1900
The City of Mt. Pleasant was incorporated. Its entire land mass was 1-1/2 x 1-1/2 miles in size, measured ¾ mile in each direction from the Titus County Court House.
There was no City Hall.
If your house or business caught fire, there was no fire department to put it out.
City law enforcement was provided by a City Marshal and Deputy Marshal. There was no city jail to hold the bad guys; they were housed by the County.
All of the city streets were dirt.
There were no street lights.
There was no running water, so water had to be drawn from wells.
There was no sewer system, so privies and outhouses were located in town.
There was no trash collection.
There were no motor vehicles. People traveled by horse, buggy, wagon, or ox cart.
Horses, cattle, sheep, and goats ran loose in town.
There was a small pox epidemic. If you got sick, there was no hospital.
Electricity was a luxury. Most houses were lit by candles or kerosene lanterns.
There was no telephone - you had to actually talk to people face to face!
Most homes were heated by wood burning fireplaces during the winter.
Meals were cooked on wood burning stoves.
Food was kept cold in real ice boxes that used large blocks of ice rather than refrigeration.
The Mt. Pleasant Daily Times was the local newspaper.
Liquor was legal and there were saloons down town. Liquor was also sold in grocery stores.
Most employment was provided by agriculture and farming.
According to R.L. Jurney, the Morris Department Store on the southwest corner of Third and Jefferson Streets burned in 1900, followed in the same year by Mount Pleasant's worst fire which destroyed eleven businesses on the east side of Jefferson Street between Second and Third Streets.
November 26 -- The City Marshal was instructed to rent a calaboose and repair same on November 1, 1900. Reckon the prisoners refused to just stay inside a line drawn in the dirt? (They were actually kept at the County jail.)
December 11 - The Mt. Pleasant City Council made it unlawful for horse traders to bring horses or mules into the public square or business streets of the city and keep the horses or mules on the streets for purposes of trading. They also made it unlawful for any person to shoot or explode any fire crackers, sky rockets, Roman candles, dynamite, torpedoes, or other fire works on, along, or across any public street, alley, sidewalk, or public square with the incorporated limits of the City of Mt. Pleasant.
1901
January 15 -- "Traffic control" was instituted - The Mt. Pleasant City Council made it illegal to ride or drive any horse or horses, mule or mules, rapidly along or upon any street or alley in the City of Mt. Pleasant. It also became illegal to let your horses, cattle, sheep, or goats run loose in town or to play ball or to ride bicycles on any City streets.
January 21 -- Ad valorem and occupational taxes were implemented on January 12, 1901 to support the cost of building a town.
January 23 -- The City contracted with the Mt. Pleasant Electric Light and Power Company to install two electric arc lights on the streets and one incandescent light of 32 candle power at each church in the City.
March 7 -- The City hired a Scavenger to collect trash, removed animal carcasses from streets and roads, and clean public and private privies.
1902
The City of Mt. Pleasant issued bonds to obtain funds to build a waterworks system.
There was still no fire department, but the City defined fire limits in the downtown area where wooden buildings could not be constructed to prevent fires.
Morris Greenspun and associates received the first city franchise to install a telephone company.
Liquor sales in Mt. Pleasant were ended in October, 1902 as prohibition began.
Some time between 1902 and 1906, Dr. W. H. Blythe established the Blythe Sanitarium, Mt. Pleasant's first hospital. It was located on the southwest corner of West First Street and South Madison Street.
1903
The City purchased 30 acres of land from A.P. Smart to build its first water reservoir.
The City began installing water mains and fire hydrants.
1904
1905
1906
Dr. W. H. Blythe bought a Columbia Motor Buggy, the first automobile to be owned by a Mt. Pleasant resident.
1907
July 1 - Red Mineral Springs Development Company, headed by Dr. T. M. Fleming, purchased the Dellwood Park property on July 1, 1907. Construction on Dellwood Hotel began on _____ (See detailed article under the DELLWOOD PARK menu topic)
The Mt. Pleasant Fire Department obtained a horse-drawn wagon to haul its fire hose.
1908
The luxurious 70-room Dellwood Hotel opened in Dellwood Park. It had its own water and sewer systems and its own electrical power system.
1909
July 2 -- Henry Clay Thurston, the tallest soldier to fight for the Confederacy during the Civil War, died on Friday, July 2, 1909 at his home near Mt. Vernon. A hand-made slate casket measuring eight feet in length had to be made for him at Texarkana and was thought at the time to be the longest ever manufactured in the United States. He was buried in Edwards Cemetery in Mt. Pleasant. (See detailed article under the WAR TIME menu topic)
July 29-30 -- The Union of Confederate Veterans held their state convention in Mount Pleasant's Dellwood Park on July 29 and 30, 1909. Between 5,000 and 6,000 veterans came to Mt. Pleasant to attend the convention. (See detailed article under the WAR TIME menu topic)
The motor on the trolley that once ran down what is now East First Street to Dellwood Park quit working because up to 60 Confederate veterans at a time were taken to Dellwood Park, while the trolley was only engineered to haul 20 passengers at a time. The motor never worked again.
1910
1911
1912
November 2 -- The Dudley W. Jones Camp #121, United Confederate Veterans, unveiled the statue of a Confederate solider facing north on the southeast corner of the Court House Square on November 2, 1912. (See detailed article under the WAR TIME menu topic)
1913
The Winfield National Bank was established in Winfield, Texas.
1914
December 30 -- O. L. Crigler began on December 30 to apply asphalt paving on the first Mt. Pleasant streets to be paved. The streets paved were four blocks around the Courthouse, one block east of Jefferson Street on East Second Street; one block East of Jefferson Street on East Third Street, two blocks West of Jefferson on West Third Street, and a connecting block between West Second and West Third Streets.
1915
1916
1917
Titus County erected the two story brick jail that once stood on the southeast corner of West Second Street and North Van Buren.
1918
The City of Mount Pleasant erected its first City Hall and Municipal Building on the northeast corner of West Third and Madison Streets.
1919
1920
1921
1922
1923
October 28 -- First services held in the present First Presbyterian Church building at the corner of North Madison and West Fourth Streets on October 28, 1923.
December 6 - Judge D.M. Cook completed work on constructing a golf course in Dellwood Park. Membership in the golf club was limited to fifty.
December 18 - The Mt. Pleasant School Board purchased twenty-seven acres of the vacant Beckton property in the heart of the city for $250 per acre upon which to build a new high school on December 18, 1923. The property was larger than they needed, but was situated where they could sell of any excess.
1924
January 4 -- A. R. Morriss of Atlanta leased an iron building from George Lilienstern that was located on North First Street near the Cotton Belt tracks to use for a bottling plant in January, 1924. This became the Dr Pepper Bottling Company of Mt. Pleasant in 1928.
January 15 -- C.C. Cleland leased the building formerly occupied by the Wallace Drug Store, and operated by Swint Bros. for the past year to open a large jewelry store and optical business. Mr. Cleland will move from his present location at Stephens' drug store.
January 15 -- J. Schultze moved his optical goods and fixtures from the Swint Drug Store to the office of J.N. Thompson upstairs in the Fleming building.
February 1 -- The Winfield National Bank was reorganized on February 1, 1924.
February 1 - Dr. R. J. Cook moved his practice from Winfield to the LaFayette community of Upshur County on February 1, 1924.
April 15 - As of April 11, 1924 the Titus County Tax Collector's office had registered 1,069 cars at an average of over $10 per car. A total of 1,316 vehicles were registered in 1923.
December 8 - G. W. Cross purchased the Hustler from P.R. Masters and changed its name to the Mt. Pleasant Daily Times on December 8, 1924.
1925
March 2 -- The Butter Nut Baking Company, which recently purchased the Ellington Bakery, located on Depot Street in the Geo. Lilienstern building, took charge of the business and began work in changing the equipment. Butter Nut's headquarters is in Paris, and Tony Wortham will be in charge of the Mt. Pleasant branch.
July 1 - The Mt. Pleasant Post Office moved into its new building at 213 North Madison on July 1, 1925. The building is currently the Mt. Pleasant Public Library.
July 20 - The Palace Theatre, Mt. Pleasant's second movie theater, opened at the southwest corner of North Madison and West Third Streets on July 20, 1925. The theater, owned by J. T. Ramage, was filled to its 300 capacity for the first showing of "Charley's Aunt."
July 27 - Hundreds of fish were killed in the Mt. Pleasant City Lake after copper sulphate, commonly known as bluestone, was misapplied to kill moss and organic matter. Mr. Adams, the Cotton Belt chemist, prescribed using 200 pounds of the chemical around the edges of the lily fields, but instead 450 pounds were used, most of it at the upper end of the lake. Dr. T R. Bassett, City Health Officer, condemned the water supply and advised residents to use another water supply or to boil the water thoroughly before using. The fish kill also caused a public outcry for the city to dig a deep well to provide a safe water supply.
August 7 - Clem Gray, former prohibition agent and Titus county deputy sheriff, was executed at 12:05 A. M. on August 7, 1925, in the electric chair in Huntsville, Texas for the 1923 Titus County murder of Otis Ballard, a Titus County youth. The Gray execution was a sensational story and Gray was dragged bleeding profusely into the electric chair after trying to commit suicide twice by slitting his throat with a razor blade.
August 10 -- Work was begun Monday morning remodeling the front of Scott's store on the First National block on Main street. The building is owned by W. Z. Hayes of Dallas.
October 22 - The Maple Springs Baptist Church began construction on a new 36 x 50 foot building on October 22, 1925.
October 23 - The Mt. Pleasant Chamber of Commerce applied with the State Board of Education for a new junior college to be located here.
October 28 - The City of Mt. Pleasant installed two stop signals at the intersection of Jefferson and North Second Streets on October 28, 1925. The new stop signals required all cars on North Second to stop before crossing Jefferson.
October 28 - A new state highway between Mt. Pleasant and Pittsburg was planned that would be more level than the previous one and would be about 1-1/5 mile shorter. The new highway would be located east of the railroad and would include a 1,500 foot long bridge across Cypress Creek.
November 2 - Classes were suspended indefinitely for Mt. Pleasant High School and West Side grades on November 2, 1925 at the recommendation of a Texarkana architect after a crack in the building that was discovered during the summer continued to widen after fall rains. The crack at first appeared to be a small crack in the plaster, but widened to over 1-1/2" wide within a few months.
November 9 - High School classes resumed in the First Baptist Church basement and lower grades resumed in the basement of the Methodist Church on November 9, 1925.
December 1 - The State of Texas permitted county tax collectors to begin registering cars on December 1, 1925 instead of having to wait until January 1, 1926. Drivers were required to have their vehicle's headlights tested and adjusted at a county test station and present a certificate stating that the headlights had been tested within 30 days preceding registration when they register their vehicle.
December 5 - Mr. Baker of Avery purchased the printing plant of the Pittsburg Vidette, which suspended publication, and moved the plant to Winfield to begin publishing a weekly newspaper. Mr. Baker said that the people of Winfield gave him a guarantee of 300 subscribers and a good sum of weekly advertising.
December 17 - Mt. Pleasant City Marshal Ben Chapman was shot through the neck by Titus County Precinct 1 Constable W. N. Gann at the foot of the stairs in the Geo. Lilienstern building on the night of December 17, 1925. The two men had been arguing and Gann struck Chapman with his pistol, which discharged. Gann surrendered to Justice of the Peace Wilkinson immediately after the shooting, was taken to the court house, and made bond.
1926
January 6 - The East Texas Public Service Company announced on January 6, 1926 that it will let the contract in January for a mammoth thirty ton per day Mt. Pleasant ice plant to supplement the present twelve ton one, which is entirely too small to supply the demand for ice in this section of the country. A 90x100 feet brick building will be erected to house the new plant.
January 27 - The East Texas Public Service Company purchased the Borne Light & Ice Company of Pittsburg for about $230,000 on January 7, 1926, completing its circuit of East Texas towns. Borne stockholders received twenty-five dollars for each dollar invested, and the sale of the stock made two or three men independently rich.
February 11 - The Winfield High School was totally destroyed by fire about 5 P.M. Thursday, February 11, 1926. The blaze is thought to have started from ashes from one of the stoves, which had been giving some trouble on other occasions. Only a small part of the contents of the building were saved.
February 17 - Winfield High School resumed classes in the vacant A. Chapman store building on February 17, 1926 until a new building can be constructed.
March 13 - Northeast Texas dentists met at the Jefferson Hotel for a banquet hosted by Doctors Dan and Jim Witt at 8 P.M. Saturday, March 13, 1926. After the banquet, the Northeast Texas Dental Association was organized.
May 10 - A straight-line wind storm damaged Talco and the north part of the county about 8 A. M. on Monday, May 10, 1926. A Talco blacksmith shop was blown away, and several buildings at Galt & Galt's lumber yard were demolished. The school building roof and those of Elbert Jones' home and Dr. A.A. Smith's brick business house were torn off and rain damaged the stock of the drug store in Dr. Smith's building. The Talco school building was condemned on May 15. Many barns and outhouses were blown down west of Talco, and many large trees were uprooted and others were broken by the wind.
July 13 -- The City of Mount Pleasant purchased its first fire truck equipped with a water pump on July 13, 1926. When it was delivered, the 1926 Seagrave Triple Combination Pumper (Suburbanite Type) was tested by drafting water from the man-made lake at Dellwood Park and again by being connected to a fire hydrant on Depot Street, which did not have enough water to supply the pump.
September 11 -- The Doris Candy Company in Winfield, owned by D. B. Lilienstern, was destroyed by fire early Saturday morning, September 11, 1926. The plant had operated in Winfield since 1923.
September 11 - The J. D. George Construction Company unloaded a big three yard capacity motor shovel to be used in constructing of the new road dump to be raised through Cypress bottoms on the East Side of the railroad for the Jefferson Highway from Mt. Pleasant to Pittsburg.
