Pilot Knob Gin is one of the many forgotten cotton gins of Austin and Travis County. This news article will explain and explore some history behind Pilot Knob Gin.
Pilot Knob Gin was established sometime in 1862 on what was Creedmoor Highway and is now FM 1625 in the Pilot Knob settlement. The exact date is unknown though. Fred Sassman and Will Sassman owned and operated this cotton gin. Will Sassman was the sole owner and proprietor for Pilot Knob Gin.
A tragic accident occurred on the date of September 6, 1897. A young German man had his hand severely lacerated at the Pilot Knob Gin. (Ref: Austin Weekly Statesman, Page 3, September 6, 1897)
Pilot Knob Gin was incorporated as the Pilot Knob Gin Company in 1919 with a capital stock of $16,000.: W. E. Sassman and Junes Sassman were the incorporators. Pilot Knob Gin was also known as the Pilot Knob Gin Company of Austin, Texas. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/364662120/)
Austin Oil Manufacturing Company deed 6 acres of land to Pilot Knob Gin Company for $20,000 in 1926 after a land deal was made and settled in writing. Austin Statesman made an announcement about this news in one of their paragraphs. (Ref: Austin Statesman, LAND DEAL MADE, Page 3, Sunday, June 20, 1926)
“Deed from Austin Oil Manufacturing Company conveying about six acres of land and a gin near Colton to the Pilot Knob Gin Company for $20,000 was filed for record in the office of County Clerk.”
The Pilot Knob Gin Company had a lawsuit filed against them by Colton Gin Company over a garnishment dispute in a lawsuit entitled Colton Gin Company vs. Pilot Knob Gin Company in late December 1926. Pilot Knob Gin Company was the garnishee. The case was on trial before a jury. Judge Ceorga Matthews presided over the case. The lawsuit continued on through court all the way through 1927. The lawsuit was settled by 1928. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/357612409/)
“COUNTY COURT. Judge Ceorga Matthews. Colton Gin company vs. Pilot Knob Gin company, for garnishment, on trial before a jury.”
The Pilot Knob Gin had caught on fire after an explosion on September 4, 1931. A fuel tank exploded which lead to Pilot Knob Gin to catch on fire. The entire Pilot Knob Gin machinery complex perished into flames and burned to the ground. Every structure was destroyed afterwards as the Pilot Knob Gin could not be rebuilt in time for use for the season. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/385805640/)
[The $15,000 gin of the Pilot Knob Gin company at Pilot Knob, 12 miles south of Austin was destroyed by fire Thursday when its fuel tank exploded, workmen being forced to run from the building to save their lives. This was the fourth gin in the same section of Travis County to be burned since last February, and the fifth near Austin. The gin was in operation, ginning cotton for Arthur Anderson of Elroy, when the fuel oil caught fire, apparently from the engine exhaust The explosion threw Ignited oil throughout the building. All baled cotton was at a safe distance from the gin and was saved. The gin was operated by Fred and Will Sassman. “It cannot be rebuilt in time for use this season,” Fred Sassman said Thursday.]
The entire Pilot Knob Gin machinery complex perished into flames Everthing had burned to the ground. Machinery could not be saved or salvaged. Nothing else could be saved or salvaged. Every structure was destroyed afterwards because Pilot Knob Gin could not be rebuilt in time for use for the season.
The entire Pilot Knob Gin complex and machinery would be rebuilt in 1932 this time using new upgraded technology. Ginning operations would eventually continue in 1932. This gin operated day and night.
County Agent T. H. Royder, furnished 8,500 pounds of poison and the farmers furnished 8,500 pounds and a regular mixing day was had once a week for 10 weeks at the Pilot Knob Gin in 1939. Travis County farmers in the Pilot Knob community used 17,000 pounds of poison that year in combating grasshoppers. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/384786503/)
20 bales of cotton were ginned at Pilot Knob Gin in 1939. The news would be announced in the Austin American newspaper. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/384806233/)
Pilot Knob Gin ranked second in the county after ginning 1,588 bales of cotton in the year 1947. Somehow Pilot Knob Gin had ginned only 90 bales prior to 1947. This cotton was planted as late as May. W. E. Sassman was the operator of Pilot Knob Gin. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/385924912/)
However W. E. Sassman had expected to close down his gin sometime in September 1948 because of a drought in the area. That did not end happening due to an unexpected onslaught of heavy rain in 1949. So he decided to keep the Pilot Knob Gin open and running. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/385924912/)
Sometime between 1948 and 1955 is when W. E. Sassman sold the Pilot Knob Gin and Pilot Knob Gin company to C. E. Boyd. The exact date is unknown though.
C. E. Boyd was listed as the owner and operator of the Pilot Knob Gin in 1955. 1,800 pounds of snap cotton to the gin which produced a bale weighing 455 pounds and 850 pounds of seed. One half hour later, the second bale of cotton was ginned at the Drop Coop Gin, Elroy Co-op Gin, and Pilot Knob Gin. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/386171900/)
Pilot Knob Gin burned down again in 1961 from intensive cotton ginning operations. The news made it to the Austin American newspaper. “Two of Travis County's operating gins burned in August, after ginning about 450 bales. These were the Cele Gin, operated by Weiss Brothers, and Pilot Knob Gin, operated by C. E. Boyd.” (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/384911675/)
Cotton being ginned at the Pilot Knob Gin was grading middling to strict middling with a staple of 1516 to 2932 in the year 1962. “C. E. Boyd, who owns and operates the Pilot Knob Gin was busy running the press and reported ginning 24 bales to Tuesday noon. Cotton was grading middling to strict middling with a staple of 1516 to 2932.” (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/386369843/)
C. E. Boyd sold the Pilot Knob Gin and Pilot Knob Gin company to Herbert Benner sometime in 1969. Exactly when is unknown. What is known is that Herbert Benner ran the Pilot Knob Cotton Gin for many years. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/363618357/)
Pilot Knob Gin stopped ginning cotton in 1982 after Herbert Benner faced an illness. His illness is what led to the decline of Pilot Knob Gin and Pilot Knob Gin Company. So he shut down Pilot Knob Gin and Pilot Knob Gin Company.
Pilot Knob Gin was located at 7508 FM 1625, Austin, Texas, US 78747.
No comments:
Post a Comment