This week’s article was taken from the Timpson & Tenaha News, March 29, 2001 written by Mattie Dellinger. The museum was recently given several boxes of Mattie’s personal papers so I will focus on some of her articles in the weeks to come.

Remembering the Old Bryan House in Timpson
The old Bryan House, that was located across from Timpson High School, was built in the 1890s. The house was torn down in the 1980s. This letter was written by Mrs. O.C. (Belle) Rogers, formerly Belle Bryan, to Mrs. Mattie Dellinger, of Mattie’s Party Line. Mrs. Rogers explains when and why the house was built, and also shares information about the first hotels and merchants in Timpson. Mrs. Rogers was born in Timpson in 1886.

The Bryan House was built by the late Albert E. Bryan. Albert married Miss Onie Freeman of Homer, Louisiana in 1887. He built this house for his bride and lived there in the late 1890s, then built a grand fine old home right near the present Methodist church. Then he sold the first home that he built for his bride to a Mr. Brown who had a large family. I went to school with Annie B. and Ethyl Brown. After all the family married, Annie B. bought the home and did some remodeling on it. She and Ethyl were both teachers. Ethyl married a Mr. Robinson and lived in Houston for years. She passed away a few weeks ago in Timpson. Annie B. never married and still was owner of the home until she died about two years ago. She too was a patient in the nursing home in Timpson. I don’t know who fell heir to the Old Bryan House. As I understand, all members of the Brown family are deceased except maybe some nephews.

And Mattie, you are mistaken in saying Earnest Blankenship was the first merchant in Timpson. He was not. My dad, the late A.L. Bryan, found out that the E&W Railroad was to be built near the new town of Timpson. He then bought the first, but where the Blair brick store is now and built the fine general merchandise store. Then they bought 8 acres of land, about 6 blocks from town, straight on down Bremond Street that is where we lived in a small cabin, until 1888, where he built our nice big house. Then some time later, Mr. Blankenship started his fortune in a little shack, about were Bussey Drug Store used to be. He had a popcorn stand, selling peanuts, popcorn, candy, gum, little trinkets, etc. That is when Blankenship got his start. I was born in the town of Timpson in 1886 and considered myself one of the “old timers.”

And for another thing, Mattie, the Finn Hotel wasn’t the first built in Timpson; the first one was on the exact spot where the old Blankenship one was finally built. The first one was a great big old wooden building. I do not know who built it, but my dad’s sister, Mrs. Belle Smith, ran that hotel from my earliest remembrance. I played in that hotel hundreds of times. It was called the Capital Hotel. Mr. Jennings built another two-story hotel. He was the dad of Capt. John Jennings, Buford Jennings, Miss Sallie and Lillie Jennings. Buford Jennings is the dad of the present Mrs. Sam A. Mason of Compte, a niece of Mrs. Van Smith’s. The Finns may have built the brick hotel that Mr. Blankenship did own. The Finns were in Timpson in 1903 and 1904. They had a large family. The 9th child was named T9C Finn. I knew them well. Miss Ella Finn married one the Bagley’s sons while they were building a railroad on up toward Pine Hill. I don’t think it lasted. The first old hotel, The Capital, was built around 1886 or 1887. I can remember it well when I was three years old. I was named for my Aunt Belle Smith and spent many hours in that old hotