A Sad Day in Sutherland Springs

On 6 August 2025, I posted a blog entitled "The Enterprising Folks of Wilson County." That blog told the story about how an enterprising group of Black people from Wilson County had petitioned the State Legislature to establish a Branch of the Texas University for Colored People in Wilson County in 1893. A few years later in 1899, a group of politicians and businessmen from Wilson County had again petitioned the State Legislature to set apart funds to build a Colored High School in Sutherland Springs. I could not find any evidence that the State Legislature granted either request. However, in the spring of 1899 a two-story Black school was erected in Sutherland Springs. The construction of the school, under the leadership of Jesse S. Wilson, was documented in two articles in the San Antonio Daily Express, 19 March 1899 and 16 April 1899, where it is referred to as "the handsomest building in Sutherland Springs."  Jesse Lane Tiner also details the construction of the school in his Journal of 1889-1900, congratulating the enterprising folks of Wilson County.

Sadly, Tiner records on 30 March 1900, that "the Negro College of S. S. was consumed by fire last night. Set on fire by some one for pure meanness. It cost about 8 or 9 hundred Dollars all finished." On 23 April 1900, Tiner reports, "I heard today the Jesse Wilson. was arrested and jailed for burning the Negro College at Sutherland Springs, for the insurance, $800." 

Tiner had been acquainted with Jesse Wilson for a long time. The Wilson family lived in LaVernia in 1870, near where the Tiners lived. Jesse and his father Jack Wilson are mentioned in Tiner's 1886  and 1889-1900 Journal. They worked for him, earning his trust and respect. Jesse bought property from Tiner, and arranged for a group of freedom colony inhabitants from Seguin to move to Sutherland Springs and purchase property from Tiner.

On 12 June 1900, Tiner reported that "Jesse Wilson had been indicted for making false report to County Judge of children taken under the Scholastic census and having the same transferred to Sutherland Springs School of which he expects to be Principal." These were probably the children that were moving from the Zion Hill Freedom Colony in Seguin. On 18 June 1900, Tiner updated his information stating that "Jess Wilson forgery case thrown out of court and bound over in the house burning case. He is charged with burning his school house in S. Springs last Feby. His bond is $1000.00 which I am told will be given tomorrow in Floresville before Judge Kennon."

I found these reports in the District Court's archives in Floresville.

False report indictment against Jesse S. Wilson is dropped.

 

Arson indictment against Jesse S. Wilson is continued.

On June 23 1900, Tiner, obviously worried about the case against Jesse Wilson, writes:

"J. S. Wilson colored have bond $500 in the case accused of Arson and was released from jail last Tuesday 19 June. One year ago he was sailing bright and one year later he had lost everything and landed in jail charged with Arson. If He (J.S.W.) had of conducted himself right and not been so eager to make money he could of made his name in the world among his race of People. Now property - reputation and all is gone."

According to the 1900 Census, taken on 11 June 1900, J. S. Wilson, a Black school teacher from Mississippi, was boarding in Floresville in the home of Luis Travieso. 

I searched the District Court Records in Floresville and found documents related to the arrest of Jesse S. Wilson. The case no. is 1090.

This entry shows that the case was dismissed by the District Attorney for reason filed on December 11, 1900, eight months after his arrest. The District Court officers could not find any other records relating to the case.

But what is the rest of the story? 

By 1903 the enrollment for the Colored School in Sutherland Springs was 110, actually a larger enrollment than the White school. The high attendance continued for another decade and then began to decline. The photo at the beginning of the blog was made around 1946. Schools were being consolidated. After consolidation, all Black students went to the Dunbar Colored School in Floresville. I cannot find any records about the rebuilding of the Black school in Sutherland Springs. Although it must have been a large structure to accommodate 110 students. The building that Mrs. McIntyre and her students are standing in front of in the photo above seems to be a lovely building. So far, I cannot find anyone who can tell me any more about the Black School in Sutherland Springs.

A daughter, Lillian, was born to Jesse S. and Coral L. Wilson in Del Rio in 1902. Deed records in Wilson County confirm that by at least by 1903, C. L. (Coral Lott) Wilson is married to Jesse S. Wilson. They had sold off all their land in Sutherland Springs by 1906. According to the 1910 Census, Jesse Wilson and his wife Coral, their daughter Lillian, and his mother, Susan, were living on Indiana Street in San Antonio. Jesse and Coral are both listed as public school teachers. In 1920, they were living on Paso Hondo Street in San Antonio and still listed as public school teachers. In 1930, they have the same residence and the same occupation. Jesse died on 13 August 1935 and is buried in Eastview Cemetery in San Antonio. In 1940, Coral and her daughter Lillian are living in San Antonio. Coral is a public school teacher and Lillian is a stenographer for an insurance company. Coral served as a teacher and principal of the Sojourner Truth School in the Kenwood Community in San Antonio for forty years, from 1911-1951. Sometime between 1940 and 1950, she married Dan W. Jackson. After a long career in education, she died on 26 July 1951 and is buried in the Eastview Cemetery. I could find no record that Coral and Jesse's daughter, Lillian Lottie Wilson ever married. I wonder if there are archives from the Sojourner's School in Kenwood that would tell us any more about Jesse and Cora.

