Near Luling in Caldwell County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Wattsville Gin
Photographed By James Hulse, August 21, 2022
1. Wattsville Gin Marker
From about 1880 to the early 1920s, residents of Wattsville, Hall and other nearby towns used a cotton gin located here. Brothers Zechariah John and Thomas Watts settled the area ca. 1855, building the gin and also a general store and blacksmith shop. A man-made dirt dam, later known as the gin tank, collected rain water to power the gin, which was used to bale cotton and also to grind corn and cottonseed. After John's death, his wife, Ada, applied for and received licenses from the state and federal governments to operate the gin, becoming one of few women to do so. Today, the remaining gin tank serves as a reminder of the vital role of the Wattsville gin and the Watts family in developing this area of Caldwell County.Erected 2010 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 16585.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Settlements & Settlers • Women. A significant historical year for this entry is 1880.
Location. 29° 45.462′ N, 97° 33.718′ W. Marker is near Luling, Texas, in Caldwell County
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Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 7 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Hall Cemetery (approx. 1˝ miles away); Clearfork Baptist Church (approx. 2.6 miles away); McNeil Baptist Church (approx. 3.7 miles away); McNeil Cemetery (approx. 3.8 miles away); Fleming Memorial Cemetery (approx. 6.6 miles away); Jeffrey Cemetery (approx. 6.7 miles away); Bethel Primitive Baptist Church (approx. 6.7 miles away); Theodore S. Lee (approx. 7.1 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Luling.
Also see . . . Cotton Ginning. Texas State Historical Association
Before cotton can be spun into yarn or thread and woven into cloth, the fibers must be separated from their seeds. In 1793 Eli Whitney had invented the cotton gin, a shortened term for "cotton engine." Whitney's patented machine featured a wooden cylinder with iron teeth or spikes, a grooved breastwork of brass or iron through which the spikes could pass but the seeds could not, and a brush cylinder behind the breastwork to clear cotton fibers from the spikes. Ginned seed cotton, or lint, was carried in baskets(Submitted on August 23, 2022, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.)or allowed to fall into a lint room for storage. The lint was then packed by foot or wooden pestle into a sack and taken to market.Photographed By James Hulse, August 21, 20222. Wattsville Gin Marker
Photographed By James Hulse, August 21, 2022
3. The view of the Wattsville Gin Marker and the man-made dirt dam in the background
Photographed By James Hulse, August 21, 2022
4. The view of the Wattsville Gin Marker from the road
Credits. This page was last revised on August 23, 2022. It was originally submitted on August 23, 2022, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 70 times since then and 29 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on August 23, 2022, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.
