History of the Hollaway Gin in Hondo, Texas explored.

Hollaway Gin/Holloway Gin was one of the few cotton gins of which operated in Hondo, Texas. This news article will explain what Hollaway Gin/Holloway Gin was. Hollaway Gin/Holloway Gin was also known as J. W. Hollaway Gin/J. W. Holloway Gin.

Hollaway Gin was established by Mr. J. W. Hollaway and Mrs. J. W. Hollaway sometime in 1906. Mrs. J. W. Hollaway was the proprietress of Hollaway Gin for many years. Hollaway Gin was and has been a historic structure in Hondo since 1906. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/55900786/)

Free noon meals like were served daily at tie old Hollaway Gin, which stood north of Highway 90 across from Aunt Sophie Jungman’s two-story house. (Ref: https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth818870/?q=%22hollaway%20gin%22)

Hondo’s first bale of cotton for the 1909-1910 season was ginned on the morning of Tuesday, July 27, 1909 by the J. W. Hollaway Gin. Hondo’s first bale of cotton was grown by M. H. Gronewald and weighed 585 pounds. This bale of cotton was bought by A. E. Klein for 13¢ cents a pound. (Ref: https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth563938/?q=%22hollaway%20gin%22)

The first bale of cotton of the 1916 crop was brought in by Louis Molield on July 8, 1916 and was ginned by the Hollaway Gin weighing at 594 pounds. The bale was bought by Schmitt & Steinherdt. And with the premiums, brought Mr. Mofield a net of $116.50. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/56002117/)

Mr. J. W. Hollaway and Mrs. J. W. Hollaway began engaging in over-hauling and installing improvements to machinery the Hollaway Gin and Mill in early 1917. Mrs. J. W. Hollaway and Hondo Anvil Herald announced that Hollaway Gin and Mill would be closed down until further notice. Hollaway Gin and Mill was shut down from January 1917 to March 1917. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/55861064/)

The seed house at the Hollaway Gin was unroofed and the roof carried more than a block during a windstorm that occurred in Hondo, Texas back in August 1917. Much of the Hollaway Gin was destroyed during that windstorm. (Ref: https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth434090/?q=%22hollaway%20gin%22)

A fire originated in the gin stand of Hollaway Gin in 1921. Probably from matches dropped in cotton by cotton-pickers. The fire caused a trivial loss for Hollaway Gin. (Ref: https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth564944/?q=%22hollaway%20gin%22)

The four 70-saw gin stands were driven and powered by 100 horse-power electric motors to increase the efficiency of operation in 1928. This was done to reduce to a minimum of time required for each bale of cotton ginned. (Ref: https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth564249/m1/7/)

The first bale of cotton crop of 1937 was ginned by Hollaway Gin on the date of July 24, 1937. The first bale of cotton crop of 1937 was announced in the Hondo Anvil Herald. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/50781711/)


Holloway Gin was sold to Paul Richter in 1940. Paul Richter sold Holloway Gin to Russell Chapman that same year. By that point, Holloway Gin had been producing runs of 5,000 bales in a season. Gin stands were driven and powered by 100 horse-power electric motors. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/image/?clipping_id=3726753)

A great deal of interest was taken in the operation of the Holloway Gin due to the fact Holloway Gin was the first cotton gin to utilize electric motor driven equipment in the operation of their gin stands. (Ref: https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth564667/?q=%22holloway%20gin%22)

Mrs. R. D. Burden had been managing the Hollaway Gin for Mrs. J. W. Hollaway in 1942. Hollaway Gin had been ginning bales for free as part of their custom. The gin ginned bales free of charge. The storm of 1942 cut down on their ginning considerably at a high level. (Ref: https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth564953/m1/1/zoom/?q=Hollaway&resolution=3&lat=2233.000000000001&lon=1463.999999999999)

Athens first bale of cotton for the 1945 season was ginned at the Miller and Hollaway gin. It weighed 528 pounds and was classed middling 13-16th and brought 21¢ a pound. J. C. Whitman, whose farm is in the southwestern part of the county, near Cayuga, grew the cotton and brought it to Athens. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/586866902/)

Holloway Gin shut down in 1948 due to a loss in cotton production. As cotton production dropped off, gins in Medina County went out of business. Holloway Gin was no exception. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/56002117/)

“As cotton production dropped off, gins went out of business, until Hollaway Gin was the last one to operate here added that the D’Hanis gin was the last to run in Medina County.”

Hollaway’s gin had ginned 1,647 bales while the two gins operated by the Hondo Gin and Milling Co. had turned out over the same period 1,885 bales in 1956. (Ref: https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth811116/?q=%22hollaway%20gin%22)

Mrs. J. W. Hollaway announced in the Hondo Anvil Herald that the Hollaway Gin and mill is closed down while improvements are being installed back in 1957. Hollaway Gin would up again in 1958. This was the second time Hollaway Gin had shut down. Hollaway Gin would close for good around 1967. (Ref: https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth810864/?q=%22hollaway%20gin%22)

Holloway Gin was located between Metzger Avenue and Darling Avenue bordering West North Front Street. Holloway Gin was located at Darling Avenue and West North Front Street, Hondo, Texas, US.