Burton Farmers Gin

Burton Farmers Gin. The Burton Farmers Gin Association was formed on December 2, 1913 by a group of 13 local farmers who determined that there was a need for a third cotton gin in Burton, Texas. The new gin would be a Robert Munger "system gin" - cotton would now be suctioned from the wagon, much like a vacuum cleaner, and go from station to station by the movement of air... the cotton would not be touched again until it was wrapped and banded at the bale press box. Rather than hours, a farmer would now be able to get his bale of cotton in a matter of minutes. They quickly sold 200 shares in the organization at $50 a share and raised $10,000 to construct the Burton Farmers Gin. The gin was a two-story building made of cypress wood covered with corrugated tin. The power plant was a steam engine and boiler from the Beaumier Iron Works of Brenham, Texas. The gin battery was four Lummus 80-saw stands later expanded to five. The gin construction was undertaken by brothers Edward and Will Weeren of Burton. The Burton Farmers Gin opened for business on August 3, 1914. Carl Dallmeyer was the first gin manager., In 1925, the Association replaced the steam engine with a Bessemer Type IV Oil engine from the Bessemer Engine Company of Grove City, Pennsylvania. A new engine room was built to house the new engine which also included a manager's office located above the engine room. Including the 10,000 gallon fuel tank, piping, pillar blocks, new engine room, and railroad freight charges the Bessemer cost $7,800. The Bessemer, known is the "Lady B", powered the Burton Farmers Gin for 38 years until it was replaced by an Allis-Chalmers electric motor in 1963. The Bessemer was maintained as a back-up power source until the gin closed at the end of the ginning season in 1974., The Burton Farmers Gin remained in continuous operation for 61 years. During that time period, the gin produced 51, 899 bales of cotton for farmers in the Burton area. The total daily baling capacity was 50-60 bales per day at 5 bales per hour or one bale every 12 minutes. The most bales ever produced in one season were 1,680 bales in 1953. The fewest bales produced during a season were 7 in 1974, the last year the gin was in operation., Gin Managers of Burton Farmers Gin , In 60 years of Service to the Burton Community only 6 men held the title of Gin Manager, Carl Dallmeyer 1914-1916 , Henry Dieckmeyer 1917-1918 , William Wehring 1919-1921 , John Meyer 1922 , Henry C. Wehring 1923-1960 , Herbert Kunkel 1961-1974, Original 13 Founders of Burton Farmers Gin Association , President Aaron S. Whitener, Jr. , Vice President Carl Dallmeyer (also selected as 1st gin manager) , Secretary Fritz Dallmeyer , Treasurer Gustav Jarosjewski , Finance Committee Carl Bochnemann, Rube Dement and Louis Klanke , Building Committee Ed Felder, Louis Knipstein, Jr. and Fritz Oevermann , Directors Gustav A. Broesche, Fritz Hopmann and Henry Stolz, Jr., Portraits , Henry C. Wehring , Herbert Kunkel , Aaron S. Whitener, Jr., All Photos Courtesy TCGM Archives