Rockdale Homecoming

The following article was written by Dr. Lucile Estell, and was published in the May 23, 1996 issue of The Rockdale Reporter. Mr. Bland's model was the central focus of the Rockdale historical display which was set up at the Rockdale Homecoming on Sunday, June 13, 1999. At that time, it was intended that the model would find a permanent home in the restored I&GN Depot.

Nolan Bland's model
of downtown Rockdale . . .
a trip back in time

Backward, turn backward,
O time in your flight,
Make me a child again, just for tonight!

These words, penned in 1860 by Elizabeth Akers, describe in part the feeling which engulfed me as I crossed the threshold of Nolan J. Bland's workshop to view the model of Rockdale, circa 1928.

The model came to life as I examined sites which were among my first memories growing up in Rockdale in the early 1930's. The feelings were so real that for a fleeting moment I felt that I had been once more at Mr. C.W. Matson's Dixie Theater, followed by ice cream at Mrs. Hill's.

The model of Rockdale is the work of Nolan J. Bland. According to Bland, the idea for such a model had been in his mind for a number of years. After his retirement, he decided to make the model a reality. He began its actual construction more than a decade ago, using as a basis a 1928 map of Rockdale. He laid off the streets first, presenting them in the unpaved condition which existed in 1928.

Construction of buildings came next. Bland used old photographs as well as his own important mental images of Rockdale in this early period. "I remember all of this," he said. "I was born and raised right here," he added, pointing to a site southwest of town. In the beginning, his work was on a scale of one foot to sixteen inches. However, he altered this in some instances in order to make the buildings look more realistic.

As his dream took physical form, Bland enlisted help in identifying buildings and ensuring the accuracy of the model. Part of this assistance came from his wife, Leona Gest Bland. She is a native of the Gay Hill community and strong supporter of the project. A major role in this identification process was played by E.E. "Buck" Henry, who assisted Bland in this important phase.

The first area that Bland constructed was south of the railroad tracks in the booming industrial section of Rockdale. This is the area near the first city water tower, shown on the model.

Featured here are...

the ice plant
the cotton oil mill, including garage & scales
the lumberyard
Farmer's Union Store & Warehouse
Blackburn's Electric Gin
Sinclair Oil
Gulf Oil
the swimming pool
railroad houses
William Cameron Lumber Yard

and other structures. Also seen on the model is the office of the cotton buyer, a man named Vinton.

Moving on toward "downtown" Rockdale, one sees both the passenger and freight depot of the IGN Railroad. The town was thriving. Persons looking for a residence, temporary or permanent, might select from...

the Larue (formerly Wolf) Hotel
Mrs. Queen's Room & Board
Wilson's Boarding House
or the Hale Hotel

Those wanting to eat had a broad choice, including...

Scheihing's Restaurant
Carrol Robison's Hamburgers
Albrecht's Hamburger Shop
Owl Cafe (Mr. Landis)
Peveto's Restaurant
Mrosko's Cafe
Elite Cafe (Ryan & Vogel)
Dad Griffith's Cafe

If there was a sweet tooth to be satisfied, there was also a broad choice...

Bob Reagan's Confectionery*
Hill's Confectionery* & Book Store
Stein's Bakery
Henning Root Beer & Gas Station.

*A place where confections, ice cream and cakes are made or sold; a candy shop.

Those persons needing or wanting to purchase groceries could go to...

Cannon's Grocery
Ray Ead's Grocery
Noack's Grocery
Marshall's Meat Market
Backhaus Brothers Grocery
R.L. Orr's Meat Market
H&L Hudson Grocery
Jim Hamilton's Meat Market

And the model shows stores and services of other varieties. I noted with pleasure Dora Poole's Millinery* (my maternal grandmother), and Estell's Tin Shop (my paternal grandfather).

*The business of making, trimming or selling women's hats.

There was...

Ousley's Variety
Cone's Dry Goods
Perry & Quebe Drug Store
Lowenstein's Merchandise
Pruett's Feed Lot
Coffield Hardware
Henne & Meyer Hardware
Baldridge Brothers Drug Store
Stricker's
T.B. Kemp Insurance
City Panatorium*
McCawley's Saloon

*Have been unable to find a definition for "panatorium", but did find a description of another turn-of-the-century business which describes "The City Panatorium" as a " . . . cleaning and dying establishment. . . . where garments are cleaned, pressed, repaired, and dyed and a specialty is made of dry cleaning...."

