DUANE
Duane's take
Here's how the official marker tells it, and I'll do my best to do it justice. Now, every good Texas town's got a story, and Hasse — out there in Comanche County — its story starts with a name that tells you everything you need to know about what this place was before it was a place at all. They called it Cordwood Junction.
Not exactly the kind of name that makes a man want to settle down and plant roses, but it was honest. Because that's precisely what it was — a siding on the Fort Worth and Rio Grande Railroad, and the whole operation was wood. Flatcars rolled in, got themselves loaded down with cordwood, and that fuel went shipping out over a wide area.
Simple as that. And here's the thing about wood — when folks want it, they really want it. As demand for the fuel increased, the railroad decided this little siding needed something more permanent, and they built a station house right there at the site.
Now you've got something. Now you've got a town trying to happen. By 1892, the place had a proper name — Hasse — named for O.
H. Hasse, thought to have been the local railway agent back in the 1890s. Cotton and cattle came in behind the railroad and brought more business with them.
A cotton gin went up. Stock pens. A lumber yard.
Cordwood Junction was a memory; Hasse was a going concern. But Texas towns, much like Texas weather, can turn on you. The automobiles arrived.
The highways came through. People started looking toward urban centers, and little by little, Hasse began to dwindle. Today, only a few buildings remain — standing out there quiet in Comanche County, keeping the memory of Cordwood Junction and all it became.
Some places burn bright and fast. Hasse just… kept the wood moving while it could.
What the marker says
Began as "Cordwood Junction," a siding on the Fort Worth & Rio Grande Railroad. Flatcars loaded wood here to be shipped over a wide area. As demand for the fuel increased, the railroad built a station house at site. It was named in 1892 for O. H. Hasse, thought to have been the local railway agent, 1890s. Cotton and cattle brought more business to town. A cotton gin, stock pens, and lumber yard were built. With the advent of automobiles, migration to urban centers, and highways, however, Hasse began to dwindle. Today only a few buildings remain. (1970)