Williamson County Historical Commission
contact Wayne Ware (512)
863-2202
CORN HILL,
TEXAS est. 1855
Population: 239 (1900)
The late town of Corn Hill laid two miles south of
Jarrell in north central Williamson County. The town was settled by
Judge John E. King around 1855 and stared out as a stage stop and a post
office was established in 1855. The
Bartlett and Western Railway
would bypass Corn Hill in 1909 so a new town, Jarrell, was started on
the proposed new line and the many people and buildings where moved to
Jarrell. Corn Hill made a living with it's Cotton ginning because it had
a large steam gin.
After Corn Hill was bypassed by the
Bartlett and
Western Railway, this steam engine moved much of the town to nearby
Jarrell in 1915.
Gift of Clara Stearns Scarbrough
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Photographic policies prohibit reproduction - please contact the
Williamson museum for
reproduction rights Please view the
PHOTOGRAPHIC POLICIES AND PROCEDURES. |
A special
thanks to
Mary Harrison Hodge of Salado, Texas for these
great photos -
click on thumbnail photo for an expanded view
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History of Corn Hill, Texas
Five families; Daniel Harrison, John W. Shaver, A. J. Harrison, William
Ake, K. H. Williams settled in what would became Corn Hill in what was
then Milam County before the county became Williamson County in 1848.
More families moved to this area including Judge John E. King, who could
probably be called the father of Corn Hill. He came to Williamson County
in the early 1850's and obtained extensive land holdings in the Corn
Hill area. John was a Judge from 1858 to 1860.
The town was built on his land and the first Post Office established at
his home just north of Corn Hill proper.
Travel at that time was by very arduous because it was by stagecoach
that had to at times traverse the open prairies. The dispersed
agricultural community was the first stop on the stage line running from
Georgetown to Fort Gates in Coryell County (Georgetown, 14 miles to the
south, was the nearest trading post).
Although there were few settlers here at the time, there was an urgent
demand for mail service. Judge King operated a kind of rooming house to
accommodate the stage travelers; and he stared to handle the local mail.
Arrangements were made with the stagecoach line to carry the mail, and
an application was made to Washington to establish a post office at the
King rooming house.
The application was granted and the name that had been decided on was
sent to Washington, but the Prairie View name had already been taken, so
another name had to be selected.
Mr. King was discussing the matter of a name with some of his visitors,
that he put up at his rooming house for the night.
The following morning, one of them remarked about the fine samples of
corn hanging on the front porch, and asked if it was raised there. The
man observed that the country was hilly thereabouts and suggested the
name of Corn Hill, which was speedily agreed on.
The official post office opened in 1855 and Mr. King became Corn Hill's
first postmaster and he kept the mail in a crude stout box.
By the 1860s, an influx of new residents settled in the area. In 1878,
George G. Grant established the Corn Hill Academy, a male and female
school, built on land donated by the good Judge King. It thrived and in
1886 moved to a new two-story building with four classrooms, a bell
tower and an auditorium, which provided meeting space for local church
services. By 1893, a public school opened as part of Corn Hill
independent school district.
The country was settling up fast. In bad weather, the roads were
impossible to negotiate, and demands grew for better business
accommodations closer home.
Major Lee, in 1869, erected the first business house in Corn Hill and
stocked it with merchandise.
So gradually business enterprises began to spring up in Corn Hill,
mostly along Main Street, which was on the Corn Hill - Georgetown road.
Corn Hill was not laid out in blocks, but in acres and half-acres, with
an alley now and then.
Meanwhile, a school building had been built on the King land, and
shortly afterwards, the Methodist had built a church.
Mr. King donated the land for both school and church. All denominations
held services in the Methodist church, and later school was taught there
too.
Dr. Conder was the first physician to locate, although Dr. Barton of
Salado had a large practice in that section too. In 1871, Woodward and
Parker built the first gin. It was propelled by horse power and would
turn out three bales a day.
One of the stories told of the first Dr. McCarty to come to Corn Hill
said that he lived on some brushy land near Jarrell. He was once
kidnapped by outlaws who had been in a shooting escapade and had some of
their men wounded. The outlaws put a sack over Dr. McCarty's head, took
him to the wounded men and had him treat them, put the sack back over
his head and returned him to his home.
j
In the late 1870's Corn Hill was growing gradually, and building
materials were hard to get. It took three weeks to put the material on
the ground for the Shaver Home. The lumber, hauled from South Texas, was
unfinished, and it required some time to dress it down. The roof was of
post oak shingles. The end of the third year saw the building completed
at a cost of $2,500.
Later, J. D. Black came into possession of the home, and he and Mrs.
Black made a Hotel out of it.
As the county became more thickly settled, school needs became greater.
The school district was enlarged and later an independent district
formed. This called for a larger and better equipped school building. So
committees were formed and a campaign for the building started.
In 1886 a large two-story building was erected on a four acre campus. It
had four large class rooms below, and a large auditorium above, with
stage and ante-rooms---- a college indeed, in those days.
Many prominent teachers taught at Corn Hill College, and each term, a
class of graduates was turned out.
The auditorium was used for school entertainments, musical events,
community gatherings, debating societies. The Methodist, Presbyterians,
and any who wished to worship there had free access.
Many could recall the tolling of the large bell on top of the building.
The building had a mansard roof, flat on top. The bell and the belfry
were so heavy that it was next to impossible to keep the roof from
leaking, since the belfry was on the center of the roof.
In the late 1880's, the Baptist organization erected a building in the
south end of the town, and some of the preachers of that denomination
served that church.
Under the pastorate of C. G. Shuth, the Methodists, in 1892 erected a
new church, centrally located in the town.
By the end of the 19th century, Corn Hill had a saddle club, several
churches, two local cotton gins, Corn Hill College, fraternal lodges and
school organizations. By the early 1900s, community residents became
active in populist politics and in the farmers’ union. Industrial
activity of the early 1900s included the Corn Hill and Gravis Telephone
Company, a waterworks, and an envisioned interurban to
Bartlett.
The settlement began to decline in 1909 when the
Bartlett Western Railway bypassed two miles to the north,
establishing the town of
Jarrell. Steam engines helped move homes and businesses to the new
town site, and others moved to the village of new corn hill, but many
residents chose to remain here. Today, the dispersed corn hill
settlement survives as a reminder of the area’s early agrarian heritage.
Some of the earliest businesses in Corn Hill were: Major Lee's store and
rooming house, Dr. Conder; Biles and Foster, Merchants; J. W. Shaver,
Merchant; Dr. S. H. Weatherford, Physician-Druggist; Leavell Brothers,
Merchants; George Weatherford' Merchant-Postmaster; May Terry,
Millinery; Sally Dean, Millinery; Bettie McCarty, Millinery; Dr.
McCarter; Dick Proctor, Ginner; Terry Brothers, Livery and W. T. Foster,
Livery.
Later Corn Hill business firms were:
Johnson Smith, Merchant; W. W. Morris, Merchant; Alex Smith, Druggist;
J. E. Condra, Druggist; Drum Brothers, Merchants; T. N. Dunn,
Postmaster; J. H. Sybert, Mail carrier; V. A. Harville, ginner; R. W.
Laws, Blacksmith; W. B. Barlow, Blacksmith; J. T. Haralson, Merchant; J.
C. Foster, Cotton buyer; J. D. Black, Hotel; Dr. Galt, Dr.C. C. Foster,
Dr. McKean, and Dr. J. E. Willerson; Corn Hill Mercantile Company.
Some of the early settlers of Corn Hill were;
A. M. McRea, B. H. Young, Polk Woodward, P. D. Koontz, Captain T. A.
Grumbles, W. N. Shaver, Alex McDonald, N. R. Larrd, J. E. Brown, C. J.
Jackson, J. A. Rumsey and father George, Daniel Harrison, J. E. King,
John and Billy Robertson, W. H. Buchanan, Jeff B. Water, Tom Brewster,
Aaron Seymor, Alex Rainey, Davis Denson, Allen Robertson, W. H. Donnell
and L. F. Hunt, Paul Simcek, Joe Mays, A. L. Frymire, J. R. Hawkins, R.
H. O'Neal, R. W. Cowart, J. T. Yeargan, T. A. Grumbles, A. K. Ramsey, J.
F. Bums, Henry Barber, I. M. Bridges, B. F. Griffin, E. N. Morgan, W. H.
Carlisle, J. H. Monger, W. J. Smith, Hodo Buchanan, Jeff Strickland,
Jeff Harper, John Roberson, J. W. Roberson, L. M. Keeling, J. G. Roe, G.
