National Register Listing

Schulenburg Cotton Compress

James and Main Sts., Schulenburg, TX

The Schulenburg Cotton Compress is one of the few remaining 19th-century steam cottons compresses in the southwestern United States. One of the earlier Morse models, patented on May 28, 1878, the Schulenburg Compress was important to both the national cotton industry and the local economy. From this early prototype, other compresses were evolved which offered increased compression with a decrease in the size of the machinery. Located in a fertile farming region with a constant supply of water, Schulenburg, like many Texas communities, developed an economy in which cotton played a lead role. A 19th-century Texas law maintained that all cotton shipped from Texas ports must first be compressed. Linked to the coast by the Southern Pacific Railroad, Schulenburg became a compression center for cotton grown in west Texas. In addition, the nation's first cottonseed crushing plant was engineered in Schulenburg followed by the development of a process of refining cottonseed oil. In 1883 the Schulenburg Oil Mill was established where flour, claimed to have five times the nutritive value of wheat flour, was manufactured from cottonseed by the Baumgarten Process. Thus the economic growth and stability of Schulenburg were integral related to cotton, brought into the town for processing or compression prior to exportation. On August 7, 1886, the newly incorporated Schulenburg Compress Company negotiated with S. B. Steers of New Orleans for the purchase of a slightly-used Morse Cptton-Press. The two parties reached an agreement in which Steers received a total of $27,000 in exchange for the press, paid in installments of $8,000 in cash, $16,500 in two promissory notes, and one-half of the capital stock of the Schulenburg Compress Company. Having purchased the press, the company then bought a parcel of land in Schulenburg from Thomas Wentworth Pierce a relative of President Franklin Pierce. Next, a structure was erected to house the machinery and serve as a warehouse on the property, which was adjacent to the railroad tracks. The facility allowed for eighteen boxcars (nine on two tracks) to be utilized, providing a continuous cycle of loading and unloading cotton.

On August 3, 1926, the Schulenburg Compress Company was auctioned for $4,500 to diminish its debt. Dr. I.E. Clark, president of the company, purchased it and hired F.O. Brown to manage it. In 1927, Brown and an associate purchased the company for $16,000. The press was transformed from standard density to high-density operation in 1929 and continued to function in that capacity until 1951 when the cylinder blew off with such pressure that it passed through the roof of the structure. The cylinder of the press was repaired immediately and the press continued to operate until 1968. Recently, the present owners, Rig- master Incorporated began dismantling the boilers of the compress. However, due to an unfeasible dismantling bid, the action was halted, leaving the press virtually intact.
From an engineering perspective, the mere existence of the press is significant. Functioning for over eighty years, the press stands today in good condition, capable of operating with only minor repairs. The Schulenburg Press is one of the few existing in such good condition. Additionally, the press reflects the major role that cotton played in the Schulengurg community.

Local significance of the structure:
Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1979.