Wharton, Texas 2012 Tourist Guide

WHARTON TEXAS

2012

Tourist Guide

whartontexas.com

2012 Wharton Tourist Guide

WELCOME

Welcome to Wharton!

You’re very special. We love to have company visit, and Wharton wants to make you feel welcome.

Whether you’re spending a few hours, a few days or a lifetime, Wharton is excited you’re here.

We’ve welcomed visitors since before Texas was a Republic, much less a state.

We’re known far and wide for our famous barbecue, for our native sons, like Horton Foote and Dan Rather, for the thousands who have attended our Wharton County Junior College and for our regionally renowned medical facilities. We’ve restored our courthouse and charming Downtown Square. You’ll be delighted by what you find in our shops, restaurants, museums and attractions.

If you’ve never been here before, let us show you around. Our little guide will help you enjoy your stay.

We feel sure the people you meet will make you want to come back soon.

Ron Sanders Executive Director Wharton Chamber of Commerce

Table of Contents 20th Century Technology Museum..................... 7 Antiquing........................................................... 31 Calendar of Events............................................ 13 Chamber of Commerce Business Directory...... 35 City Landmarks: Tee Pee Motel ......................... 6 Dan Rather........................................................ 21 Historic Homes of Wharton.............................. 28 Horton Foote..................................................... 18 Map of Downtown Wharton..................... 26 - 27 Memorial to Our Peace Officers......................... 8 Monterey Square Wine Fair............................. 16 Morris Carriage House...................................... 14 WCJC: Higher Education in Wharton............... 33 Wharton Civic Center........................................ 23 Wharton County Courthouse............................ 10 Wharton County Historical Museum................ 24 Wharton Downtown Legends........................... 34 Wharton Murals................................................ 32 Wharton’s Plaza Theatre..................................... 4 Our beautiful cover photograph is by Sharon Joines Please see her advertisement on the page 47.

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A PROGRAM for EVERYONE! • Associate of Arts Degree • Associate of Arts in Teaching Degrees • Associate of Applied Science Degrees • Certificate & Certification Programs • Distance Learning • Dual and Concurrent Enrollment • Continuing Education • Fine Arts Events

• Intercollegiate Athletics • Campus Housing • Financial Aid Counseling • Work Force Development • Adult Basic Education • Youth Activities • Senior Citizens Program

Four Campus Locations Near You! Wharton • Sugar Land • Richmond • Bay City Extention Campuses in El Campo and Palacios

W CJC Wharton County Junior College 1-800-561-WCJC (9252) • wcjc.edu

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Wharton’s Plaza Theatre The Plaza Theatre will kick off the 2012 calendar year with the third annual performance of Wharton’s Got Talent.

The competition is a benefit for the Light up the Square Fund for the ongoing restoration of the historic Plaza Theatre on Monterey Square in downtown Wharton.

Auditions are held in two categories — junior level (14 years old and younger) and senior level (15 years old and older).

The auditions are Jan. 6-7, with Round 1 of competition on Jan. 13-14 and Round 2 on Jan. 20-21. The finals are 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28 at the Plaza Theatre.

Wharton’s Got Talent is only one of the many activities for the theatre. A throwback to the golden age of film, Wharton’s Plaza Theatre is now one of the region’s leading centers for the performing arts.

The theater is owned and operated by Plaza Theatre, Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to the renovation and restoration of the building, as well as fostering the performing arts. Originally founded as The Community Theatre of Wharton, its performers are dubbed the “Footeliters” in recognition of famed theater and film writer Horton Foote, a native Whartonian.

The mainstay entertainment at the Plaza is live theater, with the Footeliters putting on several live productions each season. In addition, the group’s youth organization, The Litefooters, annualy puts on a production in conjunction with the city’s main summer community event, Freedom Fest, which is held the final weekend of June.

The Plaza is part of the continuing history of the west side of Monterey Square, the home of the Wharton County Court4

Offering a glimpse into the past, the Plaza Theater marquee adds a classic look to the downtown.

house, being the city’s entertainment focus, although some of that history is less than savory.

Like most cities in Texas and the rest of the west, the early settlers built churches, dry goods stores and homes. They also built saloons and bawdy houses, and Wharton was no different. While three sides of the square were mainly composed of professional and retail businesses, the west side was made up of saloons and other unsavory businesses. In 1890, the good ladies of Wharton had finally had enough and torched the wood frame buildings, burning them to the ground.

Learning the dangers of building with wood, the west side of the square was rebuilt in brick and included the Plaza Hotel.

A section of the building was sold in 1941 to the Long-Griffith Theaters. After being gutted and converted into a movie theater, it reopened in March of 1942 and continued to operate until the 1970s, when the doors were closed for good.

Or so many thought.

The then Community Theatre group purchased the building in 1991 and what followed has been

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COMMUNITY a remarkable effort of the heart and shining example of volunteerism.

“Because the floor of the theater is below ground level, there was a tremendous amount of seepage and there were leaks in the roof and other problems and it was just a sad thing to see,” Board President Candyce Byrne said.

However, through fundraisers, grants and donations, the group was able to restore the first floor to the point it could stand up to performance. They were even able to reproduce a portion of the original mural decorating the walls of the auditorium through the work of artist Dana Steinheimer.

But the present only offers a glimpse of the future. Byrne said the group has purchased an adjacent building so it can add an elevator to meet with ADA guidelines,

2012 Wharton Tourist Guide

as the group is literally renovating from the ground up.

The future, as currently drawn in blueprints, includes converting the second floor into a 1940s-style lounge that can be used for small individual, group or business gatherings, as well as opened up to provide balcony seating for live productions. The third floor will eventually be converted into a “Black Box” theater for productions of original material created by the group’s members or productions that will draw only small audiences.

“Complete renovation requires a lot of structural work, in addition to adding an elevator,” Byrne said. “That’s the expensive part.”

“It takes many years to raise the money,” she added.

presenting the

2012

Season

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

Leading Ladies

Music and lyrics by William Finn, book by Rachel Sheinkin, produced in arrangement with M.T.I., directed by Janice McDonald A long-running Broadway hit, this Tony Award-winning musical comedy follows six young people in the throes of puberty as they compete to be the spelling champ of the Putnam County Middle School. Along the way they learn that winning isn’t everything and losing doesn’t necessarily make you a loser. Audience members get the opportunity (strictly voluntary) to become part of the onstage action as spellers--get to the theater early if you want to join the fun!

A comedy by Ken Ludwig, produced in arrangement with Samuel French, directed by Reagan Wrench

April 20-21-22, 27-28-29, 2012 Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m.

Sundays at 2:30 p.m.

Litefooter Summer Youth Workshop & Production

Willy Wonka Jr.

By Roald Dahl, music & lyrics by Leslie Bricusse & Anthony Newley, adapted by Leslie Bricusse & Timothy A. McDonald, produced in arrangement with M.T.I., directed by Roshunda Jones

April 1-2-3, 8-9-10, 15-16-17, 2011

June 28-29-30, & July 1, 2012

Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m.

Sundays at 2:30 p.m.

The Monterey Square Medicine Show A variety show directed by Candyce Byrne We proudly showcase your favorite Plaza performers and other talented newcomers in a variety extravaganza featuring instrumentalists, singers, dancers, comedians and other spoken-word artists. This is not a competition!

May 6 & 7, 2011

Thursday & Friday at 7:30pm Saturday & Sunday at 2:30pm

Hairspray Book by Mark O’Donnell & Thomas Meehan, music & lyrics by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Scott Wittman, produced in arrangement with M.T.I., directed by Darin Mielke

August 3-4-5, 10-11-12, 17-18-19, 2012

Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m.

Sundays at 2:30 p.m. whartontexas.com | Community 5

at 7:30 p.m.

City Landmarks: Tee Pee Motel One of Wharton’s most eye-catching historic locations is not only designed to be looked at, but it is also designed to be lived in — at least for one night at a time.

The Tee Pee Motel, one of Wharton’s famous city landmarks, is a throw back to the simpler era of the 1940s and 50s before the Interstate Highway system, when family car trips were a grand adventure and part of the appeal was visiting new communities and finding a unique place to stay. Among the more eye-catching of those designs were motels where the units were built not as square boxes but in the shape of a Native American dwelling, the tipi. Today, there is only one such motel in Texas and only four still operating in the United States.

The motel rooms were originally designed in 1942 by George and Toppie Belcher but construction was delayed until 1947 due to World War II rationing.

Once a destination location for travelers crossing Texas or headed south to Mexico, the motel began a slow slide out of the public eye as the highway system routed traffic away from the Tee Pee’s location on Business 59/Texas 60.

Closed in the 1980s, it would remain that way until it was purchased by Bryon Woods, who refurbished and reopened the hotel.

A lottery winner, Woods initially bought the hotel at the urging of his wife Barbara. A native of Wharton County, as the couple were passing the location she commented on the fact that as a little girl, she’d always wanted to stay in one of the rooms but never had the opportunity.

When Bryon pointed out it was closed, Barbara reportedly pointed out that it was for sale.

“She told me she wanted to stay there,” Woods said in an earlier interview. He went on to explain he saw it as a bad investment but being able to “afford” to keep peace in the family, he finally relented and took on the project, purchasing the motel in 2004 and reopening it on Oct. 30, 2006.

Woods has been able to capitalize on that investment in several ways. In addition to the national attention the project has brought to the motel as well as the community, Woods has whartontexas.com 6

installed about 50 recreational vehicle pads as well as adding a laundry area for those making extended visits to the area.

“We’ve also had people call up and book the rooms and grounds for family reunions,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of space and people enjoy the added feature of being able to stay in a unique location.

And while the location and original construction dates back to the 1940s, the rooms have been modernized and include a number of the amenities the modern guest would expect, including access to high speed Internet and cable television.

Tee Pee Motel on-site facilities and main office building.

A Lively Arts Space On the Square in Wharton, Texas

Home of The Footeliters & The Litefooters For information, reservations or tickets

979-282-2970

www.whartonplazatheatre.org

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2012 Wharton Tourist Guide

20th Century Technology Museum The 20th Century Technology Museum was opened on July 1, 2005, in the old 1888 jail building in downtown Wharton, making it one of the “must see” destinations in the county.

The founders, Art and Sharon Schulze, enjoy showing visitors an extensive collection of “historical technology from a century of marvels.”

The museum collects, preserves and displays objects of technology developed during the 20th Century and serves as a unique educational and cultural center for better understanding the progressive timeline of the products that many enjoy using today.

Since its opening, the museum has estab- Museum is free, but donations are accepted. lished itself as one of the most popular visitor For more information, contact Art Schulze at stopping spots in the city. The various displays 979-282-8810 or visit www.20thcenturytech. are broken down into the different kinds of com. products and recreational items used over the decades of the 20th Century.

Tourist Guide 2012 As an example, the history of toys can Contributors be found in the museum with displays ranging from the traditional Lincoln Logs to early Wharton Chamber of Commerce arcade games. A history of the radio is dis& Agriculture played through the decades ranging from those Ron Sanders oversized tube models grandparents listened to Kim Peikert • Makyla Monroe soaps and variety shows on before the advent of Wharton Journal-Spectator television, to the transistor radios many people Bill Wallace • Keith Magee carried with them to listen to Elvis, the Beatles Burlon Parsons • Natalie Bednorz and the Stones during a day at the beach.

