Blackland TX · Civic records

Blooming Grove

Closed rosters, read from a town's own kept history: who held an office, and when, or who was named in one photograph's own caption. Every record below ended on the date given. None of it is a live directory, and none of it is checked against who holds an office today.

Mayors, 1936–2005 · Postmasters, 1871–2003 · Fordyce Street, 1966

Mayors, 1936–2005

Eighteen people, twenty-one terms, no gap in the chain. The book's own earlier date for T. M. Sewell (1932) is stated there as unconfirmed — the earliest firmly dated term is 1936.

R. S. High1936–1938 · insurance, cattle farmer
T. M. "Net" Sewell1938–1940 · cotton buyer
R. S. High1940–1942 · second term
Miller Reid1942–1944 · owned Reid's Drug Store
R. S. High1944–1948 · third term, 8 years in all
R. B. "Bruce" McCormick1948–1950 · McCormick Burial Association
J. H. Playfair1950–1952 · physician
W. E. "Sam" Carroll1952–1962 · owned Carroll Hardware
B. L. Ralston1962 · resigned; First State Bank teller, later its president
R. S. "Stanford" Dugan1962–1963 · bookkeeper, Gillen Chevrolet
Drew Gillen1963–1966 · Gillen Gro. & Mkt., Gillen Chevrolet
R. W. "Royal" McGaha1966–1974 · plant engineer, Dickson & Jenkins Mfg.
G. L. "Ted" Hoffma1974–1975 · nurse recruiting
Boyd Bryant1975–1980 · building contractor
Don VonHoffman1980–1990 · fire and water infrastructure, E.M.T.
Keith Tunnell1990–1992 · BISD teacher and coach
Boyd Bryant1992–2000 · second term, 13 years in all
Ralph Dozier2000–2004 · petroleum geophysicist
Gene Hollingsworth2004–2005 · Procter & Gamble, 37 years
Ricky Crenshaw2005 · mayor pro-tem, out Hollingsworth's term; Blooming Grove fire chief
Alva Lynn "Al" Smith2005–present · aerospace engineer

From the 2005 pictorial history, p.109–115.

Postmasters, 1871–2003

Nineteen people, twenty appointments, since the office opened 7 August 1871.

William Glassappointed 7 Aug 1871
Talcott F. Buckappointed 26 Feb 1873
Bartley J. Brownappointed 3 Mar 1874
Ephraim M. Ewingappointed 24 Sept 1875
Thomas F. Johnstonappointed 7 July 1879
William D. Gradyappointed 24 Apr 1882
Thomas H. Jackappointed 12 Apr 1883
John P. Howardappointed 3 Aug 1885
William D. Gradyappointed 20 Aug 1889, second appointment
Benjamin F. Carrollappointed 7 Oct 1893
Robert A. Langstonappointed 10 Mar 1898
Alva P. Langstonappointed 6 Feb 1908
S. A. Robertsappointed 20 May 1913
James R. Corbinappointed Apr 1922
William T. Reidappointed 30 June 1928
John R. Griffinappointed 22 Jan 1934
Mrs. Nadien E. Brownappointed 30 Nov 1952
D. W. Springerappointed 30 July 1954
Eddy Chudeappointed 1 Nov 1992
Betty Dortchappointed 6 Sept 2003

From the Blooming Grove Post Office's 125th-anniversary list, published in the 2005 pictorial history, p.95–96.

Fordyce Street, 1966

One photograph, taken by the 1966 yearbook staff looking south through downtown, names every business on both sides of the street in a single year.

Masonic Lodge, upstairs, over R. S. High Insuranceeast side — insurance run by Mack and W. A. Crawford
Grove Caféeast side — owned and operated by Tennie Mable Cobb
The newspaper officeeast side — owner named as L. J. Sparks
Ditt and Bea McCormick's townhouseeast side
City Halleast side
A vacant buildingeast side
McGraw's Washateriaeast side — run by Dorsey McGraw
Quality Food Storeeast side — Dorsey, Louester and Don McGraw
Gillen and Lusk Motorseast side — a Mobil gas pump out front
Carroll Hardwarewest side
The Post Officewest side — the flag stands out front
Central Baptist Churchwest side — its roof, further down
A house that had once been Central Texas Collegewest side, at the far end

From the 2005 pictorial history, p.72, repeated on the book's own cover. Names, trades and positions only — the caption's own sentences stay in the book.

Compiled by Blackland TX from Blooming Grove's own kept history, source cited under every record.

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