Palacios Business Buildings
 

Ruthven Building

400 Block Commerce Street
 

The Regans Dry Goods

Palacios, Texas--Business.--Duncan Ruthven is estimating on brick or concrete business building; two stories.

Manufacturers' Record, Baltimore Maryland, January 14, 1909

Courtesy of Paul A. Christensen
 

Palacios Brick Buildings
Modern Structures Springing Up Rapidly in City.

PALACIOS, Texas, June 26.--Within a few days the handsome two-story double-front brick building erected for Duncan Ruthven at Commerce and Fifth streets will be completed and ready for occupancy. This will be the most modern and thoroughly up-to-date building in the county, and one of the most beautiful in this portion of the State.

Contractors Cox and Kirkpatrick have begun the erection of a one-story brick building for B. F. Hatchell of Crockett, Texas. The building will be on the south side of Commerce street and will complete a row of brick buildings almost entirely across the block.

C. F. Emmons has just completed for Duncan Ruthven and A. R. Hillyer three handsome one-story brick business buildings on the south side of Commerce street. The Ruthven Packing company will occupy one, the Powell Brothers will occupy another and S. J Franz' barber shop will use the other.

Quite a number of handsome residences are going up in Palacios and all contractors and carpenters are busy.

J. P. Pierce is erecting a beautiful residence on the east bay front.

Houston Post, June 27, 1910
 

45 Years Ago – 1910

Dr. W. A. Newton was a new dentist for the city. He was located in the new Ruthven building.

Palacios Beacon, April 14, 1955
 

45 Years Ago – 1910

J. C. Wildman and P. F. Campbell established a real estate business with offices in the Ruthven Building.

Palacios Beacon, July 7, 1955

Wildman-Campbell Land Co.

Palacios Beacon, September 8, 1911
 

Campbell Land Company

45 Years Ago – 1910

M. K. Feather opened an office in the Ruthven Building. He was giving special attention to fire insurance and house renting along with the general real estate business.

Palacios Beacon, August 19, 1965
 

Dr.Clay Moore

Palacios Beacon, January 6, 1911
 

John H. Walton, M. D.

Palacios Beacon, January 6, 1911
 

Notice.

As I have purchased the stock of the Palacios Mercantile Co., or old W. B. McClung Mercantile Co., I have also purchased the accounts, and all persons knowing themselves to be indebted to the Palacios Mercantile Co. are requested to call at the office of E. E. Bateman in the Ruthven building at their earliest possible convenience, and affect a settlement of the same.

A. S. Dwigans, Purchaser.                     Palacios Beacon, January 13, 1911

Palacios Beacon, March 19, 1913

John H. Walton, M. D.
Physician and Surgeon

Diseases of Women a Specialty

Office in Ruthven Building.

Phone No. 105, Residence 114.

Palacios, Texas

Palacios Beacon, January 20, 1911
 

Messrs. John and James C. Perry have formed a co-partnership for the practice of law, and have fitted up elegant office quarters on the second floor of the Ruthven building in room No. 1. Their office is elegantly equipped and furnished, and makes an ideal law office. They will be pleased to receive calls from any who are in need of legal counsel or advice. Both are young men but law school graduates and are equipped and fully competent to handle any case before any of the courts of the state.

Palacios Beacon, June 30, 1911
 

Miss Lennie Wasson

Palacios Beacon, July 7, 1911
 

Mayor Ruthven Buys the Regan Dry Goods Stock

Attorney L. C. Christian, of Houston, trustee of the Regan bankrupt stock of merchandise, was here Wednesday, and sold the stock at public sale as advertised. There were a number of bidders, the stock being sold to Mayor Ruthven for $3200. Just how the stock will be disposed of has not yet been determined by Mr. Ruthven, but this will soon be decided upon.

Palacios Beacon, December 1, 1911
 

Lawyer John F. Perry moved his law office today from the Ruthven building with the Seaside Land & Investment Co. building.

Palacios Beacon, February 23, 1912
 

Dr. Jones, the dentist, now has his offices fitted up in the Ruthven building, and is here to stay and practice his profession.

Palacios Beacon, March 1, 1912
 

Dr. J. B. Close, a skilled physician from Marysville, Kans., has located at Palacios for the practice of his profession, and has opened his office in the Ruthven building. It is a pleasure to welcome Dr. Close to the professional and business circles of the city.

Palacios Beacon, December 13, 1912
 

The Land Brokers Co.

Palacios Beacon, January 10, 1913
 

Oneal's Confectionery

Palacios Beacon, March 7, 1913
 

The Ruthven Building recently vacated by R. H. Oneal is being remodeled to accommodate a creamery which Davis Brothers will run in connection with their grocery business.

