History of Coupland Gin Company explored.

This news article will expose some information and history on the Coupland Gin Company in Coupland, Texas. Coupland Gin Company was a cotton gin which provided cotton for the town of Coupland, Texas. This cotton gin is/was one of the well known cotton gins of Williamson County.


C. W. Pfluger and Ed C. Griffith purchased land for a cotton gin and feed mill which would become called Coupland Gin Company (Coupland Gin Co) was of Coupland around 1924. This cotton gin was located on FM 1466. C. W. Pfluger and Ed C. Griffith established a cotton gin called Coupland Gin Company (Coupland Gin Co) in 1925. The exact date is unknown though. Coupland Gin Company grew, provided, and supplied cotton for Coupland. (Ref: Williamson County Deeds, Volume 219, Page 593)

Here both Coupland Gin Company (Coupland Gin Co) and Copeland Feed & Milling Co. would share and use the same property. This is because C. W. Pfluger and Ed C. Griffith owned both businesses. Both entities used a variation of the town's name. This cotton gin was also known as C. W. Pfluger and Brothers Gin of Coupland, Texas. (Ref: Williamson County Deeds, Volume 593, Page 276)

The Austin American newspaper listed Coupland Gin Company as “one of the 10 cooperating gins of the county” in 1933. So Coupland Gin Company was 1 of 10 cooperating gins of Williamson County at that time. (Ref: Austin American, Varieties of Cotton At Coupland Are Tabulated, 1933)

“Tabulations have been made this week on the varieties of cotton grown in the Coupland community and ginned in the Coupland gin, one of the 10 cooperating gins of the county, and a request has been sent out this week for a report on the number of bales per acre from each farmer to complete the report on this gin In determining the best cotton to grow in this community.”

Some of the buildings for Coupland Gin Company were reconstructed in 1935 after a fire. Coupland Gin Company would open again in 1935. C. W. Pfluger would operate Coupland Gin Company after reconstruction was completed.

Coupland Gin Company not only provided food just for their local community but for the needy overseas as well. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/51416890/)

Coupland Gin Company had ginned 2,257 bales of cotton in 1953. On Friday, September 25. 1954 there were 1,150 bales of cotton ginned. A thousand less than the previous year. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/55863783/)


Coupland Gin Company was established on 4.65 acres of land with buildings which were constructed and built/rebuilt in 1965. Bernard W. Clayton, C. W. Pfluger, and Ed C. Griffith decided to have some of the building be rebuilt again with some modifications. (Ref: https://clustrmaps.com/a/18cai0/)

Bernard W. Clayton purchased 5 acres from C. W. Pfluger, Ed C. Griffith, and Anita Marosko for $52,500 dollars on a warranty deed in 1969. Bernard W. Clayton would operate Coupland Gin Company on this property. (Ref: Williamson County Deeds, Volume 593, Page 275)

According to fire department records, a grass fire is what led to the decline and closure of Coupland Gin Company in 1978. This grass fire perished some of the ginning equipment and machinery which belonged to Coupland Gin Company. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/81730848/)

“The other fire was reported about 12 noon as being one mile south of Coupland on 95 on Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad right-of-way and Coupland Gin land. The two separate grass fires were reported by the MKT dispatcher in Taylor, according to the fire report.”

The cotton gin became abandoned when Coupland Gin Company (Coupland Gin Co) dissolved in 1978 and right after the grass fire. (Ref: https://opencorporates.com/companies/us_tx/0034259900)

Bernard W. Clayton sold the 5 acres of Steve Clayton by a transfer deed and warranty deed in 1979. The property where Coupland Gin Company once operated was then abandoned. The machinery and mining equipment had not been in use for at least 2 years. Sure enough the property became overgrown with grass and weeds.

Coupland Gin Company is now abandoned and heavily overgrown. Steve Clayton is the current owner of this property and mill. (Ref: https://search.wcad.org/Property-Detail/PropertyQuickRefID/R008632/PartyQuickRefID/O008632)

Coupland Gin Company is located at 400 FM 1466, Coupland, Texas, US 78615.