The San Angelo press. (San Angelo, Tex.) 1897-1907, 1902-01-22
A brief history
Of the Town
an d County's
Growth.
San Angelo and
Tom Green County.

South or West; but, today, Us
twenty years ago, the San An.
gelo country is q cattle and
seeep country and will so remain
for many years. Tom Green
county is notable as one of the
leading cattle counties in the
state, and the grading up that is
now going on among breeders.
will, in n few years, make Tom
Green cattle as famous for
quality as they are now for
quantity. General condi.
tlons were never better in
the country than now. The ele.
CANT stone court house costing
$67, 500, is . monument 10 the
public spirit and progressive
ness Of the people. Fine iron
bridges span all important
streams; fine school houses and
churches bespeak an education.
aland religious development Of
the highest grade. 10 those
wanting "elbow room" this is
an ideal country. Miscellaneous
farming, while impossible in II
general way, has been most sue.
cessfully followed in many Sc
lected sections, and aided by
irrigation opens up u new world
to future development and profit.
This country is absolutely free
from malaria; fcvers are almost
unknown, and no day is SO hot
that it is not tempered by pleas.
ant breezes and followed by a
refreshingly cool night. The
general elevation of the country
is $500 feet above sea level
San Angelo, the county seat OF
Tom Green county, has q history
full of heroism. 1t is II story OF
strenuousness. Starting out d
hundred miles from transporta
ton, in u desert country, beseI
with Indians, MeXicans and
coyotes, the only growth cactus
mesquite and wire grass, it took
heroic men and drastic meas
ures TO cope with such odds
Then, too, the few people living
in the county in its early days
were split up and divided or
local matters of county seat loca
ton and county government.
San Angelo derived it's life
Originally from the establishment
of Fort .Concho in 1868. Tni:
military post was created t
check the depredations of In
dams and border outlaws, ant
with the usual wisdom OF thu
government, 10 assist in west
ward advancement Of modern
civilization. The town sprant
up as q small trading post, it
principal business, OF course
coming from the soldiers OF tn
, post. AS the county developed
and settled, the little town grey
in Importance, and when Ton
G reen county wa' organized Il
, 1875, San Angelo entered tn
lists with Ben Ficklin as Il cor
: testant for county seat honors
The laurels fell to Ben Ficklit
and she wore them proudly 10
, seven years, until the dreadfr
s flood which virtually destroye
f the town. This calamity utterl
y killed the town, and nearly q
the citizens removed TO San Al
q gelo, which was, by vote, mad
5 the county seat the followin
G wear. The old court house
Ben Ficklin was donated
N the town for the use as
" pnb!ic school building, and
: was torn down, removed TO u
ID new town and rebuilt and !
:. modelled. 1t is still in use I,
- the purpose for which it wi
n. originally given. The prese
~ court house and Jail were bu
VI in 1884.
s, Fort Concho was evactuat
IS; in 1856, and many people thong
a. for a time tho town had receiv
o., a blow from which lit could l
g recover, but II had rccuperatl
"; powers Of q rare character, u
m. so greatly had the country {
20, veloped that the Injury TO /
, 2 business was only tempola
-, AT this time San Angelo v
81 not q railroad point, first Able
on the Texas Sc Pacific, dist'
;l2 100 miles, and then Balling
DIS the terminus of the Santa Fe,
no miles east, being her sup
~ points. When the Santa
iio stopped at Ballinger San Ane
by received q severe blow, and
BILE nun Der Of her enterprising {
his zens began 10 devise ways
rid means to secure its extension
this noint This was fini