern two-story brick court house to cost not less than $25,000, nor more than $30,000, and authorized the County judge to advertise for plans, specifications and bids.
Ordered by Court that proposition of Bay City Town Company to donate $5,000 in cash, in lieu of frame court house, be accepted.
Adjourned to meet again in special session on November 1st.
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STAGE LINE TO WHARTON.
C.D.S. Graham, of Alvin, requests us to announce that beginning with next Monday, he will put on a daily hack line between Bay City and Wharton, for passengers and express.
Leaving Wharton after the arrival of the train from Houston, will arrive at Bay City for supper.
Leaving Bay City in the morning, will arrive at Wharton in time for the east bound train to Houston.
Thus allowing people to go or come from Bay City to the railroad every day.
This will be a great convenience for Bay City and the traveling public.
Mr. Graham has plenty of means, is a good man, has good teams, and will be sure to make his line a grand success. Now people can get from Wharton to Bay City every day.
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F.E.B. Stocker, the wide awake liveryman, of Wharton, announces this week through the Breeze that he is ready at all times to furnish the traveling public conveyance to Bay City.
Bay City Breeze,
October 25, 1894
GRAND BALL.
The social event of the season in the Capitol of Matagorda County, occurred on last Friday night, the 25th instant, when the beauty and chivalry of not only this county, but of our neighboring towns, congregated in Bay City to dedicate the J. W. White drug store building with a grand ball.
The attendance was large, the music furnished by Prof. Coston and son was delightful, the urbane Allan McNabb, as floor manager, was a grand leader, and while, without, the weather was cold and chilly, within, the soft strains of music, the radiant sunshine and smiles of the ladies, the gallantry of the gents, the maizy dream of the waltz, all combined to make the occasion one of pleasure long drawn out,— "soft eyes looked love to eyes that spake again," and all went merry as a marriage bell, until the great orb of day dispelled the love lorn merry makers.
While we are sure we did not get all the names, the crowd being so large, the following is a partial list of the prominent people present.
From Matagorda; Mrs. Geo. Austin and family, Mr. Geo. Culver and wife, Mrs. Nettie Hatch, Mr. W. D. Barker and wife, Misses Annie Duffy, Dora Bruce, Blanche Inglehart, Belle Freeman, Bertha and Maggie Baxter, Messrs. W. C. Brown, Clifton Yeamans, Harry Burkhart, Clarence Dietrich, Jno. and Henry Sirrell, Wm. Franz, Wm. and Jesse Wallace.
From El Campo; Messrs. Fisher, Carlton , Hahn, Beakes, Yeager and King. From Deming's Bridge; Messrs. T. E. and James Partain and Johnnie Wheeler.
From Wharton; Miss Nannie Davis, the two Misses McMasters and Messrs. Brooks and Beakes.
From Bay City; Misses Ida Thompson, Lida Franz, May Miller, Mamie Kilbride, Mrs. Fannie Wallace, Messrs. Scott, J. Wendell, J. K. Sayers, Arthur Collins, Johnnie Thompson, Sam Franz, R.A. Mathis, J. H. Mayfield, R.H. Traylor, Roland and R. H. Inglehart, and Dr. Simons, of Caney.
A great many of our town people dropped in for a little while to enjoy the music and witness the fun and frolic.
Last week we neglected to note that Amos Lee had bought out the interest of E. C. Ray, in the real estate firm of J. J. Shirley & Co.
While Mr. Ray returned to Alvin, Mr. Lee has moved to Bay City and will push the business here, for which he is well equipped, having lived in the county for a number of years and is well acquainted with the lands of the county.
He also owns some lands near the city which, he is subdividing, and offering in small tracts. We wish the new firm all manner of success.