Ricki Johansen • Alfred H. Dubé The exhibits on display include such life Wharton Tourist Guide is an annual changing items as the first automatic dishwashpublication of the Wharton Chamber of er, the fist portable defibrillator used by the local Commerce produced in conjuction with EMS and, on the front lawn, a VariEze experithe Wharton Journal-Specatator. The tourmental aircraft. In general, the exhibits include ist guide includes information on what to devices from aviation, entertainment, commusee and do in Wharton, Texas, along with nications and household appliances. Located a map, calendar of events and a business at 231 S. Fulton Street in downtown Wharton, directory of Wharton Chamber of Comthe museum is open on Fridays and Saturdays merce members. from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. making it a perfect destiFor additional information, contact the nation for a weekend get away.

Wharton Chamber of Commerce at 979The museum expects to start occupying a 532-1862. new building addition in mid-2012. The new For information about advertising in location will be at the back of the Wharton next year’s editon, contact the Wharton Journal-Spectator at 979-532-8840.

County Historical Museum at 3615 N. Richmond Road in Wharton.

Admission to the 20th Century Technology whartontexas.com | Community 7

2012 Wharton Tourist Guide

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Wharton County Peace Officers Memorial One of the newest landmarks in the City of Wharton pays tribute to those who keep the peace.

In June, 2009, a new Wharton County Peace Officers Memorial was dedicated in a ceremony attending by various local officials and representatives of many of the state and region’s law enforcement departments. Among those was District Court Judge Randy Clapp, who said the memorial was designed more as a reminder for future generations as much as to honor those who died in service to their community. A place every family should visit at least once.

“We didn’t build this for Wharton County Sheriff Hamilton Bass Dickson or Texas Parks and Wildlife Game Warden Justin Hurst (two of the peace officers recognized on the memorial),” the judge said. “It was built for our children and grandchildren.

The job is not done, but only beginning.

The job will be done when we bring our children and grandchildren to the memorial and explain to them what it represents.”

The memorial is located on the ground of the Wharton County Law Enforcement Center just across the street from Riverside Park and the Colorado River. The memorial itself is a 20-foot long by six -foot tall Texas limestone wall with three columns and three

Honoring those who served for peace in Wharton County.

flag poles flying the U.S., Texas and Peace Officer Memorial flags. There will also be a patio area and six-foot wide sidewalks. It is surrounded by a landscaped garden and a cedar-post fence.

Ground was broken for the project in November 2007. It was funded entirely out of donations with no tax dollars spent.

Between cash contributions and volunteer hours spent on the project, the final cost of the memorial was placed at $45,000, including $30,000 in monetary donations.

According to public records, contributions had come in from locations as far away as Florida and Virginia.

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2012 Wharton Tourist Guide

Not far from the Peace Officer memorial is the Veteran’s memorial, on the square.

Where do you...

• go when you’re sick?

• go for that annual check-up to keep you healthy?

• go when you need a medical specialist?

• go when you need lab or X-Ray test from an out of town doctor?

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South Texas Optical Shop 979-532-6702

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2100 Regional Medical Drive 979-532-1700

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El Campo 979-532-6702

South Texas Rehab 979-532-0888

Bay City 979-532-4910

Needville 979-532-0888

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2012 Wharton Tourist Guide

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Wharton County Courthouse Throughout Texas, county courthouses serve as the potential for prosperity. Most built in the late 1800s, they served as a gathering place for the county residents for special occasions. While many have been destroyed or razed, the Wharton County Courthouse has survived for current and future generations.

The building is an original Victorian/ Italianate-style design conceived by turn-ofthe-century architect Eugene T. Heiner.

The existing courthouse is actually the third courthouse building built on Wharton’s Monterey Square.

In 1888, the county commissioners voted to issue bonds to build a new courthouse and hired Heiner. Local cattle baron A.H. “Shangahi” Pierce led a group that opposed the bond issue, allegedly as part of an effort to move the county seat to the community of Pierce. While a petition was on a train to Galveston seeking a federal court injunction, legend aays a group of courthouse supporters cut a hole in the roof of the wood frame existing building to “make it unusable.”

In 1935, the county added wings to expand the amount of available office space.

Neglect resulted in the deterioration of the building and continued increase in county governmental functions led to a bond election to build a new courthouse. That proposal was rejected by voters.

In 1998, the Texas Historical Commission announced a new historical courthouse restoration program that in 1999 was funded by the state legislature and made up to $4.5 million dollars available to counties through a 85-15 matching funds program.

The Wharton project was initially funded by the state at $4 million, which at the time was the single highest dollar amount awarded through the program.

The restoration effort to return it to the original Heiner vision was actually enhanced by the demolition project. Various artifacts found in the lawn and building offered samples of smaller details such 10

An original clock mechanism for the courthouse bell tower was located in New England and hoisted into position during the building’s restoration.

as color scheme, roof decor and interior moulding that added to the accuracy of the restoration.

Courthouse Restoration It looked like the 1889 Wharton County Courthouse was headed for the wrecking ball in the late 1990s. There was talk of demolishing the old building for structural issues and building a new courthouse.

Restoring the 1889 Wharton County Courthouse was an emotional issue in the county. Preservationists wanted it saved, others thought it should be demolished and replaced with a modern structure. And there were those who thought it could not be restored.

But local preservationists quickly organized and looked for ways to save the building. They considered the courthouse to be “the heart and soul of Wharton County.”

The preservationists won, and courthouse history was researched by Wharton native and architect David Bucek Jr.

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2012 Wharton Tourist Guide

We Mean Business n Networking n Referrals n Continuing Education n Governmental Affairs n Traveler Services n Convention Services n Business Promotion n Tourism Marketing

225 N. Richmond Road Wharton, Texas 77488

Tel. 979-532-1862 Fax 979-532-0102.

www.whartontexas.com

Wharton Economic Development Corporation David L. Schroeder 1944 North Fulton Street Wharton, Texas 77488 wedc1@sbcglobal.net

Executive Director

www.whartonedc.com

Office: 979-532-0999 Toll Free: 866-532-0999 Fax: 979-532-5257

City of Wharton

Domingo Montalvo, Jr., Mayor City Hall 120 East Caney Street Wharton, Texas 77488 (979) 532-2491 Main • (979) 532-0181 Fax

www.cityofwharton.com whartontexas.com | Community

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2012 Wharton Tourist Guide

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The Wharton County Courthouse at Christmas

After four years of planning, trips to Austin’s Texas Historic Commission and fundraising, the task of restoring the historic courthouse began — and it would be restored to its Victorian style.

The Wharton County Courthouse was designed by Eugene T. Heiner, who arrived in Houston from Dallas in 1878. Between 1878 and his death in 1901 He designed 12 courthouses of which only six survive.

Wharton’s courthouse was built in a classic Victorian design and overlooked the Wharton countryside and the Colorado River. Its design was a combination of two popular Victorian styles of the 1880s — the Second Empire style and the Italianate style.

It was a three-story masonry building with limestone trimmings topped with a mansard roof and a central clock tower. Its bricks were made from clay gleaned from the Colorado River.

By the 1950s the Heiner-designed courthouse looked nothing like it originally did.

In the 1930s the courthouse was remodeled to gain needed space. Wings were added on each side. The bell, bell tower and mansard roof had been removed. Its original red bricks covered in stucco and painted yellow. It was redesigned the in an art deco 12

look of the time period.

Famous playwright Horton Foote, who was a Wharton native, was upset with the changes and he referred to it as “the Sulphur Block” because it was painted yellow.

But cost and time to restore the structure were underestimated. The Wharton County Courthouse had an original estimate of $2.9 million but ended up costing $7.4 million.

The restoration was started in July of 2003 and was supposed to be completed in December of 2005, but was actually completed in July 2007.

Finally in August of 2005, Wharton residents gathered on the courthouse square to watch as the massive clock tower was lifted to the top of the building. The tower is an exact replica of the original. The courthouse bell, which had been saved by First Baptist Church, was returned to the county and placed in the tower.

Today, the restoration of the historic 1889 Wharton County Courthouse is complete. Wharton’s restored courthouse joins Hallettesville as the only two Heiner works that are as the architect designed them.

The Wharton County Courthouse is featured in the PBS television documentary, The Golden Age of Texas Courthouses.

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2012 Wharton Tourist Guide

2012 Calendar of Events • Jan. 14: MLK Freedom March, Monterey Square to Boys & Girls Club • Feb. 11: Build a Bouquet Valentine’s Day, Monterey Square • Mar. 31: Chocolate Walk Easter Sale $200 Shopping Spree, Monterey Square • April 20 - 21: Wharton County Youth Fair Cook-Off • April 29 - May 5: Wharton County Youth Fair • May 12: Roses for “Hot” Mamas Mother’s Day Sale, Monterey Square • May 12 - Jun. 23: Spring Farmers Market, Saturdays • Jun. 9: Fourth Annual Citywide Garage Sale • Jun. 16: “Father Knows Best” Father’s Day Sale, Monterey Square • Jun. 16: Juneteenth Celebration • Jun. 29 - 30: Wharton County Freedom Fest • Aug. 4: Back to School Sidewalk Sale on Monterey Square • Oct. 13: Fourth Annual Wine & Arts Fair, Monterey Square • Nov. 10 - Dec. 8: Fall Farmers Market, Saturdays • Nov. 20: Wharton Chamber of Commerce Holiday Parade • Nov. 23 - Dec. 21: Friday Night Lights on Monterey Square

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The Morris Carriage House Like antique vehicles or are you a transportation buff ? If so, one of the largest and varied collection of antique carriages and coaches is gathered in the Morris Carriage House just east of Wharton on CR 117.

The love for the gentle and quiet means of transportation before the invention of the automobile is ingrained in carriage collectors Stewart Morris Sr. and his son Stewart Morris Jr. Their interests go beyond collecting, each piece in their collection is completely restored and cared for.

As the collection grew, they had to have a place to store them, so the Morris Carriage House was built to house their massive personal collection.

Carriages in the facility span several hundred years of history and include carriages from around the world as well as from the U.S. Each carriage and wagon is collected and shown for its historical significance and the craftsmanship of those who built them.

But what is in the carriage house is only a small portion of those collected by the fa-

ther and son over the years.

In their restored, pristine condition they look like and could go from the showroom to roadway at any time, which some of them sometimes do.

But it takes horses for this means of transportation, so there are trained carriage horses stabled at the facility.

The carriage horses are cared for at the site and all the tack needed is there also. Carriage horses are worked with and groomed daily and all tack is hung with fittings polished and leather oiled ready for use.

When being taken out for special occasions, the drivers and passengers often don period costumes which go along with the years the vehicles were in use.

Interesting pieces in the collection include the carriage used by Vivien Leigh in the movie Gone With the Wind.

The 1939 film adapted from Margaret Mitchell’s 1936 novel of the same name won 10 Academy Awards. It has been named the fourth in the top 100 American films of the

Another of the historical pieces in the collection is the carriage known as “The Traveling Government of Mexico.� It was used by then popular Mexican President Benito Juarez.

Vivien Leigh starred in the 1939 classic Gone With the Wind. The carriage she rode in is part of the carriage collection.

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2012 Wharton Tourist Guide

Visitors get to look at a number of restored carriages which are displayed in the Stewart Ranch Carriage House.

20th Century. The cast also included Clark Gable, Leslie Howard and Olivia De Havilland.

Another of the historical pieces in the collection is the carriage known as “The Traveling Government of Mexico.” It was used by then popular Mexican President Benito Juarez.

Juarez is still considered Mexico’s greatest and most beloved leader. He helped bring in a number of liberal reforms in the nation’s constitution of 1857.

During the French occupation of Mexico he refused to accept the rule of any foreign government. For six years the government

Morris Ranch & Carriage House

of Mexico became mobile in the carriage, changing sites as Juarez stayed ahead of the invading French army.

To get to the Morris Ranch & Carriage House, head east for about four miles on FM 1301 toward Boling. Turn left on CR 117 and travel two miles. The carriage house is on right just before crossing the bridge on the West Bernard River. To arrange tours, call the Chamber office at 532-1862.

Scott Lovejoy

Unit Director Corp. #233 Wharton 1616 N. Alabama Rd. Wharton, TX 77488

To get to the Morris Ranch & Carriage House, head east for about four miles on FM 1301 toward Boling. Turn left on CR 117 and travel two miles. The carriage house is on right just before crossing the bridge on the West Bernard River.

To arrange tours call the Chamber office at (979) 532-1862

979-282-2773 - Main 979-282-2883 - RX

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2012 Wharton Tourist Guide

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Monterey Square Wine Fair Throughout the year, a variety of festivals and events are held in Wharton, with many of them planned around Wharton’s historic courthouse.

One of the newer events that has become one of the premier ones on the Wharton social scene is the Monterey Square Wine and Arts Fair, which is held on the second Saturday of October each year.

The community and tourism event was started by the Monterey Square Merchants in 2009 and in just three years has established itself as a must attend activity.

For the first three years of the event, the local merchants teamed with Texas wineries and spotlight a variety of the offerings in both whites and reds. As part of the event, participants can sample the various wines at participating merchant stores. Patrons have the option of using sample cups available

Friends and neighbors, even out-of-towners socialize at the Wine Festival

at each location or using one of the commemorative wine glasses that are available for purchase.

In addition to wine tasting, samples are sold by the glass, and favorites can be purchased by the bottle on location or delivery

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arrangements can be made through the Wharton Chamber of Commerce.

Food has also become a part of the event with Chef Michael from the Wharton Country Club’s Green Room having offered fine dining options during the first two years of the event. Other local restaurants — including Jr’s Best Smokehouse and Scheller’s — have also offered their own menu choices for sampling during the event.

To accomodate the increasing numbers attending the event, and to offer those attending the opportunity to socialize, the city council allows the event to block off one downtown block to create room for foot traffic and allow tables to be set up for eating and visiting.

In year two, the organizers added a number of special features they plan to continue in the future. Those included the production

Souvenirs of the event are also available.

2012 Wharton Tourist Guide

Drew Tidmore of the El Campo Wine Club helps a woman select a wine during the third annual Monterey Square Wine and Arts Fair held last year.

of an art quality print of an original painting specially created for the event along with the sale of commemorative T-shirts. Each year’s event has concluded with a live music concert.

Other Events • Wharton County Freedom Fest is held on the last weekend of June and includes a barbecue cookoff on Friday near the Colorado River. The marjority of the events take place around Monterey Square on Saturday, including a car show, veterans salute, small parade, fireworks and a street dance with live music. The weekend also includes a production by the Litefooter Summer Youth Group at the Plaza Theatre.

• The third annual James Simmons Jr. Wharton County Juneteenth Celebration is set for June 16 on Monterrey Square. The event includes live music, food booths and carnival rides.

• Java Jam is held on a regular basis at the Milam Street Coffee Shop, normally on the last Friday of each month. Those who attend are asked to bring a covered dish to share, and a cover charge is collected to pay the guest musicians.

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2012 Wharton Tourist Guide

HISTORY

Horton Foote When Wharton native son and playwrite Horton Foote, 92, died March 7, 2009, he left a legacy and body of works which may never be duplicated.

He was reared in a middle class hard working family. Foote was born here on March 14, 1916 the son of Wharton haberdasher Albert Horton Foote and the former Hallie Brooks. While his father ran the family business, his mother taught piano.

The Pulitzer Prize and two-time Academy Award winning playwright wrote about a unique era of small town Texas life.

Many of his works are based on the happenings in the fictitious town of Harrison.

Early Wharton can be seen in the characters and lifestyles described in his plays.

Writers are supposed to write about what they know and Foote drew on the stories he heard told as a child listening to his parents and grandparents.

When asked about his writing style, Foote is quoted to have said, “But I don’t really write to honor the past. I write to investigate, to try to figure out what happened and why it happened, knowing I’ll never really know. I think all the writers that I admire have this same desire, the desire to bring order out of chaos.”

Foote left Wharton by train headed for Dallas at age 16 to pursue an acting career, but he carried with him the memories of his home. Wharton, with its pecan trees, its Victorian homes and the character of its residents would become part of his plays and films.

He spent two years studying acting at the Pasadena Playhouse in California. Then he headed to New York City “to make a name for himself as a Broadway star.” He continued his studies there with Tamara Daykarhanova and joined Mary Hunter’s American Actors Company.

One of his assignment was to perform a one-act improvisational play based on the actor’s hometown. After performing his, Agnes DeMille, a choreographer asked if he had ever written anything.

18

History | whartontexas.com

In 2000 Horton Foote receives the National Medal of Arts Award in Washington, D.C., from President Bill Clinton.

His response was “No, what on earth would I write about?”

DeMille, who would become a lifelong friend, then gave him his best advice: “Write what you know about.”

The budding playwright went home and wrote a one-act play called Wharton Dance that night. It was about the Friday-night dances in his hometown. He wrote himself into the lead. The company performed the play in an evening of one-acts. Foote appeared in other plays he wrote and pursued his acting career.

During a visit home, he wrote another play. This time it was a three-act play, a drama set in a small-town drugstore. It was called Texas Town. The American Actors Company staged it in 1941. Foote again played the lead.

Brooks Atkinson, a critic for The New York Times, came to see it. He called it an “engrossing portrait of small-town life.” He praised the play for being “simply written” and for giving “a real and languid impression of a town changing in its relation to the world.” He added, “Mr. Foote’s play is ‘an able evocation of a part of life in America.’”

HISTORY

2012 Wharton Tourist Guide

Foote took on various jobs to support himself. These included being a night elevator operator and bookstore clerk. It was at the bookstore that a Vassar student came in looking for a summer job — Lillian Vallish.

Foote asked her for a date and they married the next year on June 4, 1945. They had four children and remained together until she died in 1992.

His stage work led to work in television dramas. He wrote for such TV programs as Playhouse 90 and Studio One. His work led him to Hollywood. There his screenplays for Storm Fear (1955) and To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) attracted attention. They later garnered him an Academy Award for the screenplay To Kill a Mockingbird and introduced him to actor Robert Duvall.

Duvall, one of Foote’s lifelong friends, appeared in his films. Foote’s Tender Mercies (1983), was written specifically with Duvall in mind. It was shot in Waxahachie, and Horton Foote visits at the Wharton County Duvall won the Best Actor Academy Award, Historical Museum where two of his books and Foote received his second Oscar for the are for sale. screenplay.

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19

2012 Wharton Tourist Guide

HISTORY

Quoted in The New York Times, Duvall said of Foote, “Horton was the great American voice. His work was native to his own region, but it was also universal.”

His The Trip to Bountiful starred his friend Lillian Gish in live theater. In 1985, the movie was made and Geraldine Page received an Academy Award for best actress and Foote was nominated for the screenplay.

Another film success was Baby, the Rain Must Fall (1965), a reworking of Foote’s play The Traveling Lady. The film starred Steve McQueen and much of it was shot in and around Wharton.

In 1966, The Chase was adapted into a feature film starring Marlon Brando, Jane Fonda, Robert Redford and Angie Dickinson.

Foote wrote more than 60 plays, most of which are set in the fictional Texas town called Harrison. It’s a place where everybody knows everybody else’s name and

Unexpected

business — just as they did when Foote was growing up in Wharton. His career spanned six decades.

He wrote The Young Man From Atlanta in the 1950s. It won him the Pulitzer Prize in 1995.

Continuing to work, Foote wrote The Carpetbagger’s Children as the 21st Century dawned. It was staged at Lincoln Center to sold-out audiences and extended runs.

He had most recently, before his death been living in Hartford, Conn.,and adapting his nine-play The Orphans Home Cycle into a three-part production to be staged at the Hartford Stage Company and the Signature Theater in New York.

“I don’t think I’ll ever stop writing,” he said in a 1999 interview with The New York Times. “I write almost every day. I’d write plays even if they were never done again.

You’re at the mercy of whatever talent you have.”

In a 1986 interview with The New York Times Magazine, Foote spoke on the themes that run through his work, saying, “I believe very deeply in the human spirit and I have a sense of awe about it because I don’t know how people carry on.” He said.

“I’ve known people that the world has thrown everything at to discourage them, to kill them, to break their spirit. And yet something about them retains a dignity.

They face life and they don’t ask for quarter.”

His home in Wharton still stands at 505 N. Houston Street. It is part of the driving home tour offered in Wharton. He is buried in the Wharton City Cemetery.

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20

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HISTORY

2012 Wharton Tourist Guide

Dan Rather Native son Dan Rather still calls Wharton “home.” Although he moved away to Houston after six months, he occasionally visits the serene town where his life began.

The home where he spent those first six months of his life has been restored to its 1930s look and sits on the grounds of the Wharton County Historical Museum ready for tours.

Rather is the son of Daniel Irvin Rather Sr. and his wife, the former Byrl Veda Page.

His dad was working here locally in “the oil patch” when he was born.

After moving to Houston, Rather attended Love Elementary School, Hamilton Middle School and Reagan High School.

In 1953, he received a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Sam Houston State University where he was editor of the school’s newspaper.

Rather began his career in 1950 as an Associated Press reporter in Huntsville. Later, he was a reporter for United Press International from 1950 to 1952, several Texas radio stations, and the Houston Chronicle from 1954 to 1955). In 1959, he entered television as a reporter for KTRK-TV in Houston. Rather was promoted to the director of news for KHOU-TV, the CBS affiliate in Houston.

In early September of 1961, Rather reported live from the Galveston Seawall as Hurricane Carla threatened the Texas coastline. This action, which has been imitated by countless other reporters, impressed the network executives at CBS, and they hired him as a CBS News correspondent in 1962.

In his autobiography, Rather notes that back then TV stations didn’t have their own radar systems, and of course nobody then had the modern computerized radar that combines the radar image with an outline map. So he took a camera crew to a National Weather Service radar station located on the top floor of the Post Office Building on 25th Street in Galveston, where a technician

Dan Rather visits with a couple of Whartonians during a visit to the Wharton County Historical Museum.

drew a rough outline of the Gulf of Mexico on a sheet of plastic, and held that over the black and white radar display to give Rather’s audience an idea of the storm’s size and position of the storm’s eye. The eye of Hurricane Carla hit Galveston Island hard, with winds in excess of 125 m.p.h. and a tornado within a mile of Rather’s vantage point.

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whartontexas.com | History

21

2012 Wharton Tourist Guide

HISTORY

The newsman has been the subject of controversy sporadically throughout his career.

Rather was the first network television journalist to report that U.S. President John F. Kennedy died in the November 22, 1963 shooting in Dallas. He was also one of the first to see the Zapruder film taken by an eyewitness to the passing Dallas motorcade and reported that JFK’s head went “violently forward” when he was hit. It in fact went violently backwards, after jerking forward briefly.

After serving as a foreign correspondent for CBS News, he drew the assignment as primary anchor for the CBS Sunday Night News, while serving as White House correspondent during the Richard Nixon presidency.

After President Nixon’s resignation, Rather took the assignment of chief correspondent for CBS News Special Reports.

He later became a correspondent of the long-running Sunday night news show 60 Minutes, just as the program was moved from a Sunday afternoon time-slot to primetime.

Success there brought Rather in line to suc-

Wharton County Historical Museum 3615 N. Richmond Rd. Wharton, TX 77488

(979) 532-2600 Mon. - Fri. 9:30am - 4:30pm (Closed lunch hour) Sat. & Sun. 1pm - 5pm whartoncountymuseum.org

22

History | whartontexas.com

Dan Rather’s home as a newborn was in this house which has been restored and sits on the grounds of the Wharton County Historical Museum.

ceed Walter Cronkite as main anchor and Managing Editor of The CBS Evening News.

After leaving CBS a few years ago, Rather has since resumed his career with HDNet, a high-definition cable television station as a producer and hosts a weekly one-hour show called Dan Rather Reports. He has also contributed as a guest on The Chris Matthews Show.

Rather has formed an independent company called News and Guts Media and is reportedly working on a book.

In 2006, Dan Rather donated $2 million to his alma mater, Sam Houston State University, the largest single monetary gift in the school’s 127-year history. The University renamed its mass communications building after Rather in 1994. The building houses The Houstonian and KSHU, which refers to the radio and television stations which are both run by students.

In May, 2007, Rather received a honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Siena College in Loudonville, N.Y., for his lifetime contributions to journalism.

Rather is also a columnist whose work is distributed by King Features Syndicate.

There is an exhibit set at the museum which recounts events in Rather’s life.

COMMUNITY

2012 Wharton Tourist Guide

Wharton Civic Center Need to plan a big event like a wedding reception, anniversary bash or a corporate retreat and training session but unwilling to fight the traffic or pay the high prices found in bigger cities? Then you’ve found your perfect location with the Wharton Civic Center.

The center is conveniently located away from heavily travelled main roads but still easy to find at 1924 N. Fulton St. It offers a main hall with a seating capacity of 800 when arranged for auditorium style seating or 700 for banquet style. It also includes the O’Quinn room seating 100, the Duncan Auditorium, with seating for 60, Meeting Rooms A and B, 30 each, and a prefunction area with seating for 150. Other features include a caterer’s kitchen, ice machines, tables and chairs, a sound system, stage lighting and other necessities for your chosen function.

The center started out as the original home of the Gulf Cost Medical Center.

The hospital gave the facility to the City of Wharton in 1992, and it was renovated into the building that exists today. Other portions of the hospital campus were converted into the Wharton County Library and the City of Wharton EMS Department. The initial renovation costs totaled $1.2 million.

Jo Knesek, who has been the civic center’s director for 21 years, said the building has hosted all kinds of events — even one that included George W. Bush when he was governor — to such celebrities as Frank Sinatra Jr. and Nancy Sinatra. But Knesek said all events are treated the same.

“Every one of our events are important, someone with a Hollywood name or our next door neighbor,” Knesek said. “We treat everyone first class with great service.”

The effort to convert the facility from hospital building to a regional convention

The civic center hosts a variety of community events and shows.

center was undertaken during the administration of then Mayor Garland Novosad.

“I went to bed each night with the blueprints in my arms,” Novosad said. “We had this empty building and through the incredible vision of many people, we built something special the community can be proud of and the public can enjoy.”

The redesign of the building was handled by the Austin-based architectural firm of Holt and Fetter, which also designed the current City of Austin Police Department building.

“They brought in a 3-D view proposal that raised the ceiling and extended the height of the wall almost 10 feet in some areas,” Novosad said. “I will never forget the day it opened. It exceeded my wildest dreams by three or four times what I was expecting. I could have never imagined such a fine structure.”

For more information, or to book an event, contact the city of Wharton by calling 979-532-2491, ext. 600, visit the city of Wharton Web site at cityofwharton.com or e-mail convention@cityofwharton.com.

whartontexas.com | Community

23

2012 Wharton Tourist Guide

COMMUNITY

Wharton County Historical Museum As you walk the grounds or wander among the various exhibits it becomes quite clear quite early that the Wharton County Historical Museum is unique in its design and presentation.

While the museum is dedicated to the preservation of the community’s history its lay out and floor offers unique insights into not just the items on display but the people who actually used or handled those items in the past.

It’s like visiting the home of a very interesting family with diverse interest. And it is.

The building the museum now occupies was once the home of Marshall and Lillie Johnson, whose philanthropic foundation continues to improve the lives of people to this day. And the exhibits left by the couple to the museum are among the most unique you will find.

In 1990, the property and surrounding grounds were donated to the county, which in turn granted it to the museum as a permanent home. Compared to homes built by others of their wealth, the Johnson home was a modest affair as the couple chose to live big rather than live in a big home. And since taking over the property, the museum has expanded the building to allow it to house more exhibits but even more importantly, to connect the main house to the Johnson’s separate trophy rooms.

So when you wander into the back of the building, that personal feel comes out.

Among the most striking exhibits is the wild animal trophy room, filled with Johnson’s personal collection of trophies as well as some of

Celebrating college life in Wharton, this museum display features memorabilia from Wharton County Junior College.

the mementos his wife Lillie collected on their trips to exotic lands. Unlike most museum exhibit halls that are built with traditional square corners, Johnson’s was built in a hexagonal, or six-sided, form with the animals placed around the perimeter and bench seating area and central fire place in the middle of the room. That design, maintained by the museum, offers the visitor the more personal touch of being a guest rather than just a visitor.

But what started with one trophy room for Marshall soon became two and then three and more as the couple added on space to Lillie Johnson’s collection of trophies and awards for horse breeding and showing as well a some family artifacts.

In addition to the Johnson’s personal collections there is also the Melba Cook Birkner Doll Collection. The collection features vintage collector dolls dressed in various period costumes created by Birkner. The collection includes several porcelain dolls fired by Birkner herself

Wharton County Historical Museum

3615 N. Richmond Rd. Wharton, Texas 77488

(979) 532-2600 Hours: Marshall Johnson’s exotic cactus garden is a beautiful display.

24

Community | whartontexas.com

Mon. - Fri. 9:30 am - 4:30 pm Closed Lunch Hour Sat. & Sun. 1 pm - 5 pm whartoncountymuseum.org

COMMUNITY from molds collected from some of the masters of the art as her collection continued to grow.

There is also the Dorothy Schuchmann collection of shadow boxes she created capturing such daily moments of life in the first half of the 20th century such as working in the kitchen or attending the old one room school house.

Marshall Johnson’s interest in the exotic and touch at creating a different kind of display can also be found on the grounds of the museum.

During his lifetime, he created a cactus garden bringing in a wide variety of that particular kind of plant. And while designed to look natural and blend in with the grounds, closer observation shows the garden was created on several levels to allow for better viewing of each of the samples of the different plants.

Added to the grounds later was another building, the Dan Rather home. The noted news man was born in Wharton and that home was later located, restored and moved to the grounds.

The remaining space in the museum is devoted to a number of permanent displays and functions while still offering space for temporary exhibits of historical note. Those permanent offerings include exhibits on Agriculture and Ranching, Commerce, Education, Pre-recorded History, Healing Arts, Law and Order, the Military, Oilfields, Religion, Sports Champs and Wharton County Junior College.

Sometime this year, the 20th Century Technology Museum in downtown Wharton will

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2012 Wharton Tourist Guide

One of the permanent displays in the museum id dedicated to Medal of Honor winner Roy P. Benavidez

move to a new building addition on the Historical Museum’s property, providing a convenient experience for visitors and tourists.

The museum is open 7 days per week, Monday-Friday, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (closed noon to 1 p.m. for lunch) and Saturday and Sunday from 1-5 p.m. Located along one of the main entrances to the city, exit U.S. Highway 59 and turn south Business 59 (N.Richmond Rd.) and the museum is on the right about 200 yards from the Tee-Pee motels.

115 W. Burleson St. P.O. Box 111 Wharton, TX 77488 Phone - (979) 532-8840 Fax - (979) 532-8845 www.journal-spectator.com Publishing the Wharton JournalSpectator on Wednesday and Saturday, and the East Bernard Express on Thursday.

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1 Gulf Coast Medical Center 2 South Texas Medical Clinic EA la b 3 Wharton City Hall am aR d 4 Wharton County Offices 5 Chamber of Commerce 6 Restored SP Depot 7 Wharton County Library 8 Wharton Civic Center 9 Wharton Economic Development Corporation 10 Wharton Country Club (Private) 11 Tiger Stadium (Football) 12 Tiger Field (Baseball) 13 City Swimming Pool 14 Boys & Girls Club of Wharton 15 Just Do It Now

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Historic Homes Tour H1 T.M. Neal Home H2 Hamilton House H3 Tom N. Brooks Home Moers Ln H4 Bolton-Outlar House H5 Brooks-Foote House H6 Nettie Elkins House H7 John & Sophie Garrett House H8 J.H. Speaker House H9 E. Clyde & Mary Elliot House H10 Merrill-Roten House H11 Judge Edwin Hawes House H12 Wiley J. Croom House

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2012 Wharton Tourist Guide

HOME TOUR

Historic Homes of Wharton

T.M. Neal home, 225 N. Richmond Road

Tom N. Brooks home, 516 N. Richmond Road

This eclectic dwelling with five-bay porch was constructed circa 1915 by Tom Brooks, Now the site housing the Wharton dry goods merchant. The house faces RichChamber of Commerce and Agriculture, mond Road which carried traffic between the home was built in 1912 by Dr. Thurman Houston and Victoria through Wharton.

McCloud (T.M.) Neal and Mae Vineyard The home, its residents and the daily events Neal. A doctor, farmer and rancher and civ- inspired the writings of Brooks’ grandson, ic leader and philanthropist, as a tribute to Horton Foote. The house sold in 1948 to the his wife, he donated the home to the cham- Brandl family. In 1998, Charles E. and Pauber when he died in 1962. lette Brandl-Roades restored the home to its former grandeur.

Hamilton House, 325 N. Richmond Road A native of Ohio, Joseph Andrew Hamilton served in the Union army during the Civil War. In 1866 he settled in Wharton and held a variety of local political offices.

Hamilton purchased this property in 1885 and moved his family into the existing onestory frame house. In 1907 the home was enlarged by raising the original structure and building a new addition underneath. The house features influences of the neoclassical style of architecture. The new addition is brick, and upper wooden floor is thought to have been constructed circa 1875.

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Bolton-Outlar House, 517 N. Richmond Road

The Bolton-Outlar House, built in 1893, is a two-story frame Pyramidal-roof dwelling Queen Anne influence modified around 1910 with a classical Revival pediment portico and porches. It rests on brick piers and is covered by an asphalt shingle tripped roof with lower cross gable on the principal and side elevations. An exterior brick chimney with a corbeled cap rises from the top ridge of the hipped roof.

It is one of Wharton’s most impressive late-19th and early-20th century residential Home Tour | whartontexas.com

HOME TOUR dwellings. It was substantially remodeled around 1910.

H.J. Bolton acquired this property in 1893 from A.H. Purviance for $300 and probably built the house soon afterwards. Bolton was a local merchant and first president of the newly organized Wharton National Bank in 1903. In 1919, Dr. L.B. Outlar purchased the dwelling for $7,500. Dr. Outlar established a clinic in partnership with Dr. William Blair called the Outlar-Blair Clinic.

The Outlar family owned the house until 1973.

2012 Wharton Tourist Guide

house was built in 1918. The Elkins House is significant as the best extant example of the pyramid roof house in its most basic form in Wharton. A full-width open porch supported by three evenly-spaced columns dominates the principal façade.

John and Sophie Garrett House, 401 E. Alabama Street

O. Brooks-Foote house, 505 N. Houston Street Located directly behind the Tom Brooks home on Houston street is the Brooks-Foote home. Tom, son of P.C. and Daisy Speed Brooks, built this house in 1917 and gave it to their daughter, Harriet and her husband A.H. Foote. it is a good example of 20th Century bungalow style, two-bay L-shaped porch. The house is owned by the children of the late Horton Foote, who grew up in the house behind his grandparents’ home on Richmond Road.

The John G. and Sophie Garrett House is a one-and-one-half story frame dwelling facing south on East Alabama Street. Its appearance is typical of the late 19th century dwellings in a modified L-plan form. Jig sawn balusters and brackets, and turned columns and frieze indicate a strong Victorian Queen Anne influence.

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Nettie Elkins House, 109 E. Alabama Street

www.journal-spectator.com

The Elkins House was built for Nettie Elkins after receiving the undivided land from the heirs of Mrs. D.A. Hobbs. The

115 W. Burleson St. P.O. Box 111 Wharton, TX 77488

whartontexas.com | Home Tour

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2012 Wharton Tourist Guide

HOME TOUR

J.H. Speaker House, 414 E. Alabama Street Susan Speaker purchased this lot and the adjoining lot in 1893 for $550. This low cost indicates that the house was not present at that time. In 1907, J.H. Speaker acquired the western lot and is believed to have built the house. The property remained in the Speaker family until 1976. J.H. Speaker was a local black educator who taught in the segregated school in Wharton. At the time of construction, this house was in one of the two primary African-American neighborhoods. The J.H. Speaker House is a onestory frame L-plan dwelling.

E. Clyde and Mary Elliott House, 707 N. Walnut Street E. Clyde and Mary Elliott acquired three lots in 1919 from W.B. Barbee in the Barbee subdivision. The Elliotts erected a one-story bungalow home for $2,697. Mr. Elliott was a farmer with land near the small community of Glen Flora. The couple owned the house until 1960. The E. Clyde and May Elliott House is a one-and one-half story frame bungalow facing east. The Elliott house is one of the best examples of the bungalow form and the only example of the “airplane” subtype in Wharton.

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Merrill–Roten House, 520 Avenue A James F. and Lena Merrill had this brick veneer house built soon after their acquisition of the property in 1930. In 1932, John L. Roten purchased the house. Roten was one of Wharton’s most successful businessmen during the mid-20th century. He began his career in 1922 when he opened a dry goods store in the community. The Tudor Revival style was popular among professionals in the community during the late 1920s and 1930s. Its full brick veneer exterior is rarely seen on local dwellings.

Judge Edwin Hawes House, 309 N. Resident Street Rosa E. McCamly had this home built in 1896. In 1897 she sold it to Edwin Hawes (b.

1852), Wharton County judge in the 1870s and 1880s. Hawes had returned to this area after temporary residency in Kerrville where he was mayor. Here he was a large landowner and a political leader. The double galleried home was purchased in 1944 by George Rust Hawes and his wife Emily Prasifka Hawes, the son and daughter-in-law of Edwin and Uzzie Milburn Rust Hawes. This two-story frame house is an example of center-passage, with Victorian and Classical Revival features.

Home Tour | whartontexas.com

HOME TOUR

Wiley J. Croom house, 205 E Milam Street

2012 Wharton Tourist Guide

This is a two-story frame house designed by Eugene T Heiner, who also designed the 1888 jail and courthouse in Wharton. It was built in typical Victorian Queen Anne style with heavy use of decorative embellishments. Wiley J. Croom came to Wharton in 1868 to practice law and sell real estate. He was elected county judge in 1886 and met Heiner during the construction of the courthouse which led him to select the architect as designer of his new home.

The house is a two-story frame dwelling facing south on West Milam Street. The house retains a high degree of integrity and is the best example in Wharton of the Queen Anne style.

Antiquing Downtown Wharton is a mecca for antique lovers and tourists alike.

The square’s stores features antiques from museum quality to everyday use items in five stores all within walking distance of each other. That makes the area an antique hunter’s delight.

All of the stores are filled wall-to-wall with antiques which can meet the taste, and pocketbooks of antique collectors.

Local dealers have a networking system which allows them to help shoppers to find Photo by Burlon Parsons just what the are looking for — even though it might mean sending the shopper to an- Antique dealer uses toothbrush to clean a other business. delicate ceramic piece.

Feel free to stop in any of the shops around the square, browse or just visit with the owners. They are loaded with antique information for their customers.

Howard H. Singleton, P.C. Miss Hattie’s Place is located at 129 S. Attorney At Law Fulton Street on Monterey Square. Walk over to 134 W. Milam Street and visit Bohemian Rhapsody.

A turn south on Houston Street will lead to Blue Moon Antiques at 138 S. Houston.

Head back to Milam Street, turn left and stroll down to 230 W. Milam and visit This 109 East Milam and That.

Wharton, Texas Plan to spend some time in each business because of the diversity in each and feel free Facsimilie (979) 532-9805 to visit with the knowledgeable owners.

Telephone (979) 532-9800

whartontexas.com | Home Tour

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The Wharton Murals Creative artists have developed many unique ways to teach and preserve history.

In the city of Wharton, residents get a daily history lesson by seeing several colorful murals scattered around town.

The 11th and most recent addition to the murals celebrates the history of Wharton’s early churches that was dedicated in a ceremony held in May, 2008. The mural is located on the side of the building at the northwest corner of North Fulton and West Milam streets.

Created by Artist Dayton Wodrich, the mural depicts 13 of the early church buildings in Wharton and is located on the side of the Caney Creek Church building at the northwest corner of North Fulton and West Milam Streets. The first two murals were created in 2001 and feature two of Wharton County’s earliest industries. The first, titled “Brahman and Cotton Country” features some of the early ranchers and the county’s unofficial title of “Brahman Capital of the World.”

The second, “Cotton - From Pickin’ to Ginnin’” illustrates the history of the cotton industry from hand picked fields to today’s modern natural fiber industry.

Mural three, “Law and Order” (2002) features famous judges and lawmen including Judge W.J. Croom, who led the effort to build the recently restored Wharton County Courthouse. It also features Sheriff Hamilton B. Dickson, the first Wharton County lawman killed in the line of duty, and Sheriff Buckshot Lane, who introduced a number of other crime fighting techniques to the area, including using airplanes and the polygraph.

The state’s cultural history followed with mural four, “The Six Flags of Texas and a Flour Sack” (2002) showing the flags of the nations - Spain, France, Mexico, Texas Republic, the Confederacy and the United States - that have flown over the state. The flour sack is a tribute to Gov. W. Leo Daniel, who was a flour salesman before taking up residence in the Governor’s House.

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whartontexas.com

Mural five, “Good Grub, Even Better Stories” (2002) is painted on the upper facade of Hinze’s Barbecue and reminds people of circling around the campfire while herding cattle under the spacious Texas skies.

Returning to local interest topics, mural six, “Early Wharton History” (2003) pays tribute to the original residents, the Karankawa Indians, as well as the early pioneers, settlers and industries that grew in Wharton.

Mural seven, “Agriculture in Wharton” depicts the bounty produced by the fertile soil that makes Wharton County one of the top five agriculture producing counties in Texas. Mural eight, “Medicine in Wharton” (2004) features the 27 doctors and staff who chartered the community’s medical history.

Mural nine, “Future of Wharton” (2004) promotes several of the different activities offered by the community for its young people.

Mural 10, “Wharton County Black History” (2005) acknowledges the contributions made over the years by those members of the community long overlooked as the result of segregation.

The final in the series, Mural 11, “The Churches of Wharton” spans the religious history from Baptist to Catholic and features early Anglo and Black Churches as well as Sherith Israel Synagogue, which represents another important contributing culture to the diversity of the city.

“Wharton County Black History” mural

COMMUNITY

2012 Wharton Tourist Guide

WCJC: Higher education includes Fine Arts program For those who are interested in higher education, Wharton County has a junior college right in its own backyard with an economical option to the first two years of college.

Founded originally to advance the education of those men and women serving in the military during World War II, Wharton County Junior College was ultimately successful in that goal.

Having fulfilled that obligation to the community it serves, the board of trustees and the administration of the college now seek to serve another purpose, to uplift the Gulf Coast region by turning its Wharton Campus into a leading cultural center.

During the course of each year, the college sponsors or hosts a number of theatrical, musical and lecture events as part of its Fine Arts Series. A feature aspect of those performances is the college’s award-winning Greenroom Players, a registered student organization for students interested in drama. In addition to local performances, the Greenroom Players have performed at such note-worthy events as the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival and the Texas Community College Theatre Festival.

The college’s music program gives the college’s students a wide range of performance opportunities. Those include not only various music major recitals and band concerts but also a Holiday performance each Christmas season that has become one of the community’s great traditions.

And there is yet more to come. As part of the college’s campus master plan, there are plans to expand the fine arts facilities to include the construction of a new auditorium that WCJC President Betty McCrohan said will attract even more performances and artists to the Wharton area.

“While we have several educational campuses, the heart of the college is still located at our main campus in Wharton,” McCrohan said.

“And we are planning to become the cultural heart of this entire region of the Gulf Coast.

The residents of the region are quite familiar

A welcoming sign for potential students.

with the fine arts and expect the best from its performers and we plan to continue to make that part of the uniqueness that is the WCJC experience. The college is committed to becoming a destination location for those who enjoy the arts while still providing a quality educational experience for its students.”

The idea for the college was initiated in 1944 by the members of the Wharton County Postwar Planning Board followed by a citizens’ meeting in 1945. Voters approved the creation of the Wharton County Junior College District on April 6, 1946. That year, classes started in five buildings located in what was the Wharton Fairgrounds and the former location of a prisoner of war camp.

In 1947, the voters of the district approved $600,000 in tax bonds to construct permanent college facilities and the first two buildings, the administration offices and college gym were opened. To meet the continuing educational needs of its students, the college has added 17 buildings over the course of the past 60 years.

Those new facilities include the college’s Fine Arts building, opened in 1967. The center piece of the facility is its performance venue, the Horton Foote Theater, named in honor of the famed Wharton writer.

For more information on upcoming performances and lecture series events, visit the college’s Web site at www.wcjc.edu/events.

whartontexas.com | Community

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2012 Wharton Tourist Guide

HISTORY

Wharton Downtown Legends Bonnie and Clyde

In 1932, a sheriff ’s deputy stationed at the Colorado River bridge encountered the notorious bank robbers Bonnie and Clyde.

The duo had been spotted in Louise, south of Wharton, and were headed toward Wharton.

He fired several shots at their vehicle, but apparently missed.

Dickson Monument Sheriff Hamilton Dickson was shot and killed in the line of duty while trying to capture an escapee from the county jail.

His funeral was the largest ever held at the time in Wharton County.

The statute on the courthouse lawn was erected by his family. His descendents recently had it restored.

Sniper’s Nest In 1898 Hope Adams ran for sheriff of Wharton County. He ran on the independent ticket against the candidate running on the White Man’s Union party.

In those days a candidate needed the approval of the White Man’s Union in order to seek public office.

After filing for office, Adams crossed from the courthouse at the Milam and Fulton street intersection.

A shot rang out and Adams fell dead. Someone had fired the fatal shot from the original courthouse clock tower.

It is said that everyone knew who did it, but charges were never filed.

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History | whartontexas.com

Lucky Shot In 1917 City Marshal W.W. Pitman was given an arrest warrant for F. I.opez.

As the sheriff approached a Mexican restaurant at the comer of Burleson and Fulton streets in downtown Wharton, Lopez emerged from the restaurant.

Both drew their pistols and fired at the same time. The bullet from Pitman’s gun entered the cylinder of Lopez’ gun. Lopez’ gun jammed and saved both Lopez’ and Pittman’s lives.

Pittman sent Lopez’ gun to Ripley’s Believe It or Not. He won fourth place in Ripley’s annual contest.

The gun remains in Ripley’s possession and was last seen in their facility in downtown San Antonio.

Ghost Story Wharton County wanted to honor its Confederate Army veterans who were members of Buchel Camp. In their memory a monument was placed on the northwest corner of the county courthouse lawn.

To this day, a circular patch can be seen around the monument.

It appeared shortly after the dedication and remains there.

Legend has it that ghosts of the Confederate soldiers march around the statue every night guarding it and creating a path that defies all explanation.

Pecans vs. Sycamores One of Wharton County’s greatest controversies was what trees should be planted around the county courthouse.

Sycamores were native timber and thus were originally chosen for four sides of the county courthouse.

However, in 1922, the county agricultural extension agent planted pecan trees between the sycamores to prove that pecans could be a viable cash crop for Wharton County.

But the courthouse square was not big enough for both of them. As the pecan trees grew, it became clear that there was not room enough both for the pecans and the sycamores.

The problem was resolved one night, after midnight, when an unknown woodsman came to the courthouse square and cut down all the sycamores. The pecan trees continue to flourish there to this day.

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

2012 Wharton Tourist Guide

Business Directory Accountants-Certifi ed-Public Briggs & Veselka

123 N. Washington • El Campo, TX 77437 (979) 543-1040

Dobbins & Sheek, CPAs, LLC

300 W. Burleson St. • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-4852

Kenneth Johse, CPA

P.O. Box 1030 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-4441

P.W. Stephenson & Company PC

1609 N. Richmond Road • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-5964

Sharon Joines, CPA

822 Caney Trails Drive • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-2636

Accounting & Tax Service

Horizon Farms

5713 CR 156 Rd • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-8555

Horizon Turf Grass

5713 CR 156 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-8599

Maxim Production Company, Inc.

580 Maxim Drive • Boling, TX 77420 (979) 657-2891

Moses Gin Inc.

Drawer 789 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-3522

Northington Ranch Corp.

PO Box 222 • Egypt, TX 77436 (979) 532-3883

Pierce Ranch

P.O. Box 538 • Pierce, TX 77467 (979) 532-4250

Briggs & Veselka

Wharton Feed & Supply

Dobbins & Sheek, CPAs, LLC

Wharton Tractor Company

Kenneth Johse, CPA

Wharton Turf Grass, Inc.

P.W. Stephenson & Company PC

Wittig Grass Sales, LLC

123 N. Washington • El Campo, TX 77437 (979) 543-1040 300 W. Burleson St. • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-4852 P.O. Box 1030 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-4441 1609 N. Richmond Road • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-5964

Sharon Joines, CPA

822 Caney Trails Drive • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-2636

Agriculture

1105 N. Fulton St. • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-8533 1007 N. Richmond Rd. • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-3172 PO Box 1029 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-4340 P.O. Box 489 • Boling, TX 77420 (979) 657-4496

Aircraft Charter-Rental & Leasing Silver Star Helicopters LLC

1201 Chapel Lane • El Campo, TX 77437 (979) 541-9823

Alterations

Bagley Pecan House

5935 CR 156 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 282-2791

Bare Spot Solutions

3931 CR 154 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-2593

Denise’s Alterations & Things

223 W. Milam St. • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-0816

Antiques

Bethal Farms LLC

Bohemian Rhapsody II

Caney Valley Cotton Company

Miss Hattie’s Place

PO Box 1016 • Van Vleck, TX 77482 (979) 244-2800 2203 N. Richmond • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-5210

Coastal Warehouse

602 N. Sunset • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-8550

Happy Hen Farms

3191 Produce Row • Houston, TX 77023 (713) 928-2000

134 W. Milam St. • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-5577 P.O. Box 246 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 531-1175

Apartments Briar Pointe Apartments

1717 Briar Lane • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-4581

whartontexas.com | Chamber of Commerce

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2012 Wharton Tourist Guide

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Apartments - (continued) Mill Creek Apartments

1823 Stadium Road • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-0368

Morning Star Apartments

1520 Barfield Road • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-4007

River Bend Apartments

2500 Junior College Blvd. • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-5453

University Place Apts./Pecan Village

310 University St. • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-0241

Art Galleries/Graphic Arts Montgomery Gallery & Frame

110 S. Houston • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-3929

Assisted Living Elmcroft

1930 Briar Lane • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-5800

Attorneys Howard H. Singleton, P.C.

109 E. Milam • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-9800

John Roades, Attorney at Law

PO Box 1219 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-5320

Ken Lipscombe, Attorney at Law

135 W. Burleson • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-2448

Paul Webb, Attorney at Law

221 N Houston • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-5331

Sinatra Law

107 E. Milam • Wharton, TX 77488 (713) 225-8500

Wadler, Perches, Hundl & Kerlick, Attorneys at Law 101 West Burleson • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-3871

Automobile Dealers

316 N. Richmond Road • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-4360

Wharton Auto & Truck Parts (Napa)

1739 N. Richmond Road • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-4510

Automobile Repairs & Service Big G Auto

2313 N. Richmond Road • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-2080

Caney Auto Service

607 FM 102 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-4160

Don Davis Motor Company, Inc.

2011 N Mechanic • El Campo, TX 77437 (979) 543-3291

Don Elliott Autoworld

P.O. Box 1210 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-2150

Pekar’s Body Shop

2720 N. Richmond Road • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-5805

Von-Wil Ford

316 N. Richmond Road • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-4360

Bail Bonds Rapido Bail Bonds

117 S. Fulton • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 282-2191

Bakeries Buc-ee’s

715 Hwy. 59 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-8755

H.E.B. Food Store

1616 N. Alabama Road • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 282-2773

Walmart Super Center

P.O. Box 709 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-3986

Banks & Banking Associations Capital One

323 E. Boling Highway • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-8961

Don Davis Motor Company, Inc.

First State Bank of Louise

Don Elliott Autoworld

Newfirst National Bank

Von-Wil Ford

Prosperity Bank - Wharton

2011 N Mechanic • El Campo, TX 77437 (979) 543-3291 P.O. Box 1210 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-2150 316 N. Richmond Road • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-4360

Automobile Parts-Mfg Rep Star Parts

1119 E. Milam • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-1500

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Von-Wil Ford

505 E. Boling Highway • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-0404 101 E. Milam • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-1650 143 W. Burleson • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 282-2000

Texasgulf Federal Credit Union

2015 N. Fulton • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 282-2300

Vista Bank Texas

1610 N. Alabama Rd. • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 282-2555

Chamber of Commerce | whartontexas.com

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Beauty Salons

2012 Wharton Tourist Guide

First United Methodist Church

Frances & Co.

601 N. Rusk St. • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-5855

The Salon Oasis

110 S. Resident St. • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 282-8881

Book Dealers, Stores & Depositories Wall 2 Wall Words Used Books/ Milam Street Coffee

200 West Milam • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 282-9771

Bottlers Pepsi Bottling Co. of Wharton

505 Rugely • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-8801

Boutiques & Specialty Shops Country Crafts & Collectibles

206 W. Milam • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-3250

Denise’s Alterations & Things

223 W. Milam St. • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-0816

Selections on the Square

104 S. Houston St. • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-0877

1717 Pioneer • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-1100

Grace Community Fellowship

P.O. Box 965 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-3999

Holy Family Catholic Church

2011 Briar Lane • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-3593

St. John’s Lutheran Church

614 Pecan St. • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-2336

St. Paul Lutheran Church

325 N. East Avenue • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-2315

St. Thomas Episcopal Church

PO Box 586 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-1723

Wharton County Interfaith Coalition PO Box 101 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 282-2021

Cleaners Lone Star Cleaners

1309 N. Alabama • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-8500

Clinics & Medical Groups W.I.C. - Wharton (Fort Bend Family Health Center, Inc.) 210 S. Rusk • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-8755

Caterers Hinze’s Bar-B-Que

8229 U.S. Highway 59 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-2710

Mrs. T’s Kitchen

Rt. 1 Box 48 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-5798

Vincek’s Smokehouse

139 S. Dill • East Bernard, TX 77435 (979) 335-7921

Child Development & Day Care All The Little Things Count

111 West Caney • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 282-2500

Gulf Coast Medical Center

10141 US Highway 59 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 282-6100

South Texas Medical Clinics, P.A.

2100 Regional Medical Drive • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-7765

Clubs-Country & Tennis Wharton Country Club

PO Box 1149 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-5940

Clubs

Creative Care Children’s School

El Campo Wine Club

Small Blessings Child Care Center

Pilot Club of Wharton

909 Olive Street • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-0830 1717 Pioneer Ave. • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-1100

Churches

P.O. Box 963 • Wharton, TX 77488

Coffee Shops Wall 2 Wall Words Used Books/ Milam Street Coffee

Caney Creek Church

128 W. Milam • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-2533

First Baptist Church

507 N. Fulton • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-4295

First Presbyterian Church

918 Empire • El Campo, TX 77437 (979) 332-0566

1602 John Knox Street • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-3375

200 West Milam Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 282-9771

Commercial Embroidery Miss Priss Originals Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 282-1373

whartontexas.com | Chamber of Commerce

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2012 Wharton Tourist Guide

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Communications-Telecommunication Consultants Computer Center & Radio Shack

119 North Mechanic • El Campo, TX 77437 (979) 543-1949

Radio Shack

423 E. Boling Highway • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-0011

Computer Products Radio Shack

423 E. Boling Highway • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-0011

Computer Services All-Tex Networking Solutions

1815 Mons Avenue • Rosenberg, TX 77471 (281) 232-9118

Computer Center & Radio Shack

119 North Mechanic • El Campo, TX 77437 (979) 543-1949

Computer Training Techsoft Computer Training Centers

6430 Richmond Ave. #465 • Houston, TX 77057 (281) 933-4500

Computers-Computer Products Computer Center & Radio Shack

119 North Mechanic • El Campo, TX 77437 (979) 543-1949

Concrete Alamo Concrete

PO Box 168 • Bay City, TX 77404 (979) 532-1962

Construction Companies-Homebuilders, General Contractors/Dev Brothers Custom Works

PO Box 249 • Hungerford, TX 77448 (979) 532-2250

All-Tex Networking Solutions

1815 Mons Avenue • Rosenberg, TX 77471 (281) 232-9118

Fox Smolen & Associates

707 West Avenue, Suite 207 • Austin, TX 78701 (512) 322-9090

Contractors-Electrical, Plumbing & Mechanical Eldridge Air Conditioning & Heating PO Box 591 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-8150

Faust Air Conditioning & Heating PO Box 347 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-2511

MD Plumbing

213 N. Richmond • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 282-8080

Rath Plumbing

216 N. Richmond Rd. • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-0223

Roberson Air Conditioning & Refrigeration 704 Sunny Lane • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-5101

Convenience Stores Buc-ee’s

715 Hwy. 59 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-8755

Cracker Barrel Partnership, LTD

16107 Kensington Dr. Ste 105 • Sugarland, TX 77479 (361) 655-5900

KV Country Store

2328 Old Lane City Road • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-3417

Counseling

K.C. Home Improvement

Broken Chains Ministry

Mark W. Meyer Builder, Inc.

Crisis Center

Mijasco Construction

StraightWay, Inc.

307 North Resident • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 531-0969 PO Box 668 • Wharton, TX 77488 (832) 595-5550 P.O. Box 983 • 814 John Albert Dr. East Bernard, TX 77435 (979) 257-6022

Sabrsula Construction

3711 CR 154 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 533-0218

Texas Best Foundation Repair

1402 W. Jackson • El Campo, TX 77437 (979) 543-7700

38

Consultants

PO Box 58 • Boling, TX 77420 (979) 657-4018 PO Box 1820 • Bay City, TX 77404-1820 (979) 245-9109 PO Box 134 • Hungerford, TX 77448 (979) 532-5613

TEXANA MHMR Center

4910 Airport Ave. Bldg. D • Rosenberg, TX 77471-5759 (281) 342-9387

Dancing Lynn Bates School of Dance

805 Sunny Lane • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-2141

Chamber of Commerce | whartontexas.com

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Taps & Mats Dance Studio

1109 N. Fulton • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-0602

Dentists/Dental Labs/Dental Care

Employment Agencies Link Staffing Services

7306 Penny Lane • Katy, TX 77494 (281) 347-5465

Workforce Solutions

David Tripulas, DDA

1016 Sunny Lane • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-4663

Dental Clinic

1506-E N. Alabama Road • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-8110

Wharton Dental, Inc.

1802 N. Richmond Road • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-1920

Department Stores Palais Royal

301 E. Boling Hwy. • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 531-1394

Walmart Super Center

P.O. Box 709 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-3986

Distributors Del Papa Distributing Company

6702 Broadway • Galveston, TX 77554 (979) 299-8833

Oil Patch Brazos Valley

803 Mable • El Campo, TX 77437 (979) 532-2221

Pepsi Bottling Co. of Wharton

505 Rugely • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-8801

South Texas Oil & Distributing

P.O. Box 169 • El Campo, TX 77437 (979) 543-1791

Drug Store/Pharmacy

1506 N. Alabama Road • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 531-0730

Engineers-Civil, Environmental, Mechanical & Consulting Jones & Carter, Inc.

6335 Gulfton Ste. 100 • Houston, TX 77081 (713) 777-5337

Terracon

11555 Clay Road • Houston, TX 77043 (713) 690-8989

Events James Simmons Jr. Juneteenth Committee 1709 Forrest Dr. • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 282-1070

Wharton County Freedom Fest, Inc.

1225 N. Alabama Road • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-0927

Wharton Hidden Garden Tour

PO Box 67 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 282-1279

Feed Store Wharton Feed & Supply

1105 N. Fulton St. • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-8533

Festivals James Simmons Jr. Juneteenth Committee 1709 Forrest Dr. • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 282-1070

Wharton County Freedom Fest, Inc.

Savon Drugs

P.O. Box 1303 • East Bernard, TX 77435 (979) 335-4810

Electrical Equipment & Supplies Barbee Services

PO Box 1180 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-4570

Radio Shack

423 E. Boling Highway • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-0011

1225 N. Alabama Road • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-0927

Wharton County Youth Fair

PO Box 167 • Glen Flora, TX 77443-0167 (979) 6773350

Financial & Financial Advisors Edward Jones Investments

128 S. Houston • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-1282

Newfirst National Bank

101 E. Milam • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-1650

Electricians Barbee Services

PO Box 1180 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-4570

Emergency Medical Services AHZ EMS

16015 Alta Mar Drive • Houston, TX 77083 (713) 585-6275

Texas Critical Care EMS

2012 Wharton Tourist Guide

1918 Foster Leaf Lane • Richmond, TX 77406 (832) 451-6994

Fire Departments Wharton Volunteer Fire Dept.

319 N. Fulton • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-4811

Florist Flower Shoppe

420 N. Alabama Road • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-8620

whartontexas.com | Chamber of Commerce

39

2012 Wharton Tourist Guide

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Framing

A-Plus Medical Equipment

Montgomery Gallery & Frame

110 S. Houston • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-3929

Funeral Homes & Memorial Parks Gooden Hatton Funeral Home

110 N. East Avenue • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-3602

Wharton Funeral Home

515 E. Boling Highway • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-3410

Furniture Franklin Furniture Company

PO Box 710 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-2631

Ronda’s Design Consultants

314 West Milam • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-1624

Select Imports Furniture

423 East Boling Highway • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-0011

Grocery Stores H.E.B. Food Store

1616 N. Alabama Rd. • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 282-2773

Walmart Super Center

1255 Hwy 59 Loop • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-3986

Hall Rental American Legion

PO Box 162 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-4866

Egypt Plantation Antique Barn & Museum PO Box 2119 • Egypt, TX 77436 (979) 533-0096

The Orchard at Caney Creek

923 County Road 235 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-5856

Veterans of Foreign Wars #4474

721 E. Emily Ave. • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-1621

Wakefield Development, LLC

3360 CR 154 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-8650

Baylor Pathology Department of Pathology

1 Baylor Plaza Rm. 286-A • Houston, TX 77030 (713) 798-4661

W.I.C. - Wharton (Fort Bend Family Health Center, Inc.) 210 S. Rusk • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-8755

Girling Health Care, Inc./Wharton

1614 N. Alabama Rd. • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 282-8822

Gulf Coast Medical Center

10141 US Highway 59 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 282-6100

South Texas Medical Clinics, P.A.

2100 Regional Medical Drive • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-7765

TEXANA MHMR Center

3007 N. Richmond Rd. • Rosenberg, TX 77488 (281) 342-9387

Texas Home Health

1233 Hwy 59 Loop Suite B • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-8584

Wharton Nursing & Rehabilitation

1220 Sunny Lane • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-5020

Heating & Air Conditioning Distributors, Eqpt & Repairs Eldridge Air Conditioning & Heating PO Box 591 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-8150

Faust Air Conditioning & Heating PO Box 347 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-2511

Hunter’s Air & Heat

P.O. Box 628 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-1707

Roberson Air Conditioning & Refrigeration

704 Sunny Lane • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-5101

Home Decorative Accessories

Wharton Knights of Columbus

Franklin Furniture Company

Wharton Civic Center

Ronda’s Design Consultants

PO Box 1155 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-2218 1924 N. Fulton • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-2491

Health Centers/Equipment Angels Care Home Health

315 N. Alabama Road Ste. A • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 282-2629

40

PO Box 207 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 531-8338

PO Box 710 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-2631 314 West Milam • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-1624

Home Health Angels Care Home Health

315 N. Alabama Road Ste. A • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 282-2629

Girling Health Care, Inc./Wharton

Chamber of Commerce | whartontexas.com

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 1614 N. Alabama Rd. • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 282-8822

Texas Home Health

1233 Hwy 59 Loop Suite B • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-8584

Kerlick’s Farmers Insurance

1317 N. Alabama Rd. • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-2820

Schulz Insurance Agency

1316 N. Alabama • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-0021

Wharton County Farm Bureau

Home Interior Design Ronda’s Design Consultants

314 West Milam • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-1624

PO Box548 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-2852

Internet Marketing Rust Reviews LLC

Hospitals Gulf Coast Medical Center

10141 US Highway 59 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 282-6100

PO Box 869 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 531-8300

Investment Counselors Edward Jones Investments

Hotels/Motels Country Hearth Inn

1808 FM 102 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-1152

Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites

10247 Highway 59 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 282-8300

Super 8

9985 US 59 Rd. • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-0301

Tee Pee Motel & RV Park

4098 E. Business Highway 59 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 282-8474

Travelers Inn & Suites

1527 N. Richmond • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-0740

128 S. Houston • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-1282

K-Mana, Inc.

PO Box 588 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 282-7000

Jewelers Selections on the Square

104 S. Houston St. • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-0877

Tyler’s Jewelry & Pawn

2310 N. Richmond Road • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-0971

Landscape Architects-Contractors & Designers El Campo Spraying Inc.

2601 N. Mechanic St. • El Campo, TX 77437 (979) 543-7811

Humane Society Wharton County S.P.O.T.

PO Box 642 • Pierce, TX 77467 (979) 332-1853

Insurance

R L Shelley’s Lawn Service

P.O. Box 1574 • 3114 N. Mechanic El Campo, TX 77437 (979) 543-9494

Lawn & Garden Services

Allstate Insurance

1114 North Fulton • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-1146

Bremser Insurance Agency

211 W. milam • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-1586

Charles Chambers Insurance

PO Box 67 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-4572

Danna Insurance Agency

1707 West Loop • El Campo, TX 77437 (979) 543-9719

Hank Hall State Farm

727 N. Alabama Road • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-5151

InsuranceNet, Inc.

2012 Wharton Tourist Guide

PO Box 150 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-1011

El Campo Spraying Inc.

2601 N. Mechanic St. • El Campo, TX 77437 (979) 543-7811

R L Shelley’s Lawn Service

P.O. Box 1574 • 3114 N. Mechanic El Campo, TX 77437 (979) 543-9494

Texas Quality Lawn Equipment, LLC 707 E. Milam • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-1350

Liquor Stores Louie’s Package Store

2005 Highway 60 South • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-2378

Lumber Zarsky Lumber Company, Inc.

PO Box 149 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-2574

whartontexas.com | Chamber of Commerce

41

2012 Wharton Tourist Guide

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Machine Shops Koenig Welding Service, Inc.

2305 N. Richmond Road • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-4161

Manufacturing-Manufacturers Representatives Dorian Tool International, Inc.

615 CR 219 • East Bernard, TX 77435 (979) 282-2861

J-M Manufacturing

10807 US 59 Road • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-5640

Lamberti USA, Inc.

PO Box 1000 • Hungerford, TX 77448 (979) 532-8476

Nan Ya Plastics Corporation, USA 2081 FM 102 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-5494

Prime Eco Fluids, Inc.

PO Box 431 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 531-1100

Massage Therapy Healthy Touch Knead to Relax

110 S. Resident • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 531-9317

Meat Markets Jr.’s Texas Best Smokehouse

164 CR 467 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 531-0888

Newspapers Wharton Journal-Spectator

PO Box 111 • Wharton, TX 77i488 (979) 532-8840

Nurseries DSG Nursery

1201 S. Mechanic • El Campo, TX 77437 (979) 543-7333

Nursing Homes Avalon Place

1405 Valhalla Drive • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-1244

Bay Villa Healthcare

1800 13th Street • Bay City, TX 77414 (979) 245-6327

Elmcroft

1930 Briar Lane • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-5800

Wharton Nursing & Rehabilitation

1220 Sunny Lane • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-5020

Office-Supplies, Equipment & Furniture Wharton Paper & Industrial Supply PO Box 705 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-8810

Optical, Optometrists, Opticians & Optical Labs

Vincek’s Smokehouse

Family Vision Center

H.E.B. Food Store

South Texas Medical Clinics, P.A.

139 S. Dill • East Bernard, TX 77435 (979) 335-7921 1616 N. Alabama Road • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 282-2773

Walmart Super Center

P.O. Box 709 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-3986

Medical Equipment A-Plus Medical Equipment

PO Box 207 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 531-8338

Motorcycle Dealers El Campo Cycle Center

28268 US Highway 59 • El Campo, TX 77437 (979) 543-8442

Museums 20th Century Technology Museum PO Box 868 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 282-8810

Egypt Plantation Antique Barn & Museum PO Box 2119 • Egypt, TX 77436 (979) 533-0096

Wharton County Historical Museum

1120 N. Fulton • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-0805 2100 Regional Medical Drive • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-7765

Organizations American Legion

PO Box 162 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-4866

ARC of Wharton

PO Box 991 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 282-9200

Beyond The Fences

PO Box 1148 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 533-9324

Boys & Girls Club of Wharton

PO Box 666 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 282-9660

El Campo Wine Club

918 Empire • El Campo, TX 77437 (979) 332-0566

Fraternal Order of Eagles #4507 PO Box 386 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 533-2835

PO Box 349 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-2600

42

Chamber of Commerce | whartontexas.com

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Habitat for Humanity East Wharton County

613 Boling Green • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-4850

Hospice Support, Inc.

PO Box 1417 • El Campo, TX 77437 (979) 578-0314

Just Do It Now, Inc.

