History of Stanley Gin in Niederwald, Texas explored by Michael Mixerr.

Stanley Gin is one of the many cotton gins of Niederwald and Hays County. Only so much history of this cotton gin has been preserved. This news article will explain some history behind this cotton gin.

Stanley Gin was established as a cotton gin sometime during the 1890s circa 1890 on land owned by J. Stanley right outside the city limits of Niederwald, Texas. Cotton seed would be burned using wood. The cotton was picked by hand, gathered up, and put onto a press powered by steam boilers. Then the cotton would be stored in a house. Stanley Gin was said to have burned tons of cottonseed of what was worth then around $45 dollars a ton. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/359821037/)

Hamilton Wright wrote a news article reminiscing about old-time gins in Niederwald, Texas in the Austin American newspaper which was published on November 16, 1955. This cotton gin used steam boilers to produce to churn the cotton. Stanley Gin was said to have burned tons of cottonseed now worth around $100 dollars a ton by then. (Ref: Austin American, Old-Time Gins Burned Cottonseed Under Boilers, Hamilton Wright, Page 22, Wednesday, November 16, 1955)

“In the 1890s some gins away from available wood burned tons of cottonseed now worth around $45 a ton and not too long ago $100 a ton under their steam boilers. Two of these gins the writer remembers: the Stanley Gin at Niederwald and Science Hall, both in Niederwald. Cotton seed was valued so little farmers never hauled it away from the gins. Instead it would grow in great mounds. Ginmen discovered that the seed made an exceeding hot though quick-burning fire, and rather than haul it away, they shoveled it into the furnaces.”

However tragedy struck in 1892. Stanley's cotton gin house was leveled and wrecked during a cyclone that subsequently was followed by a heavy rainstorm which lasted over an hour in 1892. Buildings of various kinds were wrecked along with the barn of J. Casey. Stanley Gin was referred to as “Stanley's cotton gin house” in the San Saba County News newspaper. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/7432608/)

J. Stanley had dismantled the Stanley Gin in 1893 due to the cyclone and because cotton seed was valued so little by farmers.

Stanley Gin was located at 8161 Niederwald Strasse, Niederwald, Texas, US 78640.