September 28 - Mt. Pleasant changed parking from head-in to lengthwise along the curb and instituted a 30 minute parking law to keep streets clear of traffic congestion. Special Officer Roberson began enforcing the 30 minute parking law and the speed ordinance.
October 1 -- W. B. McIntyre purchased the David Ray garage next to the Martin Theatre on October 1, 1926 to establish a Hudson-Essex car dealership. He operated the garage in connection with his agency, and used part of the building for show rooms.
October 4 -- The Cotton Belt began converting its wooden passenger coaches into steel ones, and a number of the new coaches have passed Mt. Pleasant lately. The Pine Bluff shops are converting four cars a month. The new cars look much better than the old ones and are said to be much safer.
October 7 - The Piney community fair was held at the Piney school grounds on October 7th, 8th, and 9th, 1926. There were fine displays of canned fruits and vegetables, farm products, feed products, and hand work. Members of the community arranged the fair on their own, since they had no fair association.
October 11 - Former Titus County Sheriff John A. Cooper died October 11, 1926 in a Paris hospital. Interment with Masonic rites were held at the Masonic Cemetery.
October 12 -- Federal authorities sold two bankrupt businesses of Lester Black, grocer, and B. F. Roberson, garage. H. L. Davis of Gilmer purchased the former and J. M. Johnson of Mt. Pleasant purchased the latter.
October 13 -- The A. P. Williams & Son Hardware Store, which has occupied half of the building on the southeast corner of the square, has been enlarged to occupy the whole ground floor, making a very attractive store.
October 13 - The Texas State Fair designated October 13, 1926, as Titus County day. A special train carried Titus County people to and from the fair at the reduced round-trip rate of $3.00 each.
October 15 - Mt. Pleasant completed final work on a new Afro-American school in the southwest part of town on a hill overlooking the city on October 15, 1926. W. D. Spigner was the school principal.
October 18 - The Winfield Board of Trustees accepted the new Winfield school building on October 16, 1926 and classes began in it on Monday, October 18. The school was under the direction of Superintendent M. F. Fleming, who taught for the past several years at Green Hill, and succeeds Henry G. Smith, recently nominated County School Superintendent.
October 18 -- School was opened at Argo in their new school building on Monday, October 18, 1926 with 104 pupils, 35 of whom were high school students. Opening was delayed about four weeks because the building had not been finished. This was the largest attendance that ever enrolled in Argo school on opening day. Four teachers were employed in the school, and the board of trustees was preparing to add an additional teacher due to the increased enrollment. The building was formally dedicated on Friday, October 22, 1926.
October 20 - A crew of about 100 men had been laying ten miles of 39 foot sections of 95 pound steel rails on Cotton Belt tracks from a point just west of Winfield. Some people predict that the Cotton Belt was preparing to install fast passenger service from Dallas/Fort Worth to Eastern points.
October 23 -- Sheriff Sam Hess purchased the building occupied by Hays Brothers on the north side of the square which was formerly owned by Mrs. R. Y. Lacy of Pittsburg.
October 26 - O. L. Crigler completed laying an eight inch water intake line from the city lake to the standpipe on Tuesday, October 26, 1926. Smaller lines were being laid in other parts of town. Water to the town was cut off for several hours on October 31, the standpipe drained, and the new intake pipe connected to the standpipe.
October 31 - The Methodist church in Mt. Pleasant was dedicated and the church, parsonage, and all furniture and fixtures of both buildings were declared absolutely free of debt on October 31, 1926.
November 5 -- Harry Grissom purchased the Mt. Pleasant Recreation Club from B. C. Crosby. Mr. and Mrs. Crosby will return to their former home at Gilmer.
November 10 - A group of Mt. Pleasant businessmen met in the First National Bank directors' room Wednesday morning, November 10, 1926 to discuss the proposition of building a new $100,000 fire proof hotel for Mt. Pleasant. The meeting chairman appointed a fund-raising committee for this investment.
November 18 -- H. M. Long of Marshall arrived in Mt. Pleasant Thursday night, November 18, 1926 to begin a survey for the East Texas Public Service Co. for rebuilding practically all of their Mt. Pleasant system. Plans called for starting on the east side and replacing many poles and running new wiring. Work would continue from the east side to other parts of town until the town's entire distribution system had been upgraded.
November 23 - The Mt. Pleasant City Council met in a special called meeting on November 23, 1926 to investigate actions of City Marshal Ben Chapman and City Attorney Hiram Brown reported as acting unbecoming officials of public trust and one being arrested and jailed. As a result, City Marshal Chapman was asked to resign and City Attorney Brown was exonerated of charges of being intoxicated against him.
November 27 - Mrs. Johnny Martin leased the Martin Theatre to Cosmo Theatre Enterprises of Dallas, Texas effective Wednesday, December 1, 1926.
December 7 - The Mt. Pleasant City Council appointed Ben Roberson, Mt. Pleasant special police officer for traffic violations, as City Marshal in their meeting of December 7, 1926. Roberson replaced Ben Chapman, who resigned.
December 9 - T. P. McKinnon completed installing Mt. Pleasant's new street lighting system on December 9, 1926 and the lights were lit that night. Twenty-one lights with large globes were installed on ornamental metal columns on Jefferson Street. County authorities agreed to install four more on the square.
December 30 - Johnny E. Martin, founder of the Martin Theatre, died in Terrell State Hospital in Terrell, Texas on December 30, 1926. He had been confined in Terrell State Hospital for several years after suffering a mental breakdown, and was stricken with cerebral hemorrhages. Funeral services were held January 1, 1927 at the residence of Mrs. R. H. Fuller with interment following at the Masonic Cemetery.
1927
February 8 - Penn Brock of Dallas moved to Mt. Pleasant to open a candy factory in the Goates building in north Mt. Pleasant. (This is not the famous Brock Candy Company of Chattanooga, TN.)
March 29 - A working still and over 100 bottles of "home brew" were discovered in the basement of the Camp County Court House on Tuesday, March 29, 1927.
April 9 - The $15,000 contract for construction of the 400 foot long dam and gravel bottomed swimming pool for the new city lake to be built two miles east of town on the Bankhead Highway was awarded to B. G. Swindell of Dallas.
April 11 -- Col. H. A. Cole of Marshall and Mr. and Mrs. B. H. Haralson of Jefferson purchased the Martin Theatre from Cosmo Theatre Enterprises on April 11, 1927 to become effective on Monday, April 18.
August 22 - The Knights of Pythias lodge held a meeting at the K. of P. Hall to elect officers and reorganize on Monday, August 22, 1927 in hopes of putting the lodge on a permanent basis.
August 24 - A. P. Williams and Son awarded O. L. Crigler a $25,000 contract to remodel the Jefferson Hotel on August 24, 1927. A third story was added, the interior completely remodeled, and the exterior finished in a Spanish architecture.
