1930 Census and a Lodge

The Fort Worth City Directories from 1928 to 1932 show the Cactus home being occupied by H. B. Edens, and the 1930 Census shows Hugh B. Edens, his wife, Mary F., and six children renting the place and living there. The 1932 City Directory also shows Mattie Montgomery, a nurse, living at the home. A deed to the property, dated 10 Oct 1932, lists the home as being occupied by H. B. Edens. By 1933, the family had disappeared.

Other interesting items on this census sheet are that Hugh B. (probably Baker) Edens is listed as a laborer for the "city pipe line", and three daughters have jobs, one as a stenographer for "auto supply", another as a stenographer for an "oil company" and the last works at a "ladies shop".

Some genealogical research shows a man named Hugh Baker Edens marrying Mary Francis Montgomery. In comparing other facts, beginning with birth dates and children, these are probably the same families.

Another interesting find is the March 1946 Fort Worth City Directory shows the two homes on the property as the "Washington Rooms", and the November 1946 directory shows it as the "Coefficient Lodge".

Given this new information, I've updated the Brief History and the Census posts.

If you have any insight into this or anything that also documents the above information, please contact us.

The Old Mrs. Baird's Bread Billboard

In Lili's Bistro on Magnolia Avenue, there is a large Mrs. Baird's Bread billboard painted on the wall. The story I was told about it is, when some previous owners were remodeling, they removed some of the wall and found the billboard behind it. They carefully removed everything around the billboard and put some sort of clear coat over it to keep it from degrading any further. I was also told the billboard was put up in the 1930's. I have little to base my opinion on, but I think the billboard was probably put up earlier - maybe the 20's, and it may be older.

I've seen a few times but have never taken photos of it. However, someone else has. You can find some a snapshot online at FortWorthology.

The billboard is hand painted, and I'm sure that nothing can compare to seeing the detailed work in person.

Brief History Update

Using the information I've uncovered in the past two weeks, I've updated the Brief History page, adding more detail of the history before the Baird family moved in, along with about fifteen new references.

Kuhlman & Blue Research

After noting the potential link between the Kuhlman & Blue business in the Flatiron Building to George Blue, owner of the Cactus Home from 1901 to 1906, I've now positively verified the connection after another walk through the Fort Worth City Directories.

Notes for the Cowan-Kuhlman House in the Historic Survey state that Fred M. Kuhlman is a later occupant at that home, and that Kuhlman & Blue had an office in downtown Fort Worth at the Flatiron building. Working on the hunch that this Blue must be George W. Blue, and that the Flatiron building was completed in 1907, I decided to start with the 1909-1910 directory.

City Directory 1909-1910
We indeed find that the Blue part of the business is George W. Blue, the owner of the house on Cactus. Note that this is after he sold the home to the Hoggs and moved out. However, the Kuhlman & Blue business is not yet located in the Flatiron Building.

KUHLMAN & BLUE (FRED M. Kuhlman, Geo. W. Blue) general fireproofing, reinforced concrete, paving and sewerage, contrs, office 500 Reynold bldg. Sw. Ph 2631
KUHLMAN FREDRICK M. (Kuhlman & Blue), bldg 906 W. Weatherford, Sw. ph 929

City Directory 1911
Finally, a location in the Flatiron Building. I wasn't able to locate the advertisement that is mentioned.

KUHLMAN & BLUE (FRED M. Kuhlman, George W. Blue), gen fireproofing, reinforced concrete, paving and sewerage contrs., 502 Flatiron bldg. Ph. Lamar 826. See advt.

By the City Directory of 1916, Kuhlman & Blue was no longer listed, but I wanted to continue down the line of directories until I could find when Fred Kuhlman moved into the Cowan-Kuhlman House. In the 1918 directory, he is listed as living at 1728 Washington (another home which is still standing on the corner of Cactus and Washington, and was built in 1915) and by the 1920 directory (1919 was missing at the Fort Worth Public Library), he was indeed residing in the Cowan-Kuhlman House.

Kuhlman, Fred M. office 702 Flatiron bldg, res 1800 Washington

I've used this information to update the Blue/Cowan/Kuhlman/Flatiron post.

The Blues, the Cowans, the Kuhlmans, and the Flatiron Building

As I research the home on Cactus Street, I'm beginning to suspect there's more to the history of the home than just the Baird family living there. This article is mainly a list of notes and references that connect the family of George W. Blue, a plasterer, to the Cowan family that had the home built across the street, and then a suspected link to Fred M. Kuhlman, and then finally to the beautiful Flatiron Building in downtown Fort Worth.

