TEXAS COTTON GIN MUSEUM

Top left, The Texas Cotton Gin Museum is a landmark in Burton; bottom left, tours are both fun and educational; above, Tynan Shadle talks to visitors about how the gin works. Museum is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday and admission is free. Gin tours at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Tours are $6 for adults and $4 for students. Group rates are available.

Burton Cotton Gin History

by Steph Jarvis, Museum Director, Texas Cotton Gin Museum photography by Emily Henderson The Texas Cotton Gin Museum, Inc. (formerly Operation Restoration, Inc. and then Burton Cotton Gin & Museum, Inc.) was founded as a 501(c)(3) organization in 1986 to save the historic Burton Farmers Gin from demolition. The fully documented Burton Farmers Gin has been widely recognized as the best operational example remaining in the nation of an early, fully automated systems gin still in its original historic setting. Built in 1914, it stands as a testament to the era of King Cotton. Guided by the Smithsonian and the National Trust for Historic Preservation and other advisors, dedicated volunteers restored the 1925 Bessemer twin-type IV oil engine that still powers the gin. The gin has been designated a National Historic Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (1994). It is a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark (1988) and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (1991). Other historic buildings on the museum campus include the historic Wehring Shoe Shop and the Burton Farmers Gin Cotton Warehouse. Many of the individuals that were an integral part of ORI, Inc. continued on with the newly formed Burton Cotton Gin & Museum, Inc. in 1999. In 2009 the Burton Cotton Gin Museum was designated the Official Cotton Gin Museum of Texas by the 81st Texas State Legislature. In February, 2011 the name was changed to the Texas Cotton Gin Museum to honor the new designation. The Museum’s mission is to keep the legacy of cotton alive for all generations through the maintenance and preservation of the 1914 Burton Farmers Gin – the oldest operating cotton gin in America.

The Engine that Could

BESSEMER TYPE IV ENGINE STILL RUNNING TODAY

by Tynan Shadle, Programs Coordinator, Texas Cotton Gin Museum photography by Emily Henderson Every cotton gin needs a source of power. Over the years many methods were used including hand, livestock, and water power. The Burton Farmers Gin originally had a steam engine in 1914.

Over the next 11 years, the steam engine supplied power to the Gin. The engine performed its job but by 1924, the BFGA was looking for a new option. After experiencing rust issues and the high cost of fuel, the stockholders of the BFGA instructed the directors to install an oil machine. After much debate, a Bessemer Type IV, from the Bessemer Gas Engine Co. was chosen.

The investment in the Bessemer Type IV was a good one. From 1925-1963 the engine was the primary power source for the Burton Farmers Gin. Sometime, during the ginning season of 1962, the Bessemer experienced a breakdown. The engine was brought back on line, but trust in the Bessemer had faltered. In 1963, an Allis Chalmers Electric Motor was purchased and the Bessemer became the backup source of power. When the Burton Farmers Gin closed in 1974, the Bessemer along with the gin lay dormant for the next 12 years.

Then, in the mid 1980s, interest in the gin and engine was renewed. After the discovery that the Burton Farmers Gin was intact, Doug Hutchinson contacted the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C. The Smithsonian came to Burton and after thoroughly cataloging the structure and its equipment and issued a challenge to the community. If the gin and Bessemer Engine could be returned to working condition, the Burton Farmers Gin would be the Oldest Operating Cotton Gin in the country!

After sitting dormant for more than a decade, a lot of work was needed to restore the Bessemer to working condition. This project fell to a dedicated group of volunteers and on February 29, 1992, the engine roared back to life. In 1993, the first bale of cotton was ginned since the gin closed in 1974, with the Bessemer supplying the power. Every year since at the annual Burton Cotton Gin Festival, the Bessemer has roared to life as the Burton Farmers Gin fires up for its ginning run. You can also see the engine run on the first Saturday of every month, and the museum is now offering classes to folks who are interested in learning to run the engine.

From top, the Bessemer Type IV engine; Steph Jarvis conducts a tour for a group of visitors at the museum; cotton was king in Burton and still is today. The Texas Cotton Gin Museum is located at 307 North Main Street.