Rockdale was progressive, with...

a newspaper, The Rockdale Reporter
a Masonic Lodge
Dr. I.P. Sessions
Dr. T.S. Barkley
at least one dentist and one lawyer

Rockdale had two banks, Rockdale State Bank and Citizens Bank. There were other amenities...

B. Regenbrecht, Jeweler
Moultrie's Blacksmith Shop
Phillips & Luckey, undertakers
Gaither Motor Company
Texas Power & Light
W.E. White Dry Goods
Scarborough & Hicks
Louie Gest Chevrolet
B. Ashby Gas Station
Schubert's Shop & Shoe Repair
Franklin's Filling Station
Strelsky's Gas Station
W.P. Henry's Garage

Reflecting on these years and on all the years between, we should remember most of all that this was a town filled with hope and promise and compassion -- a town filled with people, some of whom would remain in this central Texas location and some (such as George Sessions Perry) whose influence would span the world and future generations. The model is a treasure beyond words, a pleasure to view, and perhaps most of all -- a gentle reminder of who we are and from whence we came.

Below is the list of buildings on Nolan Bland's model, as prepared by Peggy (Skinner) Wright. At one time, the buildings were numbered to correspond to this list.

IGN Railroad Depot (R) Passengers (B) Freight
Cannon's Grocery ~ Peveto's Restaurant
Mrs. Queen's Room & Board
Ousley's Variety Store
Cone's Dry Goods
Scheihing's Restaurant
City Pantatorium (Dry Cleaners)
Dad Griffith's Cafe
Ray Eads' Grocery
Carroll Robison's Hamburger Shop
Rockdale State Bank (doctor, dentist, lawyer upstairs)
Coffield Hardware
Border State Grocery
Larue Hotel (Formerly Wolf Hotel)
Rockdale Furniture
Albrecht's Hamburger Shop
Owl Cafe (Mr. Landis)
McCawley's Saloon
Perry & Quebe Drug Store
Loewenstein's Merchandise
T.B. Ryan's Shoes
Jack Pamplin's Confectionery
Mrosko's Cafe
Noack's Grocery
Marshall's Meat Market
Stein's Bakery
Backhaus' Brothers Grocery
H & L Hudson's Grocery
W.P. Henry's Garage
Henry Barnhouse Home
Colored Barber Shop
Moultrie Blacksmith
Pruett's Feed Lot & Livery
Menn's Monument Works
Estelle's Tin Shop ~ Woodmen's Lodge ~ JP Hillyer
Preston Perry (vacant lot)
Harness Shop
Billy Richard's Garage
Moses' Livery Stable (rear)
T.B. Kemp Insurance
Henne & Meyer Hardware
Phillips & Luckey Undertakers (upstairs)
Furniture Store
Dixie Theater (C.W.Matson)
Citizen's State Bank ~ Southwestern Bell (upstairs)
Elite Cafe (Ryan & Vogel)
Strelsky's Gas Station
Gaither Motor Co.
Texas Power & Light
Wilson's Boarding House
R.L. Orr's Meat Market
W.E. White Dry Goods
Baldridge Bros. Drug Store ~ B. Regenbrecht, Jewelers ~ (doctor & dentist offices upstairs)
Arch Holley Barber Shop
Hill's Confectionery & Books
Scarbrough & Hicks Co.
First National Bank
Horton's Barber Shop
Bob Reagan's Confectionery
Dora Poole's Hat & Dress Shop
Schubert's Shop & Shoe Repair
Jim Hamilton's Meat Market
Stricker's Variety Store
Rockdale Reporter (downstairs) ~ Masonic Lodge (upstairs)
Rockdale Post Office
Franklin's Filling Station
Louis Gest Chevrolet
B. Ashby Gas Station
Claude Ashby Pool Hall
Moultrie Blacksmith
Hale Hotel
Rockdale City Jail ~ Backhaus Bros. chicken pens
Clyde Rhodes & Tony Allen Machine Shop
Will Scheihing Home
Sour Lake Machine Shop
Grocery Warehouse
Wm. Cameron Lumber Yard & Cabinet Shop
Farmer's Union Gin
Blackburn's Electric Gin
Blacksmith Shop
Texaco/Gaither Whse.
Machine Shop
Railroad section houses
Henning Root Beer
Vinton Cotton Buyer
Seed House
Stockyards (for shipping cattle)
Lumber Yard
Warehouse
Mine Payroll Office
Williams' Grocery
Farmer's Union Store & Warehouse
Cotton Platform
Cotton Sample Room
Cotton Bagging and Tie
Gulf Oil
Cotton Oil Mill Garage
Cotton Oil Mill Scales
Cotton Oil Mill
Ice House
Swimming Pool
Railroad Houses
Railroad Well
Railroad Motor Car House
Railroad Water Tower
Sinclair Oil (Palmer's)
City Water Tower (first)
SA&AP Railroad
Water Fountain ~ middle of street
Turner Lumber Yard
Crittenden Home
Fred Palmer Home
Rockdale Bottling Works
Leo Harris Store ~ Catchings Barber Shop ~ Henke Dry Goods ~ E.A. Camp Office (upstairs)
T. Raymond Dry Goods
Perry Building
Kestenbaum Garage
Maxie's Sweet Shop & Theater

