Site of C. W. Morris Cotton Gin
Edom, Van Zandt County, Texas
Marker Inscription
As was the case in so many small Texas towns in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the cotton gin in Edom was a major element in the economy. First opened at this site in 1918 by Ro Dike, who moved his ginning operation here from Davidson (3 mi. W), the gin was owned and operated by local merchant C. W. Morris beginning in 1924. For approximately 4 months in the late summer and early fall, most activities revolved around ginning. Some 700 to 800 farmers depended on the local cotton gin. In peak season the gin was known to operate 24 hours a day. The original Continental Gin Company machinery burned in 1929 and was replaced with modern diesel-powered equipment manufactured by the Murray Gin Company. During the 1930s the gin processed an average of 3 to 4 bales of cotton per hour. The gin shut down about 1946. (1999) Incise on base: Historian: John Bryant Beall
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
For decades the cotton gin was the beating heart of small-town Texas economies, and Edom's was no exception. Opened at this site in 1918 and run from 1924 by merchant C. W. Morris, the gin drew 700 to 800 farmers who depended on it during the frantic late-summer ginning season, sometimes running around the clock. After a fire destroyed the original machinery in 1929, diesel-powered equipment kept it going until it closed around 1946.
Why it matters
The rise and fall of the local cotton gin traces the arc of the cotton economy that shaped rural Texas life before mechanization and shifting markets reordered Southern agriculture.
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Related people
- · C. W. Morris
- · Ro Dike
Themes & tags
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