Rains Co.TX Smokey Row
The Rains County Record
May 9, 1890
Doss Peoples will take pleasure in setting up to you the best liquor ever thrown over a counter in this county.Rains County Sentinel
March 23, 1894
When in the city and wanting a first class meal, call on Annie White, next door to the Oriental saloon. She keeps the Delmonico of Emory.On Saturday evening last about 7:20 oclock the most destructive storm passed over this city. Following are the details:
&The business property destroyed includes:
O. Dick, saloonNovember 25, 1904
Local News
Smoky Row is improving. Mr. Kirkpatrick has had a well bored back of his saloonAugust 4, 1905
Pilgrim Rest Notes
To the Leader:
Alba is the banner prohibition box of Wood county, having voted 195 to 45 at the recent election. Hurrah for Grayson! We are glad to note the prohibition sentiment has come to stay. Wherever he antis think they can get the people to swallow the old racket: It dont prohibit, in the dry counties and try to vote the saloons back they get taught over again the lesson of defeat. The truth of the business is that people are fast becoming prohibitionists from principle. They keep their eye straight on the saloon and seeing nothing but evil in it, they would withdraw their sanction and rid themselves of the responsibility of its existence even though they knew it would not diminish drinking on single drop. The saloon must go, gentlemen. It has no rightful place in an enlightened Christian nation. Its death knell has been sounded; its overthrow is the one great battle of the age. All other great questions become small in comparison. Let the good work go on.---JupiterRains County Leader
July 5, 1907
The roof caught fire over the Ann Martin (col.) restaurant Monday morning, and but for the early discovery Smoky Row would have been in ashes at this writing&.100th Anniversary Rains County
Note: The compilers of this anniversary book dont give sources of info.By 1890, the town was running wide open with 6 saloons going full blast 24 hours a day. Local law enforcement officials often locked up so many drunks on Saturday night that only standing room remained in the jail.
Taking in the Town
In 1878, a young man, who was later to become a prominent central Texas doctor, persuaded his mother to allow him to accompany a trail herd from Jefferson, Texas to Cooke County. When the drive was completed, he outfitted himself with chaps, cowboy hat, and a 6-shooter and set out for home in an around-about fashion so as to seek some adventure. Some days later this young man struck upon a cowboy with 6 horses and they decided to ride together seeing as how they were both headed in the same general direction.
One evening late they arrived at Emory, hobbled their horses, cooked supper and then decided to take in the town. After visiting several of the leading saloons, they proceeded to Shoot Up The Town. The sport lasted until one of the local citizens began returning the gunfire, at which time, thy hastily returned to camp.
During the night, horse thieves visited the campsite and stole all the horses from our young adventurers. The young men decided to split up and the young man from Jefferson, riding a wide circle around Emory, returned to his home.In 1894, the following businesses were in existence and each suffered heavy damages during the Spring cyclone&.O. Dick Saloon, The Oriental Saloon, Annie Whites Restaurant&.
Smokey Row
According to what we have heard, the most infamous business section of Emory can well be proclaimed as Smokey Row. This section of town seemed to be blessed with a charmed life, having experienced a number of fires and survived 2 cyclones, but in an April 1914 edition of the Rains County Leader, we found the following article:
For the first time since when the oldest inhabitants can remember, Smokey Row is deserted not one thing of life can be found abiding therein, and the old historic and much talked of business section of our little city will soon be a thing of the past. It is remarkable that the present generation should live to see this thing happen. It would not burn, and it can be proven by good and impeachable evidence that it has been set on fire more than a dozen times and each time the fire went out of its own accord. It used to be said that a load of hay saturated with coal oil would not burn on Smokey Row neither would she blow down, and seemingly, as if she would last until time no more. But not so the remaining 2 houses on this famous and infamous row are soon to be pulled down. Goodbye Smokey, goodbye, we will be glad to see you go-go-go.August 23, 1912
Mr. Harry CARPENTER of Greenville, one of the delegates to the State Convention from Hunt county writes was highly satisfied with the selection of William BACON as a member of the State Executive Committee and wound up with a tribute to Judge CLENDENIN, a member of the Rains county delegation...he (Judge CLENDENIN) offered a plank providing for the closing of saloons at 8 p.m., which was supported by Judge POINDEXTER, Cone JOHNSON and other pros.....