August 24 - The first layer of gravel was completed to allow traffic to pass freely on Sulphur Springs Street on August 24, 1927. Nearly all curbing was complete in the first three blocks west of the square. The street was straightened and sidewalks laid. The street was to be paved with asphalt when the Highway Commission's asphalt pouring machine came back to this area. (Sulphur Springs Street is now West First Street.)
1928
January 6 -- Irvin-Robertson completely remodeled the interior of their building. Their office was been moved from the south front corner of the building to the north and the old office will be converted into a showroom. A large part of the wall between the original quarters and the addition later taken over was been torn away to give the repair department more room.
January 6 - Paving on the east side of Mt. Pleasant was started with pouring curb and gutter on the east end of East First Street from Lide Avenue to the east end of the street. The street was to be paved, and when that was completed, work was to begin on the west end of the project coming back toward town.
January 27 - All rooms of the newly remodeled Jefferson Hotel were ready for occupancy on January 27, 1928. The dining room was opened to the public on February 2, and the hotel was filled to capacity.
January 30 - Pouring of a twenty-foot band of concrete around the public square was completed shortly after noon on January 30, 1928 and workers began applying a coat of asphalt and sand on top of it to make the surface softer for animals to stand on. Parking spaces were to be striped when the asphalt sets up.
February 1 - East Texas Theatres, Inc., of Beaumont, Texas purchased the Martin Theatre on February 1, 1928. They planned to make extensive renovations to the building and install a $10,000 pipe organ.
February 1 -- Both Mt. Pleasant banks began making a service charge of 50 cents per month on all accounts which average less than $50.00 for the month's business on February 1, 1928. They also began charging 25 cents per check for checks drawn with insufficient funds.
February 3 - I. N. Williams announced that he would soon open a new Memorial Art Shop in the next two weeks on the Bankhead Highway in West Mt. Pleasant and just west of the cemetery and High School building. He said that the shop would carry the "Rock of Ages" brand of Barre granite, certified material and copyrighted designs. In marble, he will handle only the best of "Silver Grey" Georgia marble.
February 4 -- Guy Smelser sold the Talco Telephone Exchange to E. J. White of Santo, Texas, on February 4, 1928.
February 9 -- A.P. Williams and his son Cap went to Dallas on February 9, 1928 to arrange financing for an annex to be constructed to the Jefferson Hotel after the newly remodeled hotel was filled to capacity and had to turn away guests.
February 15 - Secretary C. A. Pickett of the Mt. Pleasant Chamber of Commerce, accompanied by E. T. Lazarus and E. H. Dixon went to Talco on February 15, 1928, to assist in organizing the Talco Chamber of Commerce. Twenty-two enthusiastic members were present at the meeting.
February 17 -- J. J. Ellis and H. A. Willson announced that they would subdivide the 27 acre Morris property north of Mt. Pleasant into about 90 residential lots on February 17, 1928.
February 24 -- Ideal Mattress Company opened a plant in Mount Pleasant managed by Roy Ross on February 24, 1928.
February 28 - The Mt. Pleasant City Council appointed a City Planning Commission of eight committees on February 28, 1928. Each committee was to consider one specific line of endeavor.
May 18 -- Southwestern Gas & Electric Company manager J. K. McKinnon announced that work will begin immediately on May 18, 1928 to replace poles and replace lines on the west side of Mt. Pleasant.
May 28 -- Harmon Dobyns of Magnolia, Arkansas was chosen as instructor for the Mt. Pleasant Municipal Band on May 28, 1928. The band held an organizational meeting on May 29, 1928 and signed up 23 members.
June 2 - Repair work began on the Titus County Court House on June 2, 1928. The court house roof was damaged by a wind storm that blew off many slate shingles and blew the wing off of an eagle weather vane on the top of the clock tower. The clock tower was repainted and lighted, and the eagle was removed.
June 4 - S. G. Fry, the Palace Theatre owner, purchased the Titus Theatre from East Texas Theatres of Beaumont on June 4, 1928.
August 1 -- The Mt. Pleasant Municipal Band gave its first public concert on August 1, 1928.
August 20 - Lilly Bros. purchased the Palace and Titus Theatres from S. G. Fry and associates of Omaha on August 20, 1928.
September 11 - Perry Bothers opened their Mt. Pleasant store to a large crowd on September 11, 1928.
September 20 - The light company finished removing many of its poles from the square and business streets of Mt. Pleasant on September 20, 1928 to give the streets a cleaner appearance. Arrangements were made for the telephone company to use the same utility poles when they begin rebuilding their system.
September 20 - The Titus County Fair was held at the Gregory warehouse beginning on September 20, 1928, with the Cudney Shows carnival attractions at the old baseball park. There were lots of produce, canning, and agricultural exhibits.
September 23 - I. N. Williams announced an addition to the north side of the Masonic Cemetery on September 23, 1928. The cemetery had been almost filled to capacity before the addition.
October 9 - The Mt. Pleasant City Council, in cooperation with the County and Independent School District, authorized making a comprehensive map of the city of Mt. Pleasant to be used for arriving at a more equitable property taxation method within the city limits as recommended by the City Plan Commission.
October 13 - A special twelve coach train loaded with almost a thousand people left Mt. Pleasant at 5:30 A.M. for the Texas State Fair in Dallas on Saturday, October 13, 1928. A special round trip fare of $2.50 was charged and those attending were issued badges with "Titus County" in large letters and "Mt. Pleasant" in smaller letters below.
October 18 -- The Lone Eagle Coach Company improved its bus service between Mt. Pleasant and Paris with new Buick busses on October 18, 1928.
October 30 -- Dr. W. R. K. Johnson, pioneer Titus County physician, died suddenly at his home at Green Hill shortly before noon Tuesday, October 30, 1928.
November 21 - Titus County Commissioners Court arranged to refund of all outstanding scrip and warrants of about $30,000 on November 21, 1928 in expectation of getting the county on a cash basis in the future.
November 30 -- The First National Bank transferred its assets and liabilities to a new institution known as the First National Bank in Mt. Pleasant on November 30, 1928.
December 11 -- The once-luxurious 70 room Dellwood Hotel burned to the ground Sunday afternoon, December 11, 1928. The hotel was closed, then used as the Speer Boy's School, and finally rented as apartments before it burned.
December 28 - The Titus County Sheriff's Department removed a number of confiscated stills from storage in the jail on December 28, 1928 and destroyed them before a crowd of people, then sold the metal.
1929
January 29 -- P.O. Wilhite and D.E. Porter purchased the Ellis-Kelley Drug Company and changed the store's name to Wilhite and Porter on January 29, 1929.
January 31 - The Mt. Pleasant City Council met in a called meeting on January 31, 1929 to inspect the new city map in the course of construction. Heretofore, city streets have been haphazardly named, and some of them have several names, so it was necessary for the Council to devise a definite plan street naming so that when the map is printed they can be included. It was decided that all north-south thoroughfares would be called avenues, regardless of their width, and all that east-west would be designated as streets. Beginning on the south side of the square, east-west streets were numbered, and in the future the street over which Highway Number One enters town from the west and continues with the paving to the east edge of the city limits will be known as First Street; the part of it west of the Confederate monument to be known as West First Street and the part east from this monument as East First Street. This numbering system continued north to the city limits, while south of First Street the cross-town streets will be named for states, with the highway running toward Pittsburg as the dividing line for east and west divisions.