 

Mr. Tiner's "Bees"ness

 

I have known for a while that Jesse Lane Tiner kept bees. The Sutherland Springs Historical Museum has a copy of his 1918 Journal, transcribed by his grandson, Wayne Douglas Tiner. The Tiner family had sold their place in Sutherland Springs in 1903 and moved to Uvalde. Jesse Lane Tiner had an Apiary on the Frio River, in the southeast corner of Uvalde County where the Frio and the Sabinal Rivers joined. Wayne Douglas Tiner had visited the house by the Apiary on the Frio with his Uncle Alanson, when he was about 12 years old. 

In his journal from 1918, Jesse Lane describes his beekeeping in great detail, listing many of the flowers that the bees were feeding on: catclaw, white brush, mesquite, and Brazil bush. On April 19, he boasts that he has 35 "gums" and projects that he will have 150 pounds of honey from just one "gum."  On June 4, he began extracting honey. He says "have to be very careful and not let the bees get a taste of honey. it is an uphill business for one man to take honey alone but a fellow does not know what he can do untill he tries and has to do." Jesse Lane Tiner was 71 years old in 1918.

However, I just found out that his beekeeping had begun even earlier in his life. He records in his 1898-1900 Journal, on April 9, 1900, that "we hived 2 nice sized swarms of Bees today."

Beekeeping was a thing in Floresville. The Southland Queen, Volume 6, October 1900, records that the Sixth Annual Meeting of the South Texas Bee Keepers' Convention has held in Floresville, Texas, on August 10 and 11 at the opera-house. The article mentions these people in attendance at the meeting: C. C. Halcomb, J. B. Wall, J. N. Cox, Joseph Roberson, Ed Dietz, T. S. Tipton, Alma Halcomb, Callie Ferall, Miss Katie Rosse, G. W. Hufstedler, Mrs. G. W. Hufstedler , Miss May Hufstedler, Rev. J. H. Manlove, Mrs. J. H. Manlove, C. J. Mon, N. A. Webb, M. C. West, C. D. March, J. M. Allen, W. O. Murry, Alex Ormand, Walter Houston, Albert Stadt, Miss Mary Chaney, J. M. Bell, L. L. Beard, Udo Toepperwein, E. T. Jones,  Stachellhausen, Herman Jahm, A. H. Knolle, W. H. Laws,J. B. Salyer, W. E. Crandall, Mrs. E. D. Farris, Mrs. C. W. Tipton, Zachrie Ferris, J. T. Bell, Judge Lawhorn, M. M. Faust, J. M. Faust, Miss Carrie Faust, Miss Lauretta Faust. The article mentions that there may have been others in attendance.

Miss Katie Rosser was my husband's grandmother. She was the daughter of B. F.  and Texana Rosser. Do you have relatives among those who attended the Sixth Annual Bee Keeper's Convention in Floresville in 1900? 

 

 

Piano Teachers and Learners in Sutherland Springs

Swoger & Sons Upright Pianos, Pittsburgh

 

On April 1, 1899, J. L Tiner made a deal with D. Griffin Gunn to swap his old piano for Mr. Gunn's new piano in their land deal. The new piano was worth $420.00. It was purchased from Swoger & Sons of Pittsburgh. On August 24, 1899, he received the piano at the depot in Sutherland Springs on the San Antonio Gulf Railroad. Mr. Gunn paid the freight cost of $12.40.

On December 2, Tiner's daughter, Mary Adele, played two pieces on the piano at the Melody Club's "entertainment" at the Messinger Hotel in Sutherland Springs. The admission was 10¢ and the money raised was to benefit the Christmas tree that was to be presented at the School house on Christmas night for the children of the Sabbath School at Sutherland Springs. Mr. Tiner said she played well for her age and that she played by ear and did not know the notes.

On November 4, 1899 Elnora bought music from Thomas Groggan, the "oldest music house in Texas" for $2.50.

On December 1, 1899, Miss Julia Pleasner, a music teacher from San Antonio, gave notice that she would not be teaching any more. She had been teaching for two months. I suppose this means that she had been teaching in Sutherland Springs for two months.