George W. Blue bought the lot on Cactus Street in 1901-1902, moving there from 1313 College [1]. It is undetermined if this lot was empty or not when he bought it, but by the time the Fort Worth City Directory of 1901 was published, he was running a plastering business with Marvin Edgar Penewell (Blue & Penewell) out of the home at 1015 Cactus. By time of the City Directory of 1902-1903, he is listed alone as a plasterer - no longer associated with Mr. Penewell. George W. Blue had a daughter named Mabel Lee Blue.

At the same time, Andrew Cowan, a stonemason and brickmason had a house built across the street in 1901 [2]. Andrew had a son by the same name, Andrew [3]. Son, Andrew Cowan and Mabel Blue must have met because they lived across the street from each other. In the book, "A Goodly Heritage: The Cowan Family":

The Blue family lived across the street on Washington from the Cowans. The young lady of that family would notice each evening that Andrew would come home from work, dress all up, hitch up the horse and buggy and go off to call on the girls. One evening as he passed she said to him, "Why don't you ever take me for a ride?" He gave her one look turned around, went home and called her on the telephone and asked if he could take her for a ride...it was Mama and to her knowledge no other girl ever got a buggy ride with Andrew but Mabel Blue. (Her granddaughter, Andra Lee, just can't believe htat grandmother was so forward).

Andrew and Mabel married in 1907 [4]. By 1910 they had two children and lived on College [5].

This creates a definite link between the two homes at the corner of Cactus and Washington, and then there's more. That would be the Kuhlman half of the Cowan-Kuhlman House.

Fred M. Kuhlman was a "a contractor who specialized in road paving, fireproofing and reinforced concrete construction" [2] and resided in the Cowan-Kuhlman House starting in 1919 or 1920 [6], for a yet (to me) undetermined number of years. The historical survey goes on to say that "The firm of Kuhlman & Blue had its offices downtown in the Flatiron Building."

Further research in the 1909-1910 Fort Worth City Directory shows that the firm of Kuhlman & Blue was comprised of both Frederick M. Kuhlman and George W. Blue. It moved into the Flatiron Building in 1911 [7], and then was possibly disbanded by 1916 [8].

The Blue family sold the Cactus home in 1906, before Mabel married Andrew in 1907 and before George Blue and Fred Kuhlman started Kuhlman & Blue. Fred Kuhlman finally moved into the Cowan-Kuhlman House in 1919 or 1920 [9].

[1] Census 1900, Fort Wort, Ward 8, District 107 (listed incorrectly as "George Blew"), on College Ave., beginning on line 64
[2] Fort Worth Historical Survey, Cowan-Kuhlman House
[3] Census 1900, Fort Worth, Ward 7, District 106, entry for family of Andrew Cowan on May St., beginning on line 81.
[4] "Goodly Heritage: The Cowan Family" by Verna Hovey Cowan, p 174
[5] Census 1910, Fort Worth, Ward 8, District 134, entry for Andrew Cowan on College Ave., beginning on line 91.
[6] Fort Worth City Directory 1920
[7] Fort Worth City Directory 1911
[8] Fort Worth City Directory 1916, Kuhlman & Blue is no longer listed.
[9] Fort Worth City Directory 1920 (the city directory for 1919 was not available)

Federal Census Forms (1910-1930)

I've sifted through a few Federal Census forms during my research. There are a few areas in the neighborhood that might be of interest to other researchers. The links will take you to Ancestry.com. You'll need an account or the fourteen day free trial to access the forms. Also, if you visit the Fort Worth Public Library, they can give you access to these forms.

1910 Census
Ward 6, District 121
This is the area where the Baird family lived at 512 Hemphill at the time the census was taken on April 15th, 1910. It just so happens the family is on the first page for that district. Note that Ninnie Baird's name appears as "Minnie".

Fort Worth Ward 8, District 134
The area containing the corner of Cactus and Washington is within this district. I've paged through the forms a few times, but so far have been unable to locate an entry for 1015 Cactus.

Interestingly, Henry Slack, who is listed in the Fort Worth City Directory 1909-1910 as residing at 1015 Cactus, is also listed in the census on April 16h as living at 1907 Washington. He must have moved a block South. Currently, there is not a house with the address of 1907 Washington.

1920 Census

Ward 6, District 119
This district should contain 512 Hemphill.