February 13 - After four months of compilation, Don Nolte and assistants completed the City of Mt. Pleasant property ownership map and block book, and the 7' x 9' map was displayed to the public in the windows of Geo. Lilienstern's store beginning on February 13, 1929. The ownership map cost $1,500.00 and the block book cost $500.00.
March 5 - A number of Mt. Pleasant residents went to the East Texas Dairy Show in Marshall on March 5, 1929, where they toured the Douthitt Milk Plant and saw large separators with an 11,000 pound per day capacity and butter churns that could produce 1,200 pounds of butter 3 times a day. This tour caused them to want to acquire a milk plant inr Mt. Pleasant for Titus and surrounding counties.
March 6 -- Sam Williams purchased two brick buildings next to the Main Hotel on North Jefferson Street from the Phillips of Greenville.
March 12 - The Mt. Pleasant City Council passed an ordinance on March 12, 1929 requiring all houses in the city limits to be systematically numbered, using the property map as a basis. The City of Mt Pleasant purchased the necessary numbers and had them placed on every house in the city limits at a cost to the occupant of fifteen cents for each house.
April 6 - A new, modern Gulf service station opened on the northeast corner of South Jefferson and Alabama Streets on April 6, 1929. Gulf announced plans to open other similar service stations in Mt. Pleasant.
May 3 -- Grisham's Ice Cream and Butter plant opened on the old East Texas League baseball park on approximately May 3, 1929. The location is now 310 East 9th Street, on the southwest corner of North Washington and East 9th.
May 13 - The Mt. Pleasant Chamber of Commerce decided to raise $100,000 to attract the Texas Milk Products Company to Mt. Pleasant at their May 13, 1929 meeting.
May 15 -- The Dixie Manufacturing Company had begun manufacturing Orange Kist bottled drinks in the Blackwell building in North Mt. Pleasant on May 15, 1929. The plant was managed by J.K. McElroy.
May 20 -- J. 0. Clayton purchased the Main Hotel property from the Phillips estate of Greenville on May 20, 1929. He expected to have a modern building erected in place of the current on within a few months.
May 21 - Lide's Cash Store closed after 36 years in business and leased their building to J.C. Penny Company on May 21, 1929. Active management had been taken over by D. D. and C. I. Lide after C.O. Lide retired.
May 24 -- H. C. Haynes, District Manager of the Telephone Company in Paris, informed the Chamber of Commerce that the company will insert street addresses in the next directory published after June, but arrangements had already been made for a directory to be issued soon and the addresses could not be shown in it. The next directory was to be issued about January first.
June 4 - The foundation work for the new Church of Christ was started on June 4, 1929 and every effort was made to complete the construction as fast as possible in order to have the building ready for services within a few weeks.
September 5 - The Talco Fair was held September 5, 6, and 7, 1929 with women's crafts and handiwork, cooking, canned goods, flowers, produce, and farm products. The C. W. Naill Shows furnished carnival attractions.
September 18 - Two Southern Cities Distributing Company crews began ditching to lay Mt. Pleasant's natural gas distribution system on September 18, 1929.
September 25 - J. C. Penny held their informal opening on Wednesday night, September 25, 1929 from 7 to 10. The J. C. Penny retail dry goods store was located in the building previously occupied by Lide's Cash Store. The Mt. Pleasant store was one of over 1,100 stores in the U.S., and Penny's announced plans to open 500 more during 1929.
September 29 -- The Church of Christ held special morning services to open its new church. Rev. J. C. Foster, the pastor, preached the sermon and people came from Paris, Tyler, Gilmer, Pittsburg and other places attend the opening.
October 1 - The Farmer's Academy community held a fair on October 1, 1929 showing agricultural products of various kinds, canned goods, and sowing work.
October 1 - The Old Union community held a community fair under the direction of Vocational Teacher Shaw at the school grounds on Tuesday, October 1, 1929. They gave $63.00 in prizes covering a large variety of farm products, dairy animals, canned goods and setting work.
October 3 - The third Titus County Fair began its run October 3, 1929 with eight communities and a number of individuals exhibiting their products. Miss Eddie Bell Jones was elected as Queen of Titus County by a margin of 910 votes. Two 50x100 foot tents were erected, one to house the agricultural exhibits and the other for the livestock. The Roy Gray Show provided carnival rides.
October 5 -- R. F. Yarbrough of Lindale purchased Grissom Motor Company, Mt. Pleasant's Oakland and Pontiac dealer on October 5, 1929. The ownership change was effective October 15, and the business name was changed to Yarbrough Motor Company.
October 14 - Titus County Commissioners ordered payment of the last outstanding debt against the Titus County Court House on October 14, 1929, six years ahead of schedule.
October 16 - The Titus County exhibit at the Texas State Fair in Dallas placed fifteenth out of forty entrants and won a $150 prize.
October 19 - The Titus County Special train ran Saturday, October 19, 1929 to take local residents to the Texas State Fair in Dallas. Around 300 people attended. Attendance was lower due to heavy rain and Loyd Coffee's funeral.
November 15 -- Mt. Olive Baptist Church trustees completed raising funds necessary to finish their $15,000 brick building on Thursday, November 14, 1929.
November 15 -- The Winfield National Bank was liquidated on November 15, 1929. Customers' entire balances were transferred to the First National Bank of Mt. Pleasant. The Winfield bank placed sufficient funds there to cover all deposits.
December 2 - A crowd of several hundred people gathered in the cold on the south side of the square on Monday night, December 2, 1929 to witness Mayor O'Tyson light the ceremonial flare which signified the first turning on of natural gas in Mt. Pleasant's mains. The flare burned for two hours to give people time to see it.
December 11 - Duke & Ayres announced on September 11, 1929 that they will double the size of their store beginning February 1, 1930. The company leased the property adjoining their present store that was occupied by T. T. Holland's Grocery, and both buildings were converted into one large sales floor with a 50' front.
December 16 - The Titus Theatre showed "Broadway Scandals," the first talking picture shown in Mt. Pleasant, to large crowds on Monday, December 16, 1929.
December 17 -- Gulf Oil Company reduced the price of gasoline in Mt. Pleasant by two cents a gallon on December 17, 1929. The new price will now be 20 cents per gallon.
1930
January 21 - Humble Oil and Refining Company (now Exxon-Mobil) announced they would erect a service station and wholesale dealership on a North Jefferson lot they purchased between Denman Courts and Mrs. J. B. Tennison's residence on January 21, 1930. In May, 2007 the front of the property is currently occupied by the Family Practice Clinic and the back side where they wholesale dealership was is the Guaranty Bank repossession lot.
