History

   EDITOR’S NOTE: Matagorda County historian Carol Sue Gibbs suggested an interesting story for the Bay City Sentinel’s History Page – Confederates buried in Palacios’ cemetery.
   One story stood out in the Matagorda County history and genealogy page that Gibbs manages – A.P. Clark. 
   Clark was in every major engagement that the Army of Northern Virginia fought in up through the Battle of Gettysburg, where he was captured – at the Little Round Top. 
   He escaped from being prisoner of war cells, was recaptured, then returned to the CSA and his Alabama home, only to find it destroyed.
   He went on in life to become a prominent banker in Texas, took part in the Alaska gold rush and ended up in Palacios and Bay City.

   The historic W. C. Williams Building, built in 1909, will officially be recognized as a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark (RTHL) during a ceremony scheduled to begin at 10 a.m.  July 30, at the building location, 456 Commerce Street in Palacios.  
   The public is invited and a tour of the structure will follow the dedication. 
   The building has been a cornerstone and anchor of the commercial and cultural life of Palacios and Matagorda County, Texas for 107 years. 
   The ceremony is sponsored by the Matagorda County Historical Commission (MCHC), and will be attended by members of the commission, including Ona Lee Pierce, Chairman, and David Holubec, County Marker Chairman. Matagorda County Judge Nate McDonald, Palacios Mayor Glenn Smith and Rev. Eric Young, Pastor of Agape Family Outreach Church, will also take part in the ceremony. 

   Victor Lawrence LeTulle, Bay City businessman, farmer, rancher and philanthropist, was born in Columbus, Texas, on July 5, 1864. 
   His surname was derived from the family’s place of origin, Tulle, France. 
   He was the son of Victor D. LeTulle (November 25, 1832 - November 5, 1914), who was born in Guyandotte, Cabell County, West Virginia, and was buried in Cedarvale Cemetery in Bay City, and his first wife, Helen Maria Webb (February 28, 1832 - September 3, 1970), daughter of Henry L. Webb and granddaughter of Samuel Blanchley Webb of Revolutionary War fame.  
   She was born in Caledonia, Illinois, and died in Oakland, Texas. 
   Victor Lawrence “V.L.” LeTulle was educated in the public schools of Colorado County and was engaged in farming there until 1890, when he came to Matagorda County. 
   Here he acquired land and began his farming and ranching activities. 

   Kate Seaman Moore was born on May 9, 1853, in Clinton, Louisiana.  
   Her father had come from New York and her mother from Mississippi. Kate married Spencer Cone Moore on May 24, 1871.  
   He was a brother of William Erastus Moore, Kate's second husband. Spencer and Kate were married eight years before he died on Jan. 18, 1879, of yellow fever. they had four children, Selkirk Seaman, Oce Anna, David Lewis and Addie May.  
   William E. was born on October 26, 1838, in New Jersey. He had married Mary C. Swift who had died in 1878. He also had four children by this marriage; they were Margaret "Maggie" and Inez and two who died in infancy.  
   On June 15, 1881, William E. and Kate married in Indianola. Their children were Hamilton Cecil, Vera, William Ashby, Winifred and Gladys. 

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   William E. More was born in Rahway, N. J., Oct. 26, 1837, but came with his parents to Texas immediately after its annexation in 1845, and lived several years at Indianola.  
   William E. Moore died at his home at Ashby, in Matagordo County - where he lived for more than 30 years and became a prominent businessman - June 5, 1902. 
   He was a Confederate veteran, having left his home at Indianola, August, 1861, in company with James and Joseph Collins, Hays P. Yarrington, John Collins, and Daniel Hoffman, expecting to go to the front in Virginia.  
   At Houston, however, he and his friends enlisted in the Eighth Texas Cavalry, better known as Terry’s Texas Rangers, and were sent to Bowling Green, Ky., where the regiment was fully organized.  
   A braver set of men never lived.  

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   Matagorda County Historical Commission was recognized for its distinguished service during commissioners court’s regular meeting Monday.  
   The Texas Historical Commission bestowed its Distinguished Service Award to the local historical commission “for well-rounded preservation programs to save the history and character of Texas and generate interest in the history and character of Texas.” 
   Commission members present for the honor included the group’s president, Ona Lea Pierce, plus members David Holubec, Becca Sitz, Mary Johnston and Jerrilyn Capers. 

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   Welcome residents of Bay City. Many of the people in these photos are unidentified. 
   “My Aunt, Bobbie Gaspard, recently moved from our long-time family home on Avenue E, Bay City. 
   In her possession were some 500 photographic negatives shot by my grandfather, Vance C. Porter, in Bay City from 1921 until WWII. 
   With Bobbie’s permission I had many of these negatives scanned and have posted them on a website for the people of Bay City: https://patrickporter.smugmug.com/Bay-City-Texas-1924-1943/ . 
   The photos include the construction of the first electric substation built by Central Power and Light, (apparently) the first block of ice made by the ice factory after electrification, hunting photos, people in the community, and a few photos of the town. 

   Vance Coralton Porter was born near Hillsboro, Laurence County, Alabama, on October 13, 1888. 
   He was the eldest son of Robert Lee Porter, Sr., and Rose Ella Le May Porter. 
   His early education was provided by tutors who lived in the homes of the several families whose children were taught. In 1906, he entered Alabama Polytechnic Institute (Auburn) at Auburn, Alabama, where he was graduated in 1910 as a certified electrical engineer. 
   In 1913, he made the decision to make Bay City his permanent home, and went to work for the electrical department of the Texas Public Service Company. 
   Until he moved his mother to Bay City from Alabama, he lived in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Marenus Moll. 
   In May, 1916, he entered the United States Army as a Second Lieutenant and served at the Mexican border under General Pershing’s command. 
   During World War I, he served in France, Belgium, and Germany. 

   Among the early businesses in Bay City during the first decade of the 1900s was Badouh Bros. 
   The Badouh brothers, Edward M. and Anton Michael had a storefront on a 7th Street corner whose sign read Badouh Bros. General Merchandise. 
   They were active in the business, social and religious communities in Bay City.
    Available census records indicate Edward Badouh immigrated to the United States in 1891.  
   Ellis Island immigration records include Antonio Badouh, a Syrian male age 18, occupation clerk, departed from LeHavre on the French ocean liner LaBourgogne bound New York City.  

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   Following the 1946 car wreck (see related story) he had friends from Palacios who drove him to Collegeport each Sunday. 
   For many years, in the 1940s, Rev. Gillespie wrote the Thanksgiving message in the Palacios Beacon as well as Christmas messages and also one about the needy in the town.  
   He was often a guest writer or messenger for an organization. It wasn’t unusual to find his name on the front page of the newspaper in several different articles. 
   During his mid-seventies, his health began to fail. He entered the Bay View Hospital in November 1949 and remained there until his death on May 25, 1952.  
   He was a favorite of the staff and the nurses gave him a birthday party in 1950.  
   There was a cake, a gift, flowers and cards from his many friends. The newspaper article about the party included this tribute: