Milam County Historical Commission
Milam County, Texas
Milam County, Texas
NEWS
At the December, 2011 meeting, Milam County Historical Commission Member Mary Ann Eanes
(right front) presents Gene Mitchan from Cameron with a DVD which he narrated on the
history of the Santa Fe District in Cameron. This area is also known as Dutchtown.
Pictured (left to right) are Geri Burnett, Dolores Mode, who worked with Eanes to
produce the DVD, Gene and Grace Mitchan, Mary Ann Eanes, and Charles King, Milam County
Museum curator who also received a copy for the Milam County Museum.
Special guests for the December, 2011 meeting of the Milam County Historical Commission
were members of the Milam County Commissioners Court.
From left to right: Commission Chair Geri Burnett, George Tomek (commissioner Pct. 1),
Kenneth Hollas (commissioner Pct. 2), County Judge Dave Barkemeyer, Dale Jaecks
(commissioner Pct.3), and Jeff Mugge, (commissioner Pct. 4)
Message received via website - 2012-01-06
Dan Fischer
fischers71@gmail.com
1808 22 Hills Road
Gause, TX 77857
979-256-3304
I am looking for photos of the Gause business district from the 40's thru the 60's. I am
specifically interested in photos taken from the railroad and looking over at the town or
photos taken on the road looking towards town from one direction or another.
Do you have any or do you know where I could start looking? Many thanks.
Note: If anyone is able to help Mr Fischer, please contact him directly
.
Belton Criticized Over Proposed Changes to Preservation Ordinance
by Geoff West - Temple Daily Telegram
2012-01-11
BELTON - Two residents at a Belton City Council meeting Tuesday criticized city
officials for their plans to revise the ordinance that has protected historic homes from
demolition since 2009.
Connie Swinden said when she first visited Belton two decades ago she came to love the
“abundance of beautiful historic structures and historic neighborhoods” - neighborhoods
now in jeopardy, she said, with the city’s proposal to protect fewer structures through
revisions to the Historic Preservation Ordinance.
The City Council first discussed changes to the ordinance in December, five months after
officials passed a moratorium of the ordinance applying to some properties in the West
Belton Residential Historic District.
The moratorium ended what was deemed a “friendly lawsuit” between the city and the
University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, which was forced to sue to appeal a ruling by the
Historic Preservation Board, which denied demolition requests for two properties. Filing
a lawsuit in district court is required under the existing ordinance.
Swinden called the moratorium “a sad day for Belton.”
“Now you’re considering changing the restrictions and watering them down further.”
Nancy Kelsey, who also spoke to the Council on Tuesday during public comments, said the
moratorium showed the Council’s “unwillingness to abide by the guidelines and ordinance
to protect the interest of the community.
“The City Council is a farce and has set themselves as the de facto heritage
preservation board.”
Under the city’s proposal, demolition protection under the ordinance would only apply to
structures with a certain historic value rather across neighborhoods or historic
districts.
Membership on the Heritage Preservation Board, a Council-appointed board mostly of
preservationists and historians, would require two of the five members come from the
city’s Planning and Zoning Commission.
Revisions would also change language in the “determination of economic hardship”
exemption, which allows a property owner to demolish even historic structures if the
financial burden of rehabilitation is too great. Under the revision, an applicant need
only “provide evidence” rather than “prove” economic hardship.
There is no clause against purchasing and then abandoning historic properties to the
point where rehabilitation is no longer economically feasible.
The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor cited an economic hardship exemption in its request
to the Heritage Preservation Board to demolish two homes in the West Belton Residential
Historic District, one of six such districts in Belton.
Demolition permits for 716 Wells St. and 229 W. Seventh Ave. were granted by city
officials only after the moratorium was passed in July. Both of those properties had
historic value, according to the 2006 survey which founded the ordinance, districts and
preservation board.
The Belton City Council is expected to vote on revisions to the ordinance prior to the
moratorium deadline March 31.
gwest@tdtnews
Belton heritage board says preservation is important to city
by Geoff West - Temple Daily Telegram
2012-01-21
BELTON - Preserving historic districts, not just homes, is how cities across the country
reap the true financial and aesthetic benefits of a preservation movement, said Michael
Kelsey, chair of the Belton Heritage Preservation Board, in a presentation to the board
Friday.
