| The town of Bronson was laid out in the spring
of 1902, and the first lots were sold by the Santa Fe Town Site Company
on July 4, 1902. A. D. Hamilton and J. W. Minton acted as representatives
for the company.
On May 14, 1902, work began on the erection of a boarding
house to accommodate the employees of the railroad and the Kirby Lumber
Company sawmill, both of which were in the course of construction. At
that time the terminus of the coming railroad (Gulf, Beaumont & Great
Northern), was still seven miles south of the town. The Kirby mill did
not begin operations until December of the same year.
The next buildings to be constructed were the residence
of J. W. Minton and the building that housed the Hamilton-Pratt Mercantile
Company. These buildings were probably completed in July of 1902.
The railroad was completed to Bronson in June with the
first construction train arriving on June 15th. The first retail
goods sold in the town were disposed of from a freight car by J. W. Minton,
general manager of the Hamilton-Pratt store. The general officers of this
store were A. D. Hamilton, president; J. H. Kirby, vice-president; G.
E. Pratt, secretary and treasurer; and J. W. Minton, general manager.
Toole & Company (from Hemphill) also purchased a townsite
during 1902 and constructed a building which housed their large mercantile
company. J. O. Toole, the senior member of the firm, had been a merchant
in Hemphill since 1885. J. P. Weatherred, a member of a pioneer Sabine
County family, was a junior partner and managed the Bronson store.
During the same year, two physicians, Drs. R. D. Cousins
and F. M. Fonville, began the practice of medicine in the town.
Among the other businesses established in Bronson during
the latter part of 1902 were:
- Hancock Hotel—operated by W. R. Hancock
- McDaniel Hotel—operated by W. F. McDaniel
- A. A. Fuller Livery and Feed Stable
- J. E. Ford, Contractor and Builder
- Bronson Drug Company - operated by P. J. Burgess
- Sabine Drug Company—operated by Dr. W. C. Arthur
and Dr. Chapman of Geneva
- Cousins and Laurence Dry Goods and Groceries
- The Stille Mercantile Company—operated by Norman
Williams
- C. J. Childers Mercantile Company
- Payne and Cohea General Merchandise
- McElroy Brothers Iron and Blacksmith Shop
- D. S. Dean Mercantile Company—managed by E. D.
King
- T. W. Jeans & Sons Cotton Gin
A weekly newspaper entitled The Bronson Bulletin, began
publication in Bronson on November 14, 1902 under the direction of William
A. Fields, publisher. It is not known how long the paper was published.
In looking at the above information which shows a considerable
number of retail establishments opening up during the first six months
of the life of the town, one might wonder how the town could support such
a large group. The reason appears clear when one considers the manpower
needed in the railroad construction, construction and operation of the
Kirby Lumber Company sawmill, and the beginning of the cutting of the
virgin pine timber of the county.
The townsite was named after Samuel Bronson Cooper, who
served as United States Congressman from the First Congressional District
from 1893 to 1905. The first post office was established in October 1902
with Nathan Pratt serving as the first postmaster.
For a number of years subsequent to the coming of the
railroad, Bronson served as a passenger and freight terminal for most
of Sabine County and in 1916 rail service was established between Bronson
and Hemphill. However, changing transportation patterns over the years
resulted in the discontinuance of rail passenger service through Sabine
County, probably during the 1960s.
On March 5, 1905, the citizens of Bronson petitioned the
county commissioners court for the formation of an independent school
district. The petition was granted, and an election was held on March
20, 1905, with thirty-seven voting "For" and thirty-one voting
"Against" the proposition. Other records of the commissioners
court show that an election was held on October 29, 1904, to determine
if the town should be incorporated. This issue was turned down by the
voters; however, in response to another petition dated October 10, 1915,
the issue concerning incorporation was resubmitted to the voters on October
20, 1915, with forty-eight voting "For" incorporation and forty-six
voting "Against." The court then ordered that the town be incorporated.
From the time of creation, Bronson prospered and grew
into a thriving town until the coming of the depression in 1930. In addition
to the railroad, Bronson State Bank was opened in 1907 and Peoples State
Bank in 1919. In 1921 Bronson State Bank merged into the Peoples State
Bank, which in turn was closed due to insolvency in 1931.
Today Bronson operates under a mayor-city council form
of government and has a population of about two hundred.
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