A visit to the T.C.Lindsey General Store

The notice was sudden.  On the spur of the moment, my wife and I decided to take a weekend out of town.  I had been trying to get her out to Caddo Lake near Marshall for some time.  Marshall is a grand old town steeped in southern and Texas history. But Marshall itself was not the focus of our adventure.  Marshall was just a place from which we could orient our travels.

Traveling east from Dallas, the spring flowers were just beginning to show their blooms.  After a night's rest in Marshall and a quick early morning drive through the Historic District, I pointed Ole Blue toward the backroads.

A short hop down I-20 to Waskom, and we exit the Interstate. Waskom, established in 1850, was originally known as Powellton. It's name was changed to Waskom Station in 1872 to honor man who was instrumental in bringing Southern Pacific Railroad through community. Waskom was cotton country until the Waskom Gas Field discovery in 1924.

But Waskom was but a detour not a stop.  North of Waskom and east of Marshall, at the intersections of Farm Roads 134 and 1998, the road takes makes an "s" curve through the remnants of an old cotton producing community. Railroad tracks slice across the road and we enter the community.  On the right, the remains of an old cotton gin loom.  One can only look and imagine the the site alive with activity preparing the fruit of the farming industry for shipment east to the processing centers to be made into cloth. Today, the Gin lies limp and rusting, a mere remnant of its past.  This is the sleepy burg of Jonesville.

Across the street from the old gin, stands an old white clapboard building that has no sign to tell the visitor what lies inside.  I think the square white building is, in fact, the place I seek, and I circle the parking lot twice. There are no visible signs of life esxcept for the three old dogs, laying in the shaded, damp mud of the parking lot on the north side of the building. They scarcely raise an ear or open an eye to see who transpasses on their grounds. A quick check of the front door, reveals that this is indeed the T.C.Lindsey & Co., General Store (903-687-3382), and that it won't be open til 10:00 AM.

So a quick drive a little further out from town, and we encounter the home of Dr. Samuel Floyd Vaughn, which dates back to the l840s.  The beautifully restored  home started out as a two room dog-trot cabin. Over the years, it was added to, until it reached the two story state that you see today.  Next door, the small  medical office of Dr Vaughn is also restored.  Though on private property, there is a  historical marker out front indicating the history of the dwelling. 

Jonesville was originally called Border (and later, Concord), started out here in the 1840s. It boasted a post office from 1847 to 1849 when the name was changed to Jonesville, after the owner of the first trading post.  Later (1868) Jonesville moved about a mile South to be nearer to the (then called) Southern Pacific Railroad tracks that are visible today in current-day Jonesville. By 1884, there was a gristmill/cotton gin (the remains as you enter town), two general stores, two churches and a saloon.  One of the stores, the Lindsey Trading Post was established by the Vaughn family who owned and operated the store until the 1990s.  The T.C.Lindsey General Store has been in continous operation since

Also at Scottsville is the plantation home of William Thomas Scott, who built the home in l840 after living for several years in a log cabin.
From Scottsville, continue on 1998 until you reach the intersection of Farm Road 134. Head south on 134 to the one-time cotton community of Jonesville. Here, you'll find an honest-go-goodness general store of the kind found around the turn of the century. The T.C. Lindsey & Company General Store, which evolved from the Jones Trading Post, has been in business since l847 and includes an enormous antique collection, as well as run-of-the mill store items. The store has been the scene of several movie and television productions. Nearby is a new museum housing rare automobiles, jukeboxes, and other memorabilia.
You'll also find at Jonesville a cotton gin, one of the last such businesses left in East Texas; the home of Dr. Samuel Floyd Vaughn, which dates back to the l840s; and Locust Grove, a stunning two-story house with double porches built in l847.

We were greeted as we came through the door by Syble Elliott,

The Dr's house near Uncertain, Texas

Connie in front of the Lindsey store

Close up of the front steps and bench at Lindsey store

Post Office

Medications

Lanterns

Thread

Hand Tools

Baby Buggy

License Plates Sunday, April 03, 2005 at 9:20 AM   

Comments

[Jonathan "Vaughan" Miller]

The Vaughan family still owns and operates the store. It has been in continuous operations since 1847 and the family has owned it since 1870.

[Terri England Casto]

A must see if you are in the area! Make sure you get a piece of cheese while you are there.

[Alan E. Purcell]

This is an absolute beautiful look into our past and a great place to see "where we came from". If you are in East Texas and you miss this then you have missed SOMETHING very special.

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