T. Harrison, J. Owen, John Sybert, J. R. Beardan, D. H. Beardan, J. W.
Cook, Mrs. Jane McDoughle, W. M. Wells, J. M. Wells, A. Stevenson,
Barnet Young, Brack Land, June Land, Hope Land, D. B. Traylor, Flower
Smith, Doc Davis, Jeff Bums, Otto Miller, Frank Yearwood, Charlie
Farmer,
Felix Schwertner Sr., Tom W. Dunn, Lige Condra, N. P. Watkins, Marian
Hair, Julius Leschber,, Fritz Leschber, W. D. Lewis, W. H. Conlee.
click on thumbnail photo for an expanded view
new Corn Hill Historical Maker
view a video of the dedication
Historical Maker text
SETTLED PRIMARILY BY SETTLERS FROM TEXAS AND SOUTHERN
STATES, CORN HILL WAS ONE OF THE EARLIEST COMMUNITIES IN WILLIAMSON
COUNTY. JOHN E. KING, COUNTY JUDGE FROM 1858 TO 1860, NAMED IT FOR THE
HOME HE BUILT ON A HILL AND NEARBY CORNFIELD IN 1852. THE DISPERSED
AGRICULTURAL COMMUNITY WAS THE FIRST STOP ON THE STAGE LINE RUNNING FROM
GEORGETOWN TO FORT GATES (CORYELL COUNTY).
A POST OFFICE OPENED IN 1855 AND BY THE 1860s, AN
INFLUX OF NEW RESIDENTS SETTLED HERE. IN 1878, GEORGE G. GRANT
ESTABLISHED CORN HILL ACADEMY MALE AND FEMALE SCHOOL, BUILT ON LAND
DONATED BY JUDGE KING. IT THRIVED AND IN 1886 MOVED TO A NEW TWO-STORY
BUILDING WITH FOUR CLASSROOMS, A BELL TOWER AND AN AUDITORIUM, WHICH
PROVIDED MEETING SPACE FOR LOCAL CHURCH SERVICES. BY 1893, A PUBLIC
SCHOOL OPENED AS PART OF CORN HILL INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT.
BY THE END OF THE 19TH CENTURY, CORN HILL HAD A
SADDLE CLUB, SEVERAL CHURCHES, TWO LOCAL COTTON GINS, CORN HILL COLLEGE,
FRATERNAL LODGES AND SCHOOL ORGANIZATIONS. BY THE EARLY 1900s, COMMUNITY
RESIDENTS BECAME ACTIVE IN POPULIST POLITICS AND IN THE FARMERS’ UNION.
INDUSTRIAL ACTIVITY OF THE EARLY 1900s INCLUDED THE CORN HILL AND GRAVIS
TELEPHONE COMPANY, A WATERWORKS, AND AN ENVISIONED INTERURBAN TO
BARTLETT.
THE SETTLEMENT BEGAN TO DECLINE IN 1909 WHEN THE
BARTLETT WESTERN RAILWAY BYPASSED TWO MILES TO THE NORTH, ESTABLISHING
THE TOWN OF JARRELL. STEAM ENGINES HELPED MOVE HOMES AND BUSINESSES TO
THE NEW TOWNSITE, AND OTHERS MOVED TO THE VILLAGE OF NEW CORN HILL, BUT
MANY RESIDENTS CHOSE TO REMAIN HERE. TODAY, THE DISPERSED CORN HILL
SETTLEMENT SURVIVES AS A REMINDER OF THE AREA’S EARLY AGRARIAN HERITAGE.
(2007)
Corn Hill Cemetery
Corn Hill Cemetery Marker
Corn Hill Cemetery
- Historical Marker Text
Established in 1886 on a two-acre site deeded to Cornhill Masonic Lodge
No. 567 by Mr. and Mrs. B. F. Bridges. Interred here are community
leaders, three Civil War soldiers, and veterans of other wars.
Maintained by Cornhill Cemetery Association since 1953. Area now six
acres.
James G. Wilkerson Jr and wife Amanda
Corn Hill Cemetery
Marker Text
James G. Wilkinson, Jr. was the grandfather of Sylvia Lula Wilkinson
Harrison. He served in the Army of the
Fought in the Battle of San Jacinto;
participated in the second, third and fourth Congresses of the Republic;
and was the first Chief Justice of Burleson County, Texas.
His wife, Amanda Hope Wilkinson, descended from
a family of patriots. Her father, James Hope, was one of the “Old
Three Hundred,”
Her three brothers and a brother-in-law, as
well as her husband, fought in the battle of
The gravestone placed here was moved from the
original burial site on a farm once belonging to the Wilkinson’s located
near Dime Box in
The remains of James G. and Amanda Hope Wilkinson
now lie in the
Descendents of Daniel Harrison
Tennessee
for more info click on
Corn Hill, Texas by The Handbook of Texas Online
also view www.texasescapes.com write up about Corn Hill, Texas
Pardon our dust - we're under construction and we will have more information forthcoming.