PO Box 787 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 531-1975

Pilot Club of Wharton

P.O. Box 963 • Wharton, TX 77488

StraightWay, Inc.

PO Box 134 • Hungerford, TX 77448 (979) 532-5613

Veterans of Foreign Wars #4474

721 E. Emily Ave. • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-1621

Wharton County Alumni Association 911 Boling Hwy. • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-6322

2012 Wharton Tourist Guide

Plumbing MD Plumbing

213 N. Richmond • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 282-8080

Rath Plumbing

216 N. Richmond Rd. • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-0223

Pool and Spa Maintenance and Repair Shock Wave Pool Service

3905 FM 1301 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 282-1776

Portable Toilets Nature’s Necessities, LLC

PO Box 709 • Bellville, TX 77418 (979) 865-9250

Printers, Publishers, Typesetters & Graphics

Wharton Hidden Garden Tour

J & M Printing

Wharton Knights of Columbus

Lawton Publications

PO Box 67 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 282-1279 PO Box 1155 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-2218

Wharton Tea Party, Inc.

1818 Half Moon Drive • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-0936

Wharton Training High School & ExStudents Association PO Box 1131 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-0916

Pawn Shops

Tyler’s Jewelry & Pawn

2310 N. Richmond Road • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-0971

Pecans

P.O. Box 164 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-5240 4601 Durant #1 • Deer Park, TX 77536

R&R Printing

103 Monseratte • El Campo, TX 77437 (979) 543-9498

Ranch House Designs

1730 N. Richmond • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-9141

Radio Stations KIOX Radio

207 East Jackson • El Campo, TX 77437 (979) 543-8282

KULP Radio

PO Box 390 • El Campo, TX 77437 (979) 543-3303

Tomlinson-Leis Communications

Bagley Pecan House

5935 CR 156 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 282-2791

1713 Seventh Street • Bay City, TX 77414 (979) 323-7771

Real Estate Appraisers

Pest Control Services Affordable Pest Management

Coldwell Banker

Gillen Pest Control

Gary Ward Appraisal Services

3714 Cline Drive • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-2211 1012 Morton Street • Richmond, TX 77469 (979) 532-5700

Photography/Studio Impressions By Leslie Photography 108 N. Houston • 1829 New Gulf Drive Boling, TX 77420 (979) 533-4401

2618 N. Richmond Road • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-1013 P.O. Box 1276 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 531-8190

Hudgins Groover Real Estate Appraiser PO Box 1157 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-0007

R.C. Harrison, Jr., Realtors

108 Santa Fe • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-8000

Our Little Ranch Photography

P.O. Box 505 • 6731 FM 1096 South • Boling, TX 77420 (979) 657-4104

whartontexas.com | Chamber of Commerce

43

2012 Wharton Tourist Guide

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Real Estate Developers & Investors Carlson Development Company PO Box 886 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-8787

LL & C Properties, Inc.

2211 Norfolk Ste. 1030 • Houston, TX 77098 (719) 851-7777

W.A. Harrison Rentals

1122 FM 102 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-1012

Wakefield Development, LLC

3360 CR 154 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-8650

Wharton Industrial Foundation

1610 North Alabama • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-2631

Real Estate C.E. Muegge Real Estate

213 N. Richmond • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-5252

Coldwell Banker

2618 N. Richmond Road • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-1013

Hudgins Groover Real Estate

PO Box 1157 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-0007

R.C. Harrison, Jr., Realtors

108 Santa Fe • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-8000

Wied Realty

609 N. Mechanic • El Campo, TX 77437 (979) 543-2266

Recreation El Campo Bowling Center

PO Box 226 • El Campo, TX 77437 (979) 543-9999

Natural Horisun

P.O. Box 809 • Needville, TX 77461 (979) 657-3061

Plaza Theatre

P.O. Box 1067 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-1084

Showplace 3 Cinema, Inc.

PO Box F • El Campo, TX 77437 (979) 543-8152

Rentals Party/Equipment Party Mouse

137 S. Fulton • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 282-8500

Restaurants Champs Food, LLC KFC/Taco Bell

1406 N. Richmond Road • Wharton, TX 77488 (281) 924-9046

Denny’s #8588

10367 Hwy. 59 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-3200

44

Grand Buffet

125 E. Boling Highway • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 531-1998

Hinze’s Bar-B-Que

8229 U.S. Highway 59 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-2710

Jr.’s Texas Best Smokehouse

164 CR 467 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 531-0888

Los Cucos Mexican Restaurant 211 W. Elm • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 531-1961

McDonald’s

1404 Richmond Road • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-8884

Pizza Hut

302 N. Richmond Rd. • Wharton TX 77488 (979) 532-1692

Prasek’s Hillje Smokehouse, Inc.

29714 US 59 Hwy • El Campo, TX 77437 (979) 543-8312

Scheller’s

P.O. Box 51 • 122 S. Bridge Glen Flora, TX 77443 (979) 677-9417

Sonic Drive In-Wharton

217 N. Richmond Rd. • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-1611

Taste Woods Bar B-Q

P.O. Box 1266 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 282-8833

Vincek’s Smokehouse

139 S. Dill • East Bernard, TX 77435 (979) 335-7921

Wall 2 Wall Words Used Books/Milam Street Coffee 200 West Milam • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 282-9771

Whataburger

1120 Hwy. 59 Loop N. • Wharton TX 77488 (979) 532-1208

The Dragonfly Cafe

119 1/2 S. Fulton • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 332-8118

Roofing Weather Guard Roofing

PO Box 86 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-0928

RV Parks Natural Horisun

P.O. Box 809 • Needville, TX 77461 (979) 657-3061

Tee Pee Motel & RV Park

4098 E. Business Highway 59 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 282-8474

Chamber of Commerce | whartontexas.com

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Schools, Colleges & Education

2012 Wharton Tourist Guide

Stocks & Bonds Brokers

Faith Christian Academy of Wharton

Edward Jones Investments

Lynn Bates School of Dance

K-Mana, Inc.

5227 FM 1301 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 531-1000

805 Sunny Lane • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-2141

Taps & Mats Dance Studio

1109 N. Fulton • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-0602

Techsoft Computer Training Centers

6430 Richmond Ave. #465 • Houston, TX 77057 (281) 933-4500

Wharton County Junior College

911 E. Boling Hwy. • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-4560

Screen Printing/T-Shirts Miss Priss Originals Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 282-1373

128 S. Houston • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-1282 PO Box 588 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 282-7000

Storage Facilities - Rentals General Sales Company

808 N. Richmond Road • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-3823

My Storehouse Mini Storage

PO Box 827 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-4422

Surveyors K M Surveying, LLC

24200 Southwest Freeway Ste.402-253 Rosenberg, TX 77471 (713) 806-1814

Swimming Pool Contractors, Service, Equip. & Maint.

Seafood Buddy’s Seafood Shoppe

PO Box 543 • Matagorda, TX 77457 (979) 532-5600

Search Engine Optimization Rust Reviews LLC

PO Box 869 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 531-8300

Signs

Brothers Custom Works

PO Box 249 • Hungerford, TX 77448 (979) 532-2250

Shock Wave Pool Service

3905 FM 1301 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 282-1776

Tanning Salons All-Tex Networking Solutions

Advantage Specialties

1000 Ave F • Bay City, TX 77488 (979) 244-1000

Custom Creations

202 N. Houston • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 531-0000

Everything Custom

1815 Mons Avenue • Rosenberg, TX 77471 (281) 232-9118

Bare Tans

1733 Carter Street • Wharton, TX 77488 (432) 853-8386

Television-Cable

2614 Ave. F • Bay City, TX 77414 (979) 244-3595

Mid Gulf Cablevision El Campo

Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 282-1373

Texas Mid Gulf Cable Wharton

Miss Priss Originals

Social Service Agencies ARC of Wharton

PO Box 991 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 282-9200

Broken Chains Ministry

PO Box 58 • Boling, TX 77420 (979) 657-4018

Crisis Center

PO Box 1820 • Bay City, TX 77404-1820 (979) 245-9109

Hospice Support, Inc.

PO Box 1417 • El Campo, TX 77437 (979) 578-0314

PO Box 628 • El Campo, TX 77437 (979) 532-3920 PO Box 628 • El Campo, TX 77437 (979) 532-3920

YK Communications

PO Box 329 • Ganado, TX 77962 (800) 395-1499

Theaters Plaza Theatre

P.O. Box 1067 Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-1084

Showplace 3 Cinema, Inc. PO Box F El Campo, TX 77437 (979) 543-8152

Just Do It Now, Inc.

PO Box 787 • Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 531-1975

whartontexas.com | Chamber of Commerce

45

2012 Wharton Tourist Guide

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Tire Dealers Gensco Kross Wholesale Tire Co., Inc. PO Box 38 Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-4800

Strouhal Tire Recapping Plant PO Box 7 Hungerford, TX 77448 (979) 532-1579

Title Companies Coastal Title Company 104-A West Main Street Edna, TX 77957 (979) 532-9900

Mid-Coast Title Company PO Box 870 Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-1512

Stewart Title

202 W. Goodwin Victoria, TX 77901 (979) 532-8883

Transportation Budget Truck Rentals

1801 E. Irlo Bronson Memorial Hwy. St. Cloud, FL 34771 (407) 396-4152

Trophies & Plaques Custom Creations

202 N. Houston Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 531-0000

Everything Custom 2614 Ave. F Bay City, TX 77414 (979) 244-3595

Turfgrass / Farming Bare Spot Solutions 3931 CR 154 Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-2593

Bethal Farms LLC

PO Box 1016 Van Vleck, TX 77482 (979) 244-2800

Horizon Farms

5713 CR 156 Rd Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-8555

Wittig Grass Sales, LLC P.O. Box 489 Boling, TX 77420 (979) 657-4496

Utilities CenterPoint Energy Houston 13300 W. Bellfort Houston, TX 77099 (281) 341-4920

Constellation Energy-Colorado Bend Power Partners 3863 South State Hwy. 60 Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 358-3026

Fox Smolen & Associates

707 West Avenue, Suite 207 Austin, TX 78701 (512) 322-9090

Wharton County Electric Cooperative PO Box 31 El Campo, TX 77437 (979) 543-6271

Wharton County Generation New Gulf Power Plant PO Box 600 Boling, TX 77420 (979) 657-0343

Veterinarians Alamont Veterinary Clinic 1907 E. Boling Hwy. Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-5569

Wharton Veterinary Clinic 1518 Highway 60 South Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-1431

Web Design Ranch House Designs 1730 N. Richmond Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-9141

WebUnlimited

19091 Highway 6 South College Station, TX 77845 (979) 696-2500

Wolf Run Internet Marketing 6552 Wolf Run Dr. Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-2060

Horizon Turf Grass 5713 CR 156 Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-8599

Wharton Turf Grass, Inc. PO Box 1029 Wharton, TX 77488 (979) 532-4340

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Chamber of Commerce | whartontexas.com

Sharon Joines Photographs

www.sharonjoines.com

Hinze's Bar-B-Que

Bar-B-Que

Hey folks, while you’re in town, stop by for some...

• Pecan Smoked Barbecue

Brisket ★ Ribs Chicken ★ Sausage • Fish & Shrimp • Chicken Fried Steak – Served Every Day! • Turkey & Dressing – Served on Sundays!

Stop in for some Holiday Favorites • Ham • Smoked Turkeys • Special Homemade BBQ Sauce!

Enjoy our famous desserts

• Homemade Meringue Pies • Cobblers

Hinze's Bar-B-Que

Bar-B-Que

8229 US 59 HWY. • Wharton, TX

979-532-2710 48

whartontexas.com