March 7 - About 250 people watched the spudding in of the Walkott No 1 oil test well drilled by Mr. Anderson and Mr. Murrell on the Smith Survey, four miles southwest of Cason on March 7, 1930. This was one of several test wells that several concerns drilled in southern Titus County in this era. Although the promoters held high hopes, none of the tests ever resulted in a producing oil well.
March 20 -- The Texas Highway Commission appropriated $42,000 for the construction of a railroad underpass on the Pittsburg Highway to eliminate the dangerous crossing on March 20, 1930. (This is the railroad overpass that is on what is now South Jefferson Street immediately south of the downtown business district.)
April 25 - C. H. McDonald purchased the Jefferson Hotel building from A. P. Williams on Friday, April 25, 1930, and also bought the lease of Mr. J. A. England who had operated the hotel. Texarkana architects arrived the next day to plan the addition of 30 rooms to the hotel. The Jefferson Hotel became the McDonald Hotel and later the Hotel Stephens.
May 13 -- Deep Rock Company began drilling another oil well southeast of Mt. Pleasant on the Sim Smith place in Titus County on May 13, 1930. It was the third well started since January 1, 1930, but did not produce oil.
June 2 - The Mt. Pleasant Chamber of Commerce appointed a committee to begin raising funds to purchase land to hold a permanent fair in Mt. Pleasant on June 2, 1930. The Fair Association, which functioned as a part of the Chamber of Commerce, wanted to purchase land conveniently located near the city to use as a fair park, baseball and football fields, and other purposes.
June 2 - A. C. Hoffmann purchased 2375 acres of timber land in the Otto A. Rothert tract in the north part of the county on June 2, 1930. Timber from the property was to be used in Hoffmann's Heading and Stave Factory to manufacture barrel headings. It was one of the largest real estate transactions in Titus County for many years at the time.
June 4 - The Walcott oil test well two miles from Cason was abandoned at the 3,710 foot depth after penetrating oil sand but failing to produce oil on June 4, 1390.
June 9 -- The Texas Milk Products Company opened its powdered milk plant in Mt. Pleasant on June 9, 1930. Total milk received from seven routes with fifty-seven customers was 3,206 pounds, averaging a little over fifty-six pounds per customer. (See detailed article under the AGRICULTURE menu topic)
June 10 - Samuel Porter Pounders, local attorney and Mount Pleasant's second Mayor, died on June 10, 1930 and was buried in Masonic Cemetery. Mt. Pleasant's stores were closed for the funeral in respect of the work he did for the betterment of the town.
June 14 - The stands at the baseball fields in Fitzpatrick Park were enlarged and a cover was erected over them on June 14, 1930.
June 19 - The Titus Theatre installed air conditioning on June 19, 1930. As far as we have been able to determine, it was the first air-conditioned theatre in Titus County, as well as the first to show talking pictures.
June 23 - A bowling alley with hardwood lanes opened on the north side of the Court House Square on June 23, 1930 in a building formerly occupied by Naylor's store.
July 5 - C.E. Cawthon, owner, moved the Mt. Pleasant Laundry into it new building on South Jefferson Street, one block south of the square and on West Arkansas Street on July 5, 1930.
July 7 -- Clyde Keith purchased the Public Golf Course across from the High School from Cecil DeJernett of Commerce on July 7, 1930.
July 10 -- The Deep Rock well, six miles southeast of Mt. Pleasant, was drilling at 3850 feet in hard sand on July 10, 1930. It previously produced half a million cubic feet of gas with a slight show of oil and much salt water. J. E. Fitzpatrick, Deep Rock Oil Company vice president, and Whitworth, chief geologist, announced they would start another well northwest of Monticello in Titus County within the next few weeks.
July 11 - The City of Mt. Pleasant purchased the large electric siren that was used to alert volunteer firemen of an alarm until the 1980s.
July 13 -- Intense summer heat stopped the court house clock on Sunday, July 13, 1930. Heat expanded the shaft from the mechanism that turned each of the four dials in the cupola and locked the dial gears. It also happened on Monday, July 29, 1930.
July 15 -- Charles McDonald, owner of the Jefferson Hotel, opened The Wild Goose Golf Course and a small park located just south of the Jefferson Hotel to the public on July 15, 1930. The Mt. Pleasant Municipal Band furnished music for the occasion.
July 22 - The Texas Milk Products Company shipped its first train car load of powdered milk on July 22, 1930.
1931
August 19 - The U.S. Census Burea set Texas' population at 5,824,715.
October 19 - Thomas A. Edision, one of the world's greatest inventors, died at age 84 in the early morning hours of October 19 at his Llewellyn Park Estate in West Orange, N.J.
1932
March 6 - Band director, composer, and "March King" John Phillip Sousa died of a heart attack at age 77 in his suite in the Hotel Abraham Lincoln at 12:20 a.m., shortly after conducting a local Reading, Pennsylvania band through rehearsal. Sousa was stricken after attending a banquet in his honor.
May 8 - The Argo Moonshiners, an orchestra composed of Reese Crabtree, his two sons, Jim and Roland, and Bascom Rountree, took part in the program of radio station WFAA in Dallas.
September 14 - The history of Titus County before the Civil War, a copy of the thesis written by East Ward School Principal B. C. Pierce, was placed in the High School library.
1933
February 7 - Titus County experienced the severest cold since the sub-zero weather in January, 1930, after a blizzard struck about four o'clock in the morning. The official Department of Agriculture thermometer, recorded daily by Chas. M. Coker, registered two degrees above zero at 6:30 on the morning of February 8, and at 7:45 had dropped to one degree. This was only seven degrees above the low record for January, 1930, when the coldest weather since 1899 was experienced here.
1934
1935
August 20 - Mt. Pleasant residents were warned to boil water before using it on August 20, 1935, due to the presence of little white worms and wiggle tails in the drinking water supply.
August 20 - On August 20, 1935, Titus County Commissioners Court ordered Sheriff Q.C. Gaddis to put all county prisoners who could or would not pay their fines on work gangs to cut wood for use in court house stoves during the winter. They estimated the courthouse would need 150 - 200 cords of firewood.
October 21 -- Civilian Conservation Corps Company 2886 established a CCC Camp one mile Northwest of Mount Pleasant on the Old Paris Road to employ and train young men who would otherwise have been on welfare on October 21, 1935. (See detailed article under the DEPRESSION ERA menu topic)
1936
January - The county-wide Circulating Library project was begun, sponsored by Mt. Pleasant's '99 Club.
February 7 - The Mt. Pleasant Library Association was formed to create a public library in Mt. Pleasant.
February 8 - Oil came up 800 feet in the stem of the Peveto test well drilled by John B. Stephens, Jr. and R.L. Peveto on the Carr lease east of Talco on February 8, 1936, removing all doubts that a new oil field would be brought in as soon as the casing could be set. The discovery of crude oil (Black Gold, Texas Tea) changed Titus County for years to come.