On December 19, 1899, Elnora herself began giving piano lessons to Miss S. E. Clifton at 75¢ a lesson.

On February 8, 1900, Mr. Tiner and his daughter, Elnora, went to San Antonio for a music lesson. They got into town at 3 o'clock, stopping at Mrs. Green's boarding house. Mr. Tiner gave the address as 213 N. Arden Grove at 9th Street. At 10 o'clock the next morning, Elnora took a lesson from Miss Julia Pleasner, whom Mr. Tiner described as a Norwegian lady. Actually she was from the nobility of Norway and related to the famous Norwegian pianist and composer, Edvard Grieg. Miss Pleasner goes on to marry former State Senator from Bexar County, Theodore Harris, in June of 1903. 

Austin Statesman, June 21, 1903

 

They moved to the East Coast. The couple had a home in Providence, Rhode Island, a cotton plantation in Santo Domingo, and a summer home in Putnam Heights, Connecticut. Elnora's lesson cost $1. Here's a photo of Miss Julia Pleasner Harris from her passport to Santo Domingo in 1917.

Julia Harris passport and photo November 1917

 

Isn't it amazing to think of Norweigan nobility giving piano lessons in Sutherland Springs in 1898? I wonder if any family members know what happened to the Swogers & Sons upright piano.

Update: It looks like those piano lessons for Elnora paid off. I found this newspaper article:

 

Vinton's Lost and Found Suit and the Lost and Found Store

 Kott & Sanders Building, La Vernia, Texas. c. 1900.  Donated by William Wiseman to the Archives of the La Vernia Historical Association; P-2025-73.

 

In his 1898-1900 journal, Jesse Lane Tiner makes many references to traveling to LaVernia from Sutherland Springs to make purchases. He buys food, clothing, agricultural supplies, hardware, and lots of other things. Sometime at the end of January, Mr. Tiner went to LaVernia to buy a suit of clothes for his son Vinton at the Sanders & Canfield Store. He purchased the suit for $6.50 and left it at the store. On February 3, he sent Vinton to the store in LaVernia to collect his suit clothes. When Vinton got there he found out that another man had taken the clothes by mistake. The man promised to return them that evening. On Tuesday, February 6, there was still no news about Vinton's suit. Finally, on Saturday, February 10, Vinton returned to Sanders & Canfield and found that the customer who had taken the suit by mistake had returned it. Mr. Tiner says: "I am glad of it they are nice clothes cost $6.50 on Cr."

The store was built by Andrew Newell Sanders in 1898. It is a brick building at the corner of Chihuahua Street and FM 775. The building is still there. It now houses the Johanson Office and Hardware Store. 

Yesterday I got the opportunity to visit the store. The outside of the store was quite different, although the windows are recognizable. A triangular section had been added to the end of the building along the way.

 

 But when I stepped into the building, I stepped into 1899.

The floors were the same floors that Mr. Tiner walked on.

 The ceilings were also original.

In places you could see the bricks the building was constructed with. The walls are three bricks wide.

The interior arched doors were probably original to the building. I think they are so lovely. They reflect the original exterior doors.

This accounting on the wall in the bathroom by the toilet was quite interesting. It resembles the accounting that Mr. Tiner did in his journal.

  

 

 I loved the sliding ladders attached to the shelves, original to the building. 

 This brick walkway behind the store is mentioned in one of the early deeds.

Thank you, Mr. Johanson, for letting me literally step back into time into Mr. Tiner's Sanders & Canfield Store.

 

 

 

A Cape for Frances for Christmas

 According to his 1898-1900 Journal, on Dec 5, 1899, Mr. J. L. Tiner sent a $3.95 money order to Sears and Roebuck "for cape for our daughter Frances [I] want [to] try and get it in for Christmas holidays." I hope Frances got it in time for the "Christmas Frolics." Susan Frances Tiner would have been 14 years old that year. Model 17T406 cost $3.95. Perhaps this was the cape he ordered.

 

 

On December 27th, Mr. Tiner recorded that his children Nora, Frances, Lane, and Vinton attended a sociable at Mr. A. F. Gillespie's house. Maybe Frances wore her cape. He also recorded that no serious accident from the Christmas frolics had occurred yet, although it was not all over yet.

According to the Journal, Christmas festivities included a Christmas dinner on Christmas Day and a Christmas Tree at the School House for the children of the Union Sabbath School on Christmas night. The Christmas tree was a little live oak tree, cut from the Tiner's pasture.

 On January 1, 1900, he reported that the the young people of Sutherland Springs were making preparations for a dance & big supper that night at his home "as a finish up of Christmas frolic."