The fate of Belton’s six historic districts and the power of the Heritage Preservation
Ordinance that has protected its structures from demolition since 2009 are currently in
doubt with Belton officials considering changes to the ordinance. Changes include
protecting only “contributing” structures, or those at least a half-century old, rather
than all homes within a historic district.
In July, the Council passed a moratorium of the ordinance in the West Belton Residential
Historic District that ended a lawsuit filed by the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in
opposition to the board’s decision to deny demolition permits for two “contributing”
university-owned homes.
A property owner must file a lawsuit to appeal a board ruling under the existing
ordinance.
Belton mayor pro-tem Marion Grayson said the city will need to better define historic
districts as part of the revisions to the ordinance.
Despite language in the ordinance that clearly defines six such districts in Belton,
Grayson said the Council never officially designated districts - or at least did not do
so carefully enough before adopting the ordinance in 2009.
“We, as a Council, never said these are the historic districts,” Grayson said.
“Districts just got sort of thrown in” before the ordinance was adopted, she said.
However, the city spent about six months discussing the inclusion of historic districts
in the ordinance during workshops led by former development services director, Fred
Morris, prior to its adoption, residents said.
City Manager Sam Listi and Mayor Jim Covington had previous commitments and could not
attend Friday, said Council member Craig Pearson, also in attendance.
Either case, preserving districts is as important as individual structures, Kelsey said.
He pointed to cities such as Austin and Natchez, Miss., that have reaped its rewards.
“When you’re walking down one of those historic streets, you get immersed in everything
beside the buildings. It’s the antique artwork. It’s the cobblestone road,” Kelsey said.
He pointed to the skyrocketing home values in Austin’s historic neighborhood of Hyde
Park, where a historic, but otherwise dinky, two-bedroom home goes for hundreds of
thousands more because of the unique, historic community created for home-buyers.
Restored homes aren’t valued as high when isolated along some nondescript neighborhood,
“but altogether, in a whole neighborhood, they’re worth a lot of money,” Kelsey said.
Preservation can also mean relocating homes that would otherwise be demolished, board
members said.
Larry Guess, member of both the preservation board and the Planning and Zoning
Commission, said the city owns or has access to more than 150 lots. Relocating homes on
those lots could provide both room for the imminent expansion of UMHB and create denser
historic districts elsewhere.
“I think that’s something that really needs to be addressed - that these properties can
be moved” rather than be demolished, said board member Rae Schmuck.
Pearson, in an interview after the meeting, said he believes UMHB would be in favor of
moving, rather demolishing, homes in the West Belton district.
The Council plans to vote on changes to the preservation ordinance prior to the
moratorium expiring in March.
gwest@tdtnews.com
**********
2012-01-22
Contacted via website:
Charles Mitchell
vunofuro@yahoo.com
133 Eastwood Place
Lewisville, Texas 75067
972-436-2834
Are there any existing photographs or paintings of Charles Marion Lesueur? He was the
brother of my 3ggrandmother Tabitha.
I'm hoping that since he was the long-time County Treasurer that there might be an
official photograph or painting of him.
Additionally, I have several photographs of his tombstone along with other family
graves. If you would like to have copies, I will be glad to send them to you.
NOTE: If anyone knows of any photos, please contact Mr Mitchell.
**********
2012-01-27
Contacted via website:
David
Email: dnamclaughlin@verizon.net
My Great Great Grandfather is said to have been a "Constable" and perhaps raised his
children in Rockdale - Joseph Alexander Brickhouse was his namd and Joseph Catesby
Brickhous was my mother's father - J.A. Brickhouse's father was Mathew Peter Brickhouse
- do you have any information regarding J.A. or J.C. Brickhouse?
PS - I helped my grandfather search thru your cemetaries in about 1961 - as I remember
they were quite overgrown with vegetation - also we visited "Zetta" brickhouse---the
widow of J.C.'s brother---who I hear tell was shot in a saloon by another woman's
husband - quite colorful stories!!!
Thanks for your time!
If anyone has any info please contact David
**********
2012-02-14
Contacted via website:
Sara Luckie
Email: luckie.sara13@gmail.com
101 Jim Wright Fwy S
Fort Worth, Tx 76108
817-688-6191
I am looking to see if you have any information on a Dred R Hill who may have lived in
Milam County in the mid-1800's. He is related to William F Hill.
If anyone has any info please contact Sara