February 13 -- Drs. W.A. and William Taylor awarded a $10,000 contract to P.T. Wray to construction of a modern brick hospital and sanitarium for Mt. Pleasant on February 13, 1936. The hospital was called the Taylor Hospital and Clinic and the building is located one the southeast corner of West Third and N. Van Buren. The hospital was opened in latter April, 1936. (See detailed article under the MEDICAL COMMUNITY menu topic)
February 15 -- The Texas legislature began requiring motor vehicle operators to obtain a driver's license in 1936. The Titus County Tax Collector's office began issuing them on February 15, 1936, and residents had until April 1, 1936 to obtain one. There was no cost for the license, but applicants had to fill in an application and answer number of questions regarding the applicant's ability to drive an automobile, including ability to read highway markers. Drivers' licenses could be automatically suspended or revoked upon final conviction of any of six offenses, or three offenses in the case of "aggravated offenses."
February 17 - The Texas Railroad Commission granted a permit to bring in the Peveto well at Talco after testing pressure on the casing on February 17, 1936.
February 20 - H.A. Willson leased his building on the northwest corner of the square to V.A. Walker & Co. of Dallas on February 20, 1936. Walker & Co. established the Texan Theatre there.
February 20 -- Everette and Noble Redfearn opened the Mt. Pleasant Bakery in the Greenspun building on North Jefferson, next to Durst's Café on February 20, 1936. Their chief product was "Mt. Pleasant Bread."
February 21 -- Shelton Gerhard announced the sale of an interest in the Martin and Palace Theatres to the Robb & Rowell Company (R & R Shows) on February 21, 1936.
May 25 - Talco residents to incorporate the city of Talco using a Commission form of government by a vote of 44 for and 33 against. In the simultaneous election, A. V. McElroy was elected as Talco's first Mayor and J. F. Barton and M. Hazelwood were elected its first Commissioners.
June 2 -- Otis McMinn and Ovie Martin purchased the Dr Pepper Bottling Plant property from George Lilienstern, tore down the existing steel building, and replaced it with a modern two-story brick structure beginning on June 2, 1936.
July 7 -- The Mt. Pleasant City Council purchased four traffic signal lights, to be installed at the intersections of North Jefferson Avenue and First, Second and Third Streets, and one on the Southwest corner of the square on July 7, 1936. The lights were placed in operation on Sunday, afternoon, July 13, 1936.
August 17 -- Mount Pleasant took delivery of its second fire truck equipped with a water pump on August 17, 1936. The truck was a 1936 Ford chassis customized for firefighting by Boyer. The Council went to the intersection of North Jefferson and North 12th Streets, where the truck was tested. They retired the 1915 Brockway and junked it out.
October 16 -- J. F. Lucey, Ralph Fair, and the Byrd-Frost group definitely assured Mt. Pleasant that it would build a new refinery adjacent to the Cotton Belt tracks at the southwest edge of the city, if Mt. Pleasant would guarantee the seventy acre site for the location. Between 250 and 400 local men would be employed in construction, and the monthly payroll would be ten to twenty thousand dollars after it was put in operation.
October 18 - Tennison Memorial Methodist Church celebrated its ninetieth birthday.
October 21 - Hunt Plumbing Company opened a new store in the former Grisham Ice Cream and Butter Plant at the intersection of East 9th Street and North Washington.
October 21 - Irvin Chevrolet remodeled the inside of the Burford Building on North Jefferson Avenue after the Times Review Publishing Company moved to its new building. The Burford block was built in 1920 to house four separate businesses.
October 21 -- J. O. Clayton, operator of the Main Hotel, announced that he would erect a single story 14 x 20 foot white brick building with a glass front on the vacant spot on North Jefferson Avenue between the hotel and the Western Union office.
October 23 -- On October 23, 1936 the Southwestern Bell Telephone Company, through the facilities of the Western Electric company, announced that it was installing a new $15,000 carrier system to increase the number of long distance talking circuits to Dallas, Texarkana and other localities. To provide the room necessary for the new equipment, Southwestern Bell leased the entire second floor of the Caldwell building above the Safeway store on the east side of the Court House Square. The new equipment included two Class C systems, which added six talking circuits, and one Class D system that added two additional circuits; also, one 130 volt power plant and one 24 volt power plant, besides the miscellaneous equipment that was necessary.
October 26 - Installation of new gas heaters in the Titus County Court House was almost complete by October 26, 1936. The outside temperature was 43 degrees.
October 29 -- County and Federal enforcement officers confiscated a whiskey still in the vicinity of where Franklin, Titus and Camp counties meet in southwestern Titus County on October 29, 1936. The seizure was the largest of any individual raid in this area of the State in several years, yielding an unusually large copper still and 98 barrels of whisky mash, and the arrest of two men. Federal agents carried the two men to Paris, where they were charged with violating National liquor laws.
November 1 -- Sheriff Q.C. Gaddis announced his resignation on November 1, 1936 so he could accept a position as a St. Louis Southwestern Railroad special agent. His resignation was to be effective immediately after the next Commissioner's Court meeting on Monday morning, November 9th. City Marshal Grover Ard also tendered his resignation to the City Council concurrent with Sheriff Gaddis' resignation so he could accept the vacated Sheriff's position which he would have taken on January 1st, anyway.
November 2 - The Mt. Pleasant Daily Times installed an International News Service teletype to receive national news and began publishing the Popeye cartoon on November 2, 1936.
November 9 - The Mt. Pleasant Daily Times held an open house for its new building and printing plant located on West Third Street behind the U.S. Post Office on November 9, 1936.
November 12 - While building a road, a petrified oak log was uncovered by a drag line near the top of a hill at a depth of about six feet, buried in hard clay. It appeared to be a cut log, as there were no signs of petrified limbs and both ends were fairly square. According to the hill's elevation, it was found approximately 43 feet above the bottom of the nearest drain, the rise being figured on a thousand foot slope. The dragline shovel struck and broke the log into three pieces; one piece was about six feet long and 18 inches in diameter, and the other two seemed to be matched pieces closer to the stump of the tree. When pieced together they measured about two and a half feet long with a diameter considerably greater than the six-foot piece.
November 16 -- The new 1937 Fords were displayed in the Earl Lide Motors showroom on Saturday, November 16, 1936.
November 27 - Talco awarded bids to build a new water supply and sewer disposal systems in the city.
November 30 - The Mt. Pleasant Chamber of Commerce announced that P.T. Montfort, Director of Texas Rural Electrification, College Station, Texas, said that there was a strong possibility that Titus County could secure a Rural Electrification project by early 1937 if enough people are interested in the project to work out the necessary details in securing it.
December 8 -- Thirty-five stop signs were installed at the most important Mt. Pleasant street intersections where the traffic lights are not being used on December 8, 1936. The back side of the stop signs carried advertising.
December 9 -- Byrd-Frost interests of Dallas purchased Gulf Oil Corporation's holdings in the Talco oil field on December 9, 1936. In connection with that announcement, the capacity of the Lucey refinery to be built in Mt. Pleasant was almost doubled over to 5,000 barrels of oil daily from the 3,000 barrel volume formerly announced.
