Wills Point in Van Zandt County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Rowden Cotton
Photographed By Jeff Leichsenring, April 8, 2024
1. Rowden Cotton Marker
Inscription.
Rowden Cotton. . The W.O. Rowden family moved from Gurley, Alabama to Van Zandt County in 1895 and, in 1898, the family moved to the H.H. Carmack place just at the outer edge of Wills Point. Carmack received a cotton boll from a friend in Florida and gave it to Rowden. He planted nine seeds that following April which yielded 25 pounds of seed cotton. In the spring of 1899, he planted one-half acre gathering 1133 pounds of seed cotton and added 300 pounds of another type of cotton to make a 549-pound bale. The buyer of the bale said it was one of the finest bales he had bought all season. Rowden Cotton was introduced in 1900. Rowden's brother, W.A. Rowden, came to Texas in 1902 and they formed a successful partnership., Four years later, Rowden Cotton was brought to town to be weighed. The cotton picked from forty-four bolls weighed one pound. Other varieties of cotton took 52 to 56 bolls to weigh one pound. A firm in Stephenville wrote, "...Rowden Bros. have directly benefited the planters of Texas hundreds of thousands of dollars by their improved seeds." Seed dealers regularly sold out of the Rowden cotton seed which ranked second with the best varieties planted under the same conditions and sold on average of 4 to 5 cents more than other cotton. The decline of the cotton industry in Van Zandt County was due to allotments established that regulated how much cotton a farmer could plant. However, before the decline, the Rowden Brothers showed farmers how to improve the variety of cotton seed, developing any type of cotton that they wished. The reputation of the Rowden seed was well known across the south and especially in Texas.
The W.O. Rowden family moved from Gurley, Alabama to
Van Zandt County in 1895 and, in 1898, the family moved to
the H.H. Carmack place just at the outer edge of Wills Point.
Carmack received a cotton boll from a friend in Florida
and gave it to Rowden. He planted nine seeds that
following April which yielded 25 pounds of seed cotton. In
the spring of 1899, he planted one-half acre gathering 1133
pounds of seed cotton and added 300 pounds of another
type of cotton to make a 549-pound bale. The buyer of the
bale said it was one of the finest bales he had bought all
season. Rowden Cotton was introduced in 1900. Rowden's
brother, W.A. Rowden, came to Texas in 1902 and they
formed a successful partnership.
Four years later, Rowden Cotton was brought to town to
be weighed. The cotton picked from forty-four bolls
weighed one pound. Other varieties of cotton took 52 to
56 bolls to weigh one pound. A firm in Stephenville wrote,
"...Rowden Bros. have directly benefited the planters of
Texas hundreds of thousands of dollars by their improved
seeds." Seed dealers regularly sold out of the Rowden
cotton seed which ranked second with the best varieties
planted under the same conditions and sold on average of
4 to 5 cents more than other cotton. The decline of the
cotton industry in Van Zandt County was due to
allotments
Click or scan to see this page online
established that regulated how much cotton a
farmer could plant. However, before the decline, the
Rowden Brothers showed farmers how to improve the
variety of cotton seed, developing any type of cotton that
they wished. The reputation of the Rowden seed was well
known across the south and especially in Texas.
Erected 2012 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 17264.)
Location. 32° 42.74′ N, 96° 1.588′ W. Marker is in Wills Point, Texas, in Van Zandt County. Marker is on County Road 3805 north of U.S. 80, on the right when traveling west. Address listed is from the business across the street from marker. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 503 County Road 3805, Wills Point TX 75169, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Different angle of the Rowden Cotton Marker showing the context of its location.
Credits. This page was last revised on April 21, 2024. It was originally submitted on April 8, 2024, by Jeff Leichsenring of Garland, Texas. This page has been viewed 67 times since then. Photos:1, 2. submitted on April 8, 2024, by Jeff Leichsenring of Garland, Texas. 3. submitted on April 20, 2024, by Jason Sullivan of Arlington, Texas. • James Hulse was the editor who published this page.