Texas Historical Marker #13204
Granville E. Waters. Born in Ashtabula County, Ohio in April 1852, Granville Eades Waters came to Texas in 1871. He settled in the north central part of the state before moving to Shackelford County in 1876. The next year, he wed Rennie Harris, daughter of a Waco mayor. The couple settled in a log cabin near Deep Creek, a few miles north of Hulltown (present Moran). With their five sons, they faced the hardships of frontier life; the closest post office was in Fort Griffin, and the nearest railroad connected Dallas to Fort Worth. For many years, on behalf of Ohio friend Cyrus B. Snyder, Waters operated the Ashtabula Stock Ranch west of Moran. Known by the honorary title of Colonel, he found success as a breeder and dealer of Hereford cattle, first bringing them to the ranch in 1885. He later served as president of the American Hereford Cattle Breeder's Association. The Waters Ranch became a social center for the area. The site of picnics, ballgames and other events, it provided a meeting place for many years until the house burned and the family moved into Moran, where their property became the Waters Addition to the town. Waters served as county commissioner (1884-1892) and vice-president of Moran National Bank. In the early 1900s, Waters worked in real estate, insurance, gas and oil leasing, and as a scout for the Texas Company (Texaco). He was also active in the Methodist Episcopal Church, Freemasons and Knights Templar. Waters died at a Fort Worth hospital in 1927. He is remembered today for his contributions to the local community and for his influence on the area economy through the introduction of Hereford stock and the early exploration for oil and gas in Shackelford County. (2005) #13204
FM 2408, Moran, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #03468
Moran. Pioneers came to this area as early as the 1860s. During the Civil War (1861-65), they built the temporary fortress settlement of Mugginsville on Deep Creek. At one time, a branch of the western cattle trail passed nearby. Population increased after the arrival of the Texas Central Railroad in 1881. The town of Moran was established by Swope Hull, who operated a grocery store at the rail crossing on Deep Creek in 1883. He was postmaster of the community's first post office, called "Hulltown," which opened August 29, 1883. Hull bought 160 acres between Post Oak and Deep creeks and platted a townsite in March 1884. Most of the property was bought by I. B. (BEM) Scott, who sold his interests in 1890 to M. D. Bray (1845-1926), a prominent local merchant and landowner. The town's name was changed in 1890 to "Hicks" and in 1892 to "Moran" for Texas Central Railroad president John J. Moran. By the 1890s, the community had a school and Baptist, Church of Christ, Cumberland Presbyterian, and Methodist congregations. A newspaper was begun in 1895 and bank in 1902. Incorporated in 1919, Moran was a shipping point for drilling supplies during the oil and gas boom of 1910-30. Today the area's economy is based on farming, ranching, and oil and gas production. (1976) #3468
SH 6 & FM 576, Moran, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #01076
Cottle No.1, First Gas Well in Shackelford County. The appearance in 1908 of oil and gas in water wells in this vicinity prompted the Texas Company (later Texaco, Inc.) in June 1909 to begin leasing large tracts of land. After a surface geological survey, a wooden derrick complete with cable tools and steam engine was erected by contractor F. J. Winston on a prospective location on the Jim Cottle Ranch and on September 23, 1909, drilling operations began. Equipment breakdowns were frequent and sometimes lengthy, but finally, on November 9, 1910, after 13 months of drilling, the Cottle No. 1 struck natural gas at a depth of 2660 feet. This discovery opened the Moran field, and was the first commercial gas well completed in this vast West Texas area. In the spring of 1911, gas was piped to Moran for residential and business use. Within two years (in 1913) the cities of Albany, Cisco, and Abilene were supplied for the first time with natural gas. By October 1913, with five producing gas wells, the Moran field won recognition as one of the most important sources of fossil fuels in Texas. Although the Cottle No. 1 was plugged years ago, Moran field continues to be an economic mainstay in this area. Marker Sponsors: Citizens of Moran. (1974) #1076
Intersectionof SH 6 & FM 576, Moran, TX, United States