BLUE RIDGE HAS INTERESTING HISTORY
September 30, 1939
The town of Blue Ridge, located in Northeast Collin County,
was given its name because it was built on a ridge that used to be covered with
blue grass, according to old-timers.
I. D. Sellars and Henry Eakle were the first known settlers,
having gone there in 1873 and farming the land where the present townsite is
located. The first store was owned and operated by Bill and Jim Meyers, in a
one-room cabin with dirt floor and consisting of $50 worth of stock.
In 1874 a one-room log school building was erected about three
blocks south of town. Six pupils enrolled under Sam McKinney, teacher, and the
pupils averaged going to school about two days a week.
Sam McKinney, Gus Whatley and Jim and Bill Meyers operated the
second store there, going in business after the Meyer brothers' store burned. It
was a block north of the present business section. Zac Abernathy opened a dry
goods and grocery store in 1874. The next year a drug store was opened by Dr.
Graves and Dr. Tate.
New School Built.
In 1876 Julius Connor and Bill Meyers bought the present
town-site from Mr. Abernathy, laid it off in lots and the town began to build
rapidly. A new school building was built a block south of town, with the upper
story used by the Masonic Lodge.
Among other early settlers were J. S. Sinclair, Gabe Warden,
Jesse Short, Jack Smith, George Hart, Bill Pruitt, Robert McCarley, J. A.
Barnett, Jim and John Griffith, Bill Christian, Ike Dodson and Bill Warden.
The first gin was owned and operated by the late J. A.
Barnett, started in 1877 and operated by the founder and his heirs until five
years ago. Freight was hauled from Jefferson and Navasota in the early days for
$100 per 100 pounds.
Church Organized in 1880.
The First Methodist Church was organized there in 1880 with
the late Rev. M. Gentry as pastor. There are now two other churches, Baptist and
Church of Christ. The town has a new $30,000 rural high school plant, a large
gymnasium, eighteen teachers and twenty-four units of high school affiliation.
The Blue Ridge public square was blacktopped about two years
ago, as well as a mile and a half of the town streets. The town has electric
power and a new $30,000 water system is now being installed.
With a population of 544, the town was incorporated three
years ago. Present city officials are R. G. Lamm, Mayor; Chester Carter, city
marshal; John Bratcher, treasurer and tax collector; Beryl Knowles, city
secretary; J. W. Fagg, Jesse Williams, Steve Riley, M. Hughes and R. B. Tilton,
City Councilmen.
Businesswomen in Town.
Business and professional women take part in the town's
business life. They include Dr. Sarah F. Morrow, practicing physician; Mrs.
Beryl Knowles, active barber; Mrs. J. O. Nelson, registered pharmacist, Mrs. G.
A. Press, grocery; Mrs. L. Montgomery and Mrs. Edith Lucas, beauty shops.
Present businessmen are W. R. Lucas and son, grocery and
market; J. O. Nelson, drug and dry goods store, R. I. Jones, grocery; R. G. Lamm,
hardware, furniture and undertaking; C. C. Childress, grocery and tailor shop;
B. Knowles, barbershop; White & Evans, variety store; R. B. Tilton,
barbershop; Pat Stewart, cafe, Mize & Neal, grocery and filling station; C.
M. Johns, grocery, filling station; B. W. Penney and son, filling station; Lon
Stapp, blacksmith shop.
Blue Ridge has a $34,000,000 farmer's co-operative gin which
handled 3,468 bales of cotton last year.
