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LEWIS LIVES
FARMERS BRANCH HISTORY
BY GLENNA GRIMMER
(COMMENTARY)
(Metrocrest
Newspaper May 25, 2000)
To people who have not lived in
Farmers Branch very long, the name Lawson Lewis may not mean anything . But to
those who are old timers he is one of the elder statesmen of our city. He no
longer lives here, but because he was so important in the early years of Farmers
Branch, we will always claim him as our own.
Lawson moved to Farmers Branch from
Mesquite with his family on July 2, 1928, Mesquite at that time could not have
been considered a big city, but Farmers Branch was even smaller with a
population of about 300. He remembers that the intersection of Valley View &
Denton Dr. was the center of town & Gus Good owned a grocery story which he
later sold to Mark Good. There were also two cotton gins & a blacksmith shop
here at that time.
I asked about his memories of the property
where the Farmers Branch Historical Park is located & he said that the only
things on that 22 plus acres were the 1856 “Old Rock House” & a windmill which,
according to Lawson, pumped up the best tasting water in the world. During
Lawson’s growing up years, his scout troop met in the Old Rock House ( now know
as the Gilbert House). Restored, the Gilbert House is now the focal point of
the Historical Park. As we walked the park property, Lawson reminisced about
swimming in the creek & the other pleasures of growing up in Farmers Branch.
He went to Farmers Branch Elementary School
( the only school in town) & then he & other students rode the bus to
Carrollton High School. Lawson & his brother, Milton, later rode the bus to
Dallas so they could get special vocational training at Crozier Technical High
School. It was there that the Lewis boys took wood shop & this training helped
Lawson become a master wood craftsman. This skill enabled Lawson to establish
Lawson Lewis Cabinet Shop some years later.
Among Lawson’s high school memories are
those of his success in the sports of basketball, track & high jumping. He
especially remembers a 1933 train trip to the World’s Fair in Chicago where he &
his teammates excelled in their chosen sports. Lawson set a high jump record
which stood for 13 years. This was Lawson’s first trip away from home & he
remembers being homesick & eager to get back to Farmers Branch even after the
thrill of competing & seeing the sights of the big city.
In 1934 Lawson opened his first cabinet
shop on Greenville Avenue. In 1945 he sold it & opened another one in Farmers
Branch on Valley View Lane. This was a very successful business for many years.
But why is Lawson Lewis important to the
city of Farmers Branch? In the 1940’s people began to be concerned about the
town, & some thought it was time to incorporate the city so it could begin to
grow. Lawson admits that he has not ever considered himself to be a politician,
but when William Dodson & others in town began to hold community meetings he
went along to find out what was going on. Meetings were held in various
locations; the home of Bill & Maude Dodson, The Masonic Lodge & sometimes at
Lawson Lewis’s Cabinet Shop.
By incorporating the city, the founding
fathers were able to obtain utilities that had not been here before. These
included contracts with Lone Star Gas, Southwestern Bell & T. U. Electric. An
election was held on April 25, 1946, & the citizens voted to incorporate. At
that time, Bill Dodson was elected mayor & five men were elected to the board of
aldermen: Lawson Lewis, Glen Templen, Thomas Reeder, Oran Good & A. Raymond
Millaway
Almost the first action of the board of
aldermen was to buy the water works, which consisted of a wooden water tower & a
network of ¾ “ to 1 ¼” pipe from a man named Uncle Billy Good. Larger pipes were
installed in short order so that the townspeople could have greater water
pressure.
p. 2
Many changes were brought about by
these six men, who worked diligently to improve their town. In the early years
there was only a volunteer fire department consisting of 20 men who gathered at
a central location when the fire bell rang. In 1947 plans were made to raise
funds to buy the city’s first fire truck. Bazaars, bake sales, etc. were held
to raise the funds. A car dealer in Carrollton donated a car that was auctioned
off. Lawson admits that he bought a 100 chances on the car; but the only thing
he won was
a permanent wave, which he promptly gave to his wife. The
first fire equipment was a truck with a tank, motor pump & hose in the back.
There was no police department,
but Omar Smith was elected town marshal at the 1946 election. He & the sheriff
kept peace in the city. In 1946-47 a building which served as city hall, &
police & fire station was built on Valley View Lane. By this time Farmers
Branch was on its way in 1954 when a sewer system was installed that the city
began to grow & expand.
Bill Dodson was the first mayor, Oran Good
was the second, & in 1950 Lawson Lewis was elected the third mayor of Farmers
Branch. Lewis held the position for 10 years, which makes him one of the
longest-serving mayors in the city’s history. For a man who has never been
political, Lawson Lewis has served our city well. He & other men who served in
those early years deserve to be remembered for getting Farmers Branch off to a
good start to make this a “great place to live.”
Today Lawson Lewis enjoys life in
Lewisville, but comes back to visit every once in a while. At 85 he is active,
alert & working part-time in the cabinet/window business, which he moved to
Flower Mound then sold. His memories of life in Farmers Branch are a important
part of our city’s history. |
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