Old Rock Store, 1879
Junction, Kimble County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Old Rock Store, 1879, built for general merchandise of G. W. Ragsdill, who owned and operated a nearby hotel and wagon yard. Later used for many other businesses. The top floor has been hall for A.F.& A. M., I.O.O.F. and W.O.W. Lodges, and in 1912 a movie. Owner: Judge M. E. Blackburn, Sr. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, 1964
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Built in 1879 of local rock, this Junction store began as G. W. Ragsdill's general merchandise, anchoring a Hill Country town that also boasted his hotel and wagon yard. Over the years its upper floor hosted Masonic, Odd Fellows, and Woodmen lodges — and, in 1912, one of the town's first moving pictures. Its stone walls have quietly absorbed a century of small-town commerce and fellowship.
Why it matters
General stores and lodge halls like this were the commercial and social heart of frontier towns, doubling as marketplace, meeting hall, and gathering place.
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Related people
- · G. W. Ragsdill
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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