December 14 -- Harold Richardson of Tyler purchased the Brookshire and Pearce Grocery owned by Paul Pearce and Brookshire Brothers of Tyler and located in the Cleland building on the north side of the square, on December 14, 1936.
December 17 - The three-room Chapel Hill school building consisting of a large study hall and two class rooms burned to the ground about 5 P.M. December 17, 1936, with a loss of practically all of the contents. Only a few desks, a table, and some books were saved.
1937
February 11 - The City of Talco received its first fire truck, a 1936 Ford-Boyer.
March 1 - The Disabled American Veterans of the World War Chapter in Mt. Pleasant and Titus County held an organizational meeting at the American Legion hall at the Fair grounds on March 1, 1937. The Disabled Veterans of the World War was organized in 1920 as a service organization of veterans who were wounded, gassed, injured or disabled during their service during 1917-18.
March - W. E. McClintock of Mt. Pleasant was awarded a contract to build a new Talco post office on Fifth Street one block south of the existing Post Office
April 30 -- Captain William F. Cox, Commanding Officer of Mt. Pleasant's CCC camp took a contingent of between 110 and 120 enrollees to the Masonic cemetery at 2:45 P.M. April 30, 1937 to clean the cemetery of weeds and rubbish. He also stated that as soon as the boys finished the Masonic Cemetery, they would moved to the old cemetery on Colonial Hill. (Colonial Hill is now Edwards)
September 27 - Paving of Talco's streets began. Paving of the 25 blocks was completed in late November.
October 25 - O. L. Crigler was awarded a contract to build a new Talco city hall and fire department building
1938
1939
J. Frank Palmer established The Mount Pleasant Daily News, which later became the Titus County Tribune. (See detailed article under the NEWS MEDIA menu topic)
March 31 - Titus County voters overwhelmingly defeated a $160,000 bond issue to build a new court house on Saturday, March 31, 1939. The vote was almost 5 to 1 against.
December 17 - City Marshal Coy Coker announced that shooting fire crackers in the business district would be strictly enforced.
1940
January 7 - The Main Hotel was destroyed by fire.
February 1 -- A new front is being constructed for the Greenspun building on North Jefferson on February 1, 1940, which was recently vacated by the Durst Cafe. The fire which destroyed the Main Hotel on January 2 badly damaged the front of the building
February 7 - O. L. Crigler began remodeling the Titus County Court House on February 7, 1940, by tearing down old clock tower to make way for a third floor, a complete interior remodeling, and creating an art deco stucco exterior.
February 9 - The business women of Mt. Pleasant met at the home economics building at West Ward school to organize a Business Women's Club on Friday night, February 9, 1940.
March 8 - City Engineer Tom Grissom said the WPA project of laying 17,450 linear feet of sidewalks together with driveways and walks on some business property was complete and Mt. Pleasant property owners will not have another opportunity to get walks put down at the low price which was offered.
April 1 -- A preliminary census report found there were 19,226 persons residing in Titus County, an increase of 3,223 over the population of ten years before when 16,003 were reported. The increase was attributed to the discovery of oil at Talco. The population of Mt. Pleasant had increased 977 during the past ten years.
April 14 - A unit of the Young Democrats of America was formed in Mt. Pleasant on April 14, 1940 under the direction of Ed Levy of Texarkana. The group applied for a national charter, and as soon as it arrives a permanent organization will be formed.
July 14 -- The Negro Chamber of Commerce was reorganized on July 14, 1940 for purposes of civic and educational improvement, employment, race relations and business improvement.
August 26 - Several business concerns made changes the week of August 26, 1940. The Page Fashion Shop began moving from West Third Street to consolidate with the B. & O. Dry Goods on North Jefferson. Both were owned by Miss Buena Page.
The M. & M. Men's Shop, owned by J.O. Milstead, moved from the Greenspun building in the 300 block of North Jefferson to the location vacated by Miss Page, and was renamed Milstead's.
The Greenspun building was vacant once again.
October 3 -- Dr. and Mrs. W. A. Ferguson and little daughter left Thursday morning for San Antonio, where Dr. Ferguson will await assignment orders in the Army Dental Corps Reserve. Dr. Ferguson, a Reserve First Lieutenant, is the first Mt. Pleasant officer to be definitely assigned for active service.
October 16 - Draft registration of all Titus County men who have passed their twenty-first and not reached their thirty-sixth birthday as required by Federal law began on October 16, 1940. Titus County had 2,411 registrants sign the first day, about 1,000 more than registered in 1917 for World War I.
1941
February 13 - W. Dan Latimer announced the formal opening and open house at the Exclusive Shoe Store on February 13, 1941.
February 23 -- Jack Jessup Post 210, American Legion, conducted a voluntary registration of 120 ex-World War I servicemen on February 23, 1941.
March 13 - The local draft board announced that thirteen Titus County men would leave for induction into military service on March 18th and March 25th, to be followed by six more on April 3rd.
December 29 -- The First Assistant Postmaster General notified Postmaster W.E. McClintock on December 29, 1941, that the Post Office Department was prepared to authorize city delivery service in Mt. Pleasant as soon as the city erected street signs, numbered houses, and installed mail receptacles
December 30 -- Dr. J.M. Ellis, medical member of the County Council of Defense, called a meeting in the district court room to organize the staffing and equipping of a local medical unit as part of Titus County preparation for national defense.
1942
February 23 -- Mrs. C.E. Lee was named chairperson of a Victory Book Campaign in Titus County on February 23, 1942 to collect books for use by Armed Forces enlisted men to supplement libraries already in operation at the various camps and training districts.
March 15 -- Congressman Wright Patman and Sam Husband, president of the Defense Plants Corporation announced in Washington the full approval for construction of the big iron ore project between Daingerfield and Hughes Springs on March 15, 1942. The project will include open hearth blast furnaces and a steel mill at a cost of over thirty million dollars. The steel will at first be utilized for war equipment, but after the war is over there is a big potential market in the southwest for materials which can be produced.
1943
1944
February 3 - The Titus County Tribune displayed a Nazi flag captured as a souvenir by Corporal John Browning in a town just a little ways from Naples, Italy.
February 3 - Pat Scarborough leased the meat department of the Ed Jones Grocery Store on February 3, 1944.
June 3 -- Thomas Claude Hutchings, Mount Pleasant's first Mayor, died on June 3, 1944 and was buried in Masonic Cemetery.
1945
May 8 -- After being moved to the refinery three years before, the Mt. Pleasant refinery's whistle blew to signal the end of World War II. The same whistle blew to announce the end of World War I on November 11, 1918. At that time it was located at the light plant which then furnished Mt. Pleasant's power.
1946
1947
1948
1949
March -- The Mt. Pleasant Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary was organized.
April 4 -- The Mt. Pleasant Public Library was formed. The Library was located upstairs is City Hall.
September 8 -- A public clean-up day was held in Dellwood Park to begin putting the park in condition for public use.
