Paradise History Continued

INFO FROM ANOTHER SOURCE

As far back as the late eighteen hundreds, church members led services in various homes and buildings in "Old Town" Approximately one and on-half miles south-west of the present location of Paradise, Texas. Later the building of the Rock Island Railroad in 1893 served as the local force for moving the towns location nearer the railroad.

The town, first named Elderado, then Paradise Prairie and finally Paradise, was the location of the building for the First Christian Church, the first and only of it's denomination in Paradise to this day.

In the turn of the nineteenth century, three local men became the original trustees an were initially responsible for securing and purchasing the land and constructing the building for the church. M.D. Cansler, owner of a grocery and a dry good store, borrowed money from individuals using the sixty-five acres of land as security. S.L. Atkins was the owner of a three story boarding house called "City Hotel" which he sold to Jasper Lynch, to accept the position of superintendent of Paradise schools. The boarding house later burned in 1904 and was rebuilt by Tom Brackett. The third trustee was Fred Harms, land owner and cotton farmer.

The original church structure still stands unaltered on a corner lot on the main street of Paradise. The land consists of four original lots, including a fifth lot purchased later. The original four lots were purchased for the sum of fifty-five dollars. Deeds recorded in the County clerks Office, Wise County Court House, Decatur, Texas, July 8th, 1908.

The building, constructed by Will Plymell, is of Gothic architectural design. The floor plan resembles a cross with the pulpit area shaped like an apses. The white wooden frame is enhanced by fourteen stained glass windows of Gothic arch design. The steeple still houses the original church bell, the only one in the town today. Three sycamore trees, planted eighty years ago by S.L. Atkins, today stand approximately seventy-five feet high in the church-yard casting shadows across the entrance.

Repairs, landscaping and a new coat of paint has once again revitalized the appearance of the building along with donations from church members and interested parties outside and within the community. The Leone Foundation found by Mary Louise Potts Leone, granddaughter of S.L. Atkins. Provides substantial yearly donation. A baseball diamond and community park on Highway 114 is named after Mary.

The members of the First Christian church continue to possess the same determination to maintain a place of worship, not only for themselves, but for generations to come, as did the founding fathers nearly a century ago.

As a service to the people of nearby Cottondale I have included the following information. The small town of Aurora also stands close and supposedly has an alien buried there from a rocket ship that crashed there back in the 1800s.

A Brief History of Cottondale, Texas.

The town was established prior to 1875. The Post Office was established September 17, 1875. The following men served as postmaster at Cottondale in order.

1. A.J. Gibson Sep 1875

2. John T. Bridge Dec 13, 1875

3. Henry M. Embory Jan 16, 1877

4. Joseph Ferguson June 18, 1877

5. Benjamin B. Banks Mar 25, 1878

6. Charles Wilson Jan 20, 1886

7. Fred Swift Aug 1,1888

8. James A. Barnett Jan 19,1889

9. John R. Baker Sep 12, 1889

10. Willis S. Green Jun 28, 1892

11. Riley P. Cochran Sep 24 1897

12. Thomas L. Taylor Jun 3, 1902

13. Horace M. Kelley Feb 17, 1906

14. Robert H. Bridges Apr 20,1907

The Post Office was discontinued February 29, 1912. The mail was then delivered out of Paradise, Texas. The rural route established out of Cottondale on September 1, 1904.

The first rural carrier out of Cottondale was William E. Munn. Second rural carrier was James K. Patterson. The rural route was discontinued February 28, 1907. The mail being delivered by rural route out of Paradise.

At one time there were three general stores, a drug store, courthouse, barber shop, blacksmith shop, cotton gin, grist mill, school, Masonic lodge, Woodmen of the World Lodge and two churches- Baptist and Church of Christ. Today they have a grocery store, filling station and firehall.

The best kept cemetery anywhere to be found is here. The year 1985, it will be 100 years old. The following doctors have practiced medicine here in Cottondale. Dr. Morton, Lasiter, Petty and Roberson.

The preceding was retyped from a document given to me by Lillian Farmer. August 1998. (Mike Anderson)