Crews

Duane's take

Here's how the official marker tells it, and I'll do my best to do it justice. The little community of Crews, out in Runnels County, got its start in the 1880s, and somebody saw fit to name it for C. R.

Crews, a businessman over in Ballinger. Now, before the town had much of anything in the way of official institutions, there was Mrs. Betty Sims.

She was the earliest voluntary teacher and mail carrier, both at once, which tells you something about the kind of person it takes to hold a young settlement together. Then in 1890, a school got built, and the Reverend Mr. Lockhart came on as the first teacher.

That same year, 1890, the Methodist church organized. The Baptists followed in 1894, and those two congregations, I'll tell you right now, are still active. Hold that thought.

Two years after the school opened, in 1892, a post office got established in Wise, and it brought a store along with it. The first postmaster was J. D.

Wise, and that name and that address lining up like that is one of those details that just sits there grinning at you. Crews kept building. Eleven businesses eventually had their doors open.

By 1930 the school was running seven teachers. The doctors who served longest were F. M.

Hale, C. A. Watson, and R.

E. Burrus. But things have a way of consolidating out on the Texas plains.

The post office closed in 1922. The school consolidated with others in 1948. And yet those two churches, the Methodist and the Baptist, they're still out there.

Some things in Crews, it turns out, were built to last.

What the marker says

Settled in 1880s. Named for C. R. Crews, Ballinger businessman. Mrs. Betty Sims was earliest voluntary teacher-mail carrier. School was built 1890 (with the Rev. Mr. Lockhart, first teacher). Post office established 1892 in Wise and brought store; first postmaster, J. D. Wise. Methodist church was organized in 1890; Baptist church in 1894. Later 11 businesses were in operation; by 1930 school had 7 teachers. The doctors serving longest were F. M. Hale, C. A. Watson, R. E. Burrus. Post office closed 1922; school consolidated with others 1948. The churches are still active.