National Register Listing

San Marcos Milling Company

Nicola Alley, San Marcos, TX
The oldest known industrial building in San Marcos is still an impressive structure. Although not an example of a defined architectural style, its sheer mass makes it a dramatic addition to the landscape. Built as a furniture plant, the metal structure reached the height of success as the San Marcos Milling Company and as Nelson's Dairy.

Physical remnants of these industries are still found within, and not only help illustrate their function but also amplify the importance they had for the town.

A 1910 newspaper reported the construction of the Acme Manufacturing Company, whose main product was the Thompson Sanitary Showcase, for the "keeping and sale of cigars." The economy did not support the enterprise, however, and the company closed the next year. The building's next major period began in 1914 when the San Marcos Milling Company was organized by C.D. Lake and R.P. Lowman. Lake and his son-in-law installed the milling equipment and built the shed on the alley side to shelter grain wagons.

H. A. Nelson bought the property in 1922. He was an agriculture teacher at Southwest Texas Normal and was deeply interested in starting the first Holstein dairy in the state. He acquired a herd in Wisconsin and rode with them in the boxcar to Texas, milking them twice a day and giving away the milk at station stops. Nelson's Dairy was successful. Milk was delivered twice a day, since refrigeration was limited to lowering the cans into a spring-fed vat, by a cart drawn by a draft horse. The cows were milked in the basement and the milk was processed and bottled on the first floor, where feed was also stored. For a while, both the mill and the dairy operated in the building. The herd was sold in 1931. "San Marcos Milling Co., Flour Corn & Hay" is still visible on the south wall and very faintly on the east.

The local Mexican-American community held dances in the north end during the 1930s. H. Conrads, a cotton-seed breeder, used the building to store his product during that decade and the next. Since the 1950s, the warehouse has been used for long- and short-term storage of various goods.
Bibliography
Interview with Marion Nelson Meeks, April 13, 1982.

Monograph written by Marion Meeks, July 15, 1982, on file at San Marcos Public Library. San Marcos Leader, April 30, 1910.
Local significance of the building:
Industry

Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1983.

The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archeological resources.

Audiobooks about the history of Texas.
Texas has been a major oil-producing state for over a century. The first big oil discovery in Texas was the Spindletop field near Beaumont in 1901, which set off a massive oil boom that transformed the state's economy and made Texas one of the wealthiest states in the country.
Texas random facts
Hays County, located in the central part of Texas, has a rich and diverse history that stretches back thousands of years. The area was originally inhabited by various indigenous tribes, including the Tonkawa and Comanche peoples. However, the first recorded European arrival in the region occurred in 1690 when Spanish explorers made their way through the area.

In the early 1800s, Anglo-American settlers began to establish permanent settlements in what is now Hays County. One of the most notable figures in the county's history is Captain John Coffee "Jack" Hays, a Texas Ranger who played a significant role in fighting against Native American raids in the region. As a result of his contributions, the county was renamed in his honor in 1848.

During the mid-1800s, Hays County experienced rapid growth and development, fueled by the arrival of the railroad in the region. The county became an important hub for agriculture, with cotton and cattle as the main industries. The county seat, San Marcos, played a key role in the growth of education in the area, becoming home to Southwest Texas State Normal School (now Texas State University) in 1899.

In the 20th century, Hays County continued to evolve and modernize. The population increased steadily as more people were attracted to the area’s natural beauty, recreational opportunities, and proximity to Austin. Today, Hays County remains a vibrant and growing community, serving as a bridge between the natural beauty of the Texas Hill Country and the urban amenities of nearby metropolitan areas.

This timeline provides a concise overview of the key events in the history of Hays County, Texas.

  • 1837: Hays County is officially established as a county when the Republic of Texas is formed.
  • 1848: The county seat is established in the town of San Marcos.
  • 1856: A charter is granted to create the Hays County Agricultural, Manufacturing, and Mechanical Association.
  • 1861: With the outbreak of the Civil War, many men from Hays County volunteer for service in the Confederate Army.
  • 1881: The International-Great Northern Railroad is completed, connecting San Marcos to Austin and San Antonio.
  • 1903: Southwest Texas State Normal School (now known as Texas State University) is established in San Marcos.
  • 1938: The Blanco River floods, causing significant damage to homes and infrastructure in Hays County.
  • 1996: The Hays County Courthouse, built in 1909, is added to the National Register of Historic Places.
  • 2015: The county experiences widespread flooding from heavy rains, resulting in several deaths and extensive property damage.