Rockdale Reporter
Thursday, June 13, 1974

Record Crowd Attends Homecoming.

Rockdale's Homecoming at Fair Park Sunday (June 9, 1974) drew an estimated crowd of 400, the largest since the Homecoming Association was organized in 1933. With Rockdale celebrating its Centennial year this week, the Homecoming had particular appeal to former residents, and local residents turned out in large numbers to greet the "Homecomers."

They came from all parts of Texas and from California, Kentucky, New York, and Louisiana. The guest register showed Houston listed more than any other city. Mrs. Hazel Largent Benjamin, of Torrance, Calif., was awarded a Centennial souvenir for the visitor coming the greatest distance -- 1661 miles. Similar awards went to the oldest man and oldest woman present -- both from Rockdale. They were Jack Richards, 89, and Mrs. Lillie Martin, 92.

The event saw visitors start arriving at Fair Park at mid-morning. Following some two hours of visiting and talking over old times, a barbecue chicken lunch was served in Fair Park pavilion by the women of the New Salem Home Demonstration Club. Helmer Dahl, of Hutto, organist, provided background music.

W.H. Cooke emceed a short program that included the presentation of awards and election of officers for the Homecoming Association. "We held the program to a minimum to give visitors and local citizens a maximum time for visiting and talking over old times," he said. Glenn Hodges told the visitors about Rockdale's new $2.5 million hospital now under construction.

In the election of officers, Cooke was named president, succeeding Hugh Estell, this year's president, who was moved to the office of vice president being vacated by Cooke. Mrs. Cooke was named corresponding secretary, replacing Mrs. Hugh Estell who has been serving in this capacity. She was unable to attend this year's Homecoming, having had surgery at Richard's Hospital the previous Friday. Mrs. Louise Sessions was reelected recording secretary and Miss Emma Hardie was reelected to the treasurer's post.

The meeting disbanded shortly before 2 p.m., but the "visiting and yarn spilling" continued for another hour for many. Others participated in various events of the Rockdale Centennial program during the remainder of the afternoon.

The museum and art show were open downtown, and many visitors joined the tour of Alcoa's Rockdale Works, "the nation's largest aluminum smelter." Many stayed for the community-wide church services at the football field at 6 p.m. The old homes tour also drew many former residents.

Retiring president Estell said the Association finished the Homecoming year "in the black" for the first time. He reported $386 in the collection box for those attending. "After paying all bills," Estell said, "the Association has a balance of approximately $75 on hand." The Association's income comes from membership dues which are $5 a year. Estell and incoming president Cooke said membership cards will be mailed to out-of-town residents who request membership, although this is not a requisite for attending the annual Homecoming.

Pages

Thursday, May 23, 1996

1928 :: Downtown Rockdale

Thursday, June 13, 1974

1974 :: Rockdale Homecoming

Thursday, June 6, 1974

1934 :: 2nd Annual Convention