Contemplating moving to Cooke County
in 1910? Hoping to convince people that that
was a good decision, the Chamber of Commerce
published a special advertisng
pamphlet.
city of Gainesville and
the banner county of Texas (Cooke County) is “where
life is worth living and business
worthwhile.” Gainesville was described
as a “beautiful city of happy homes and
prosperous people, proud of her
splendid parks and pure water; paved street and
civic pride which invites
your attention to her numerous advantages, large
trade territory and
pleasant home surroundings.” The authors
announced that “if you
contemplated the making of an ideal home or the
establishment of a business
or factory Gainesville meets all of your
requirements.”
deal of unoccupied land available for farmers.
With that in mind, the
pamphlet related that “improved lands in the
county may be purchased
at prices ranging from $35 to $75 per acre;
unimproved from $15 to $25.
These prices are 25 per cent lower than lands of
the same fertility in other
sections of Texas.” It was important for
prospective residents to know that
“Cooke County farmers do not have to depend
upon cotton exclusively.
Wheat, oats, milo maize, and fruits of all kins
make farming in Cooke County
much safer than in other sections.” By that
point, hundreds of first prizes
had been won by Cooke County products at State
and International Fairs
with the county becoming known as the
“Banner County of Texas”. With
the county’s reputation as a “Banner
County” and the Chamber of Commerce
pamphlet in front of them, possibly many farmers
and residents were drawn
to this area.