Downtown San Angelo Summer '25 - Magazine - Page 18
Cotton boll still on stem.
Charles B. Metcalfe, Mary Jane’s only
surviving son, speculated in several
ventures around San Angelo, including
cotton farming. He is credited with
bringing in the first bale of cotton in
the Concho Valley, as well as building
the first cotton gin and mill in the late
1880’s. On July 13, 1905, The San Angelo
Press declared him “the most energetic
and progressive citizen of San Angelo.”
William S. Veck
In 1901, Metcalfe built a dam on the
Photo Courtesy of GoSanAngelo.com
south Concho below Lone Wolf Bridge
to irrigate Glenmore Farm, and later
But the man who is remembered as
leased the dam to the Concho Water
Power Company (as it was called then), “the Father of San Angelo” is William
a strategic piece of early infrastructure S. Veck. Originally from New Jersey,
Veck operated a store and saloon on
that helped propel San Angelo from
the northeast corner of Concho and
rustic township to modern city.
Oakes as early as 1868 and obtained
Rather in keeping with the original
the first liquor license in town. As a
circus atmosphere of “Over the River,” courtesy, Veck began holding money
Metcalfe’s farm was also famous for its for various people, eventually charging
“mule school.” The San Angelo Press
a fee. He started a private bank around
continued its observations of Glenmore 1880, lending money interest-free for a
Farm, noting “16 trained performing
short term and without security–the
mules . . . [e]ach animal has been so
kind of good will and faith in his
trained that he has a little specialty of fellow entrepreneurs and merchants
his own with which to amuse and
that would make him a leader of the
entertain his audience . . . This trained community.
mule show will be a feature of the
World’s Fair.” Metcalfe, with his farm
producing (among many other things)
potatoes, beans, cabbage, corn, hogs
and Durham cattle, surely provided
plenty of bread to accompany the
circus. Today, the long bridge over the
river on Avenue L beside Lone Wolf
Bridge is named for the Metcalfe
family.
Business correspondence from Concho National Bank,
circa. 1891.
Photo Courtesy of TexasHistory.unt.edu
He partnered with S. E. Sterrett and
George Sherwood to form Concho
National bank, the first national bank
in San Angelo which, in 1882, was one
of only 24 national banks in the state.
In turn it became San Angelo National
Bank, and Oscar Ruffini built a
sandstone structure with a prominent
entry. The bank had a brick vault with
a stone floor, a time lock safe,
fireproof shutters, and steel gates over
the windows and doors, very latest in
amenities in bank security at the time.
The bank later became Citizens
National Bank in 1887.
With the banks came capital to invest
in infrastructure for the small city. The
local merchants were dedicated
boosters of San Angelo, seeking
investment and always looking toward
the future. They traveled frequently to
places like New York City, Chicago
and New Orleans in their quest to
keep abreast of the latest technology,
fashion trends, politics and financial
schemes. By the 1890’s, San Angelo
could boast of electric lighting,
telegraph and telephone lines, and a
fire department. All these
advancements were achieved by the
sheer determination of the downtown
merchants, who themselves were
“subscribers” in order to raise the
necessary funds. But–by far–what San
Angelo most needed was a railroad,
and campaigns to get a rail line
followed fast on the establishment of
the frontier forts, such as the following
appeal that appeared in the St. Joseph
Gazette on May 29, 1869:
“[I]n carrying the mail through the
Indian Territory and Texas . . .
emigration is invited; and it will surely
go . . . In a few years the telegraph
and railroad will follow . . . It has
been but twelve years since a monthly
mail coach traversed the country
where now runs the Pacific railroad.
And, we if (sic) begin with a daily or
tri-weekly stage coach from the
terminus of the S. W. Pacific railroad
thence to Fort Concho, in Texas, we
tap, in a short time, the silver mines
of the Mexican States, and secure the
rich trade of that region . . .”