Ward 8, District 132
It's this district that contains the corner of Cactus and Washington. Page 24 in this collection shows the address of 1015 Cactus. A woman, Elizabeth Tuck is shown as head of household, along with two sons, Arthur and Ollie. Arthur is listed as a confectionery salesman. This corresponds with the Fort Worth City Directory of 1920.

1930 Census

It looks like District 33 contains the corner of Cactus / Jefferson and Washington. Page 51 contains the entry for the Cactus home, occupied by the Hugh B. Edens family

If anyone looks through these census pages and finds anything else of interest, please let us know.

More City Directory Research (1902 - 1906)

Putting in some more research into the Fort Worth City Directories, I traced the years George Blue lived in the house, and watched the Baird family move from home to home.

City Directory 1902-1903

Blue George W., plastering contr, r. 1015 Cactus cor Washington ave. 3.

By 1902, George Blue didn't list himself as working with M. Penewell anymore.

Baird Ninnie (Mrs. W. A.), propr Santa Fe restaurant, 1514 Jones, r. same
Baird William A., mgr Mrs. N. Baird's restaurant, r. 1514 Jones, 7.

The Star-Telegram article, "Mother's Legacy Lives On" says, "But the older Baird had always been interested in the restaurant business, and to this he turned his attention next, buying, operating and then selling out several in different parts of town." But this entry lists Ninnie as the proprietor and William as the manager, with the restaurant being named after Ninnie.

City Directory 1904-1905

Blue George W., contg plasterer, r. 1015 Cactus ave cor Washington. 3. Sw. Ph. 1845
Baird Ninnie (Mrs. W.A.), proprss Jennings ave bakery, 204 S. Jennings ave, Ft. W. ph. 1980 r. 418 W. Daggett ave.
Baird William A., mgr Jennings ave bakery, r. 418 W. Daggett ave. 7.

Ninnie is again listed this time as the proprietress of a bakery and William as the manager. She was evidently baking a few years before Mrs. Baird's Bread is said to be established in 1908.

City Directory 1905-1906

Blue George W., contg plasterer, r. 1015 Cactus. 3. Sw. ph. 1845.
BAIRD NINNIE (MRS. W.A.), restaurant, 1113 1/2 Main, r. 1315 E. Bluff. Ft. W. ph 1087
BAIRD WILLIAM A., Mgr Mrs. N. Baird, 1113 1/2 Main. r. 1315 E. Bluff. 5.

This year, the Bairds have their entries in the City Directory in large bold capital letters.

City Directory Research

I managed to get some more time at the library to go through a few more city directories and while not much showed up about the Bairds, I did find other residents of the home and possibly the builder.

City Directory 1901-1902

Baird William A., popcorn stand, r. 512 E. 2d. 6

I'm not sure what the 512 E. 2d. 6 is.

Blue George W. (Blue & Penewell), r. 1015 Cactus cor Washington Ave 3.
Blue & Penewell (George W. Blue, Melvin E. Penewell), contg plasterers, 1015 Cactus
...
Penewell M. Edgar (Blue & Penewell), plasterer, r. 1306 College ave. 3.

As you can see, George Blue not only lived in the Cactus house around 1901-1902, but also ran a plastering business from the home. If my memory is correct from glancing at the 1899-1900 City Directory, George Blue moved from College Ave over to Cactus, and probably lived nearer to Melvin Penewell before the move.

Yarbrough Frank G., carp, contr, bldr, r. 1319 5th ave. 6.

Frank Yarbrough is interesting to me because F. G. Yarbrough owned the home and sold it to the Blue family. Notes from the previous owner of the Cactus home show that Yarbrough must have built it. The City Directory lists him as a carpenter, contractor, and builder and substantiates that he may have built it.

City Directory 1920

Tuck Elizab (wid. T E), res 1015 Cactus
Tuck Jas O, clk La Beaume & Terrell, h 1015 Cactus

Research from the 1920 Census (I'll post more about this research later) shows the Tuck family lived in the Cactus home at that time. To help validate this, I checked the City Directory and found them. I haven't been able to find any other references to "La Beaume & Terrell". It would be interesting to know what type of business this was.

City Directory 1922

Tuck Jas O, clk La Beaume & Terrell, h 1800 College Ave
Tuck Mary E (wid Thos E), r 1800 College

The next available City Directory from the Fort Worth Library was 1922. Checking it, I found they moved, staying on the same block, to 1800 College. A home must have been there before the gas station that is shown in the 1927 Sanborn Fire Map. Currently, this building is part of Old Home Supply.

If you have a connection to any of the above people or businesses, please contact us. It might help us find an older photograph of this home.