Palacios Beacon, July 5, 1918
 

Mr. L. J. Kaiser, recently from Newman, Ills., who after looking about over the mid-coast, decided that Palacios was right in the middle of the best of it, has established a real estate office in the city, under the style of the L. J. Kaiser Realty Co., with offices in the Ruthven building, and is now ready for business.

Palacios Beacon, July 21, 1911
 

Dr. J. B. Close, Phone 95, office in Ruthven building.

Palacios Beacon, January 10, 1913
 

Dr. T. S. Eldridge, Dentist, office in Ruthven building.

Palacios Beacon, January 10, 1913
 

M. K. Feather, J. P., has moved his office to room 3 of the Ruthven building, upstairs. He will be glad to see all his old friends and many new ones who may need his official services.

Palacios Beacon, January 17, 1913
 

Dr. J. R. Elliott Was First Physician Here

Dr. Elliott moved his office up stairs in the Ruthven building and continued his practice here in Palacios until his death February 10, 1934, excepting for eighteen months that he served his county in the World War, and was located in New York City and six months he spent with his family in Europe.

[Date of his move to the Ruthven building not given.]

Progress and Historical Edition of the Palacios Beacon, October 19, 1939
 

Dr. Boston and family moved from San Marcos to Palacios. Dr. Boston and family are well known to the Palacios people. For the present they have rooms at the Bonner House. Dr. Boston has a well equipped office in the Ruthven building sharing the working room of Dr. Driskill, where he will be glad to meet his former friends and patients as well as new ones.

Palacios Beacon, March 8, 1918
 

35 Years Ago – 1918

Dr. Ernest Baston, an eye, ear and nose specialist with offices in the Ruthven building died while visiting relatives in Owensburg, Ky.

Palacios Beacon, November 19, 1953
 

Palacios Beacon, January 17, 1919
 

Palacios Beacon, November 14, 1919
 

35 Years Ago – 1919

The Davis Brothers sold their stock of groceries to A. J. Tatum who continued the business in the Ruthven building on Commerce Street.

Palacios Beacon, December 16, 1954
 

Palacios Beacon, February 4, 1921
 

The Dr. Johns family is now located in the Hotel Palacios and Dr. Johns has taken office rooms in the Ruthven building. They expect to soon build on their lots.

Palacios Beacon, November 3, 1922
 

Dr. Dimmitt has secured room and board with Mrs. I. E. Richards, first door north of Baptist church where he may be found after a week or so. We are glad the doctor will remain in Palacios, and he says this climate suits him exactly. His office remains the same, in the Ruthven Building.

Palacios Beacon, November 17, 1922
 

Important Business Deal

Recently a deal was consummated, wherein Duncan Ruthven, favorably known to the people of this community as a progressive business man and owner of the Ruthven Packing Co., became owner of the A. J. Tatum Grocery Co. The retail business is not new to him as he operated stores before and some years ago had three meat markets in this county, carrying as high as twenty-five dressed cattle and hogs at a time in cold storage at Palacios. The Beacon wishes the new firm, known as the Ruthven Grocery Co., success.

Palacios Beacon, January 12, 1923

Palacios Beacon, May 11, 1923
 

WATCH REPAIRING

I am now back in my office, second floor, front rooms, Ruthven Building, where I am fully prepared to do your watch, jewelry and spectacle repairing at prices to please you. My past many years’ experience in this work is sufficient guarantee.—H. C. Boyd

Palacios Beacon, October 20, 1927

Dr. Elliott Moves Office

Dr. J. R. Elliott has removed his office from the room adjoining Dr. Driskill’s office on the west side of the second story of the Ruthven building into rooms on the east side on the same floor formerly occupied by H. C. Boyd. These rooms have been redecorated and now the doctor has a reception room fitted up with mission furniture and a surgical room all in white fully equipped. The doctor is very proud of his new quarters and would like to have you give him a friendly call as well as a professional one.

Palacios Beacon, March 15, 1928
 

Notes
Edited by Ladies Auxiliary of Palacios C. of C.

Everything is ready for our rummage Sale which will be held in the Ruthven building, formerly occupied by the Hayes Clothing Company, on Saturday; April 28.

Palacios Beacon, April 26, 1928
 

10 Years Ago – 1929

Mr. and Mrs. Theo. Stramblad of North Dakota, opened up a Ladies’ Ready-to-Wear Shoppe in the Ruthven Building.

Palacios Beacon, March 9, 1939
 

The front of the Ruthven Building on Commerce has been treated to a new coat of paint very artistically done, by your local painter, Louis Jackson. Newly painted signs in red and black adorn the Ruthven Grocery Co.

Palacios Beacon, June 20, 1929
 

Offices of the Palacios Chamber of Commerce have been moved from the City Hall to rooms on the second floor of the Ruthven Building on Commerce and 5^th, where the Secretary will be found if he is not out in the country assisting the farmers in destroying some of the cotton pests, etc. Mr. Rawles is a very busy man these days.

Palacios Beacon, July 18, 1929
 

Palacios Beacon, August 15, 1929
 

John E. Regan Dead

John E. Regan, traveling salesman for the Hogan-Allnoch Dry Goods company of Houston, died at a local hospital at 7:15 p. m. Sunday.

He is survived by his wife, a son, John Eaton Regan; a daughter, Mary Virginia Regan; five brothers and six sisters.

Mr. Regan had lived in Houston many years and was widely known over East Texas as a salesman.—Houston Post-Dispatch.

Mr. Regan is remembered by many of our citizens as one of Palacios’ pioneer merchants, as he, with his brother, conducted a first-class dry goods store in the Ruthven Building, when it was first built. He and his family moved from here to Houston. They had a host of friends here who were grieved to learn of his death and extend to the bereaved wife, children and other relatives deepest sympathy.

Palacios Beacon, January 30, 1930
 

Dr. R. W. Strasner, Rectal Specialist, recently of Ryan, Okla. has located in Palacios. He has rented the northwest room on the second floor of the Ruthven Building, corner of Commerce and Fifth Streets, for his office, where he will be ready for visitors and patients after next Monday. He invites sufferers of rectal troubles to give him a call. Consultation and examination free.

Palacios Beacon, May 12, 1932
 

City Offices And Jail Are Moved to Ruthven Building

Official duties of the city are now being conducted in the new location on Commerce Street, where a delightful and convenient room has been arranged.

F. A. Sisson, secretary, is moving his desk, books, etc., to his new home and in a few days will be nicely settled.

Paint and paper in the hands of skilled workmen have transformed this vacant room into a most inviting place, where the city officials may meet and discuss all their problems. The secretary will have an office with tables and filing cabinets for all his books and papers, as are used for his duties as city tax assessor and collector. Then, too, this provides a suitable place for the school board, chamber of commerce, fire department or other organizations working for the city’s interest to meet.

A partition has been built across the rear end and on one side has been placed the two cells from the old county jail, which were given the city when that building was razed a few months ago. These cells have been given a coat of aluminum paint and makes a modern sanitary place to confine law breakers if it ever becomes necessary.

All in all it makes very nice headquarters for the city official and the committee of city dads who planned and arranged it are to be commended for making this possible, which we understand will save the city quite a neat sum each year in the way of rent.

Palacios Beacon, June 2, 1932
 

Catch of the day displayed at the corner of the Ruthven Building
Photo courtesy of the Holsworth Family Archives
 

New Clothing Store Opens on Com. St.

Palacios has a new store, Messrs. Wolstein and Ross are the new merchants and come here from Bay City, where they operate two dry goods and clothing stores. They are located in the Ruthven building, on Commerce Street, between Ruthven’s Grocery and Peterson’s Confectionery, and have quite a nice lot of merchandise now on display. However, they expect in a large stock of new goods the latter part of the week and will have a grand opening sale when it arrives. These gentlemen inform us that right now their stock includes mostly gent’s apparel but they plan to carry a complete line of dry goods.

Messrs. Wolstein and Ross are successful business men, know what the buying public demands, and come to Palacios with the full intention of giving our people the best merchandise that can be bought for the least money—and our citizens give them a most cordial welcome.

Palacios Beacon, October 5, 1933
 

BUSINESS COLLEGE and other special subjects taught. Personal instruction and home study courses. “Learn while you earn.” We do public auditing and accounting. Wesley A. Smith, Ruthven Building.

Palacios Beacon, 19 October 1933
 

20 Years Ago – 1936

Gordon Gunter was local manager of the Texas Oyster Development Corporation and had offices on the second floor of the Ruthven Building.

Palacios Beacon, August 30, 1956
 

15 Years Ago – 1938

Sam Wolstein moved his stock of goods from the Ruthven building on Commerce to his recently purchased and remodeled property on Main Street.

Palacios Beacon, April 30, 1953
 

The British American Company operating with Wynn Crosby in the Francitas oil field northwest of Palacios has located in Palacios with offices in a suite of rooms on the second floor of the Ruthven building.

Palacios Beacon, May 4, 1939
 

A Stanolind Exploration crew arrived in Palacios last week, and have offices on the second floor of the Ruthven building.

Palacios Beacon, November 16, 1939
 

15 Years Ago – 1940

The C. Rose Dry Goods Store, located in the Ruthven Building, was to open for business Saturday.

Palacios Beacon, December 15, 1955
 

15 Years Ago – 1941

Dr. W. D. Poindexter, dentist, formerly of Port Arthur, moved his equipment to Palacios and opened offices in the Ruthven Building.

Palacios Beacon, April 12, 1956
 

1942 Hurricane Damage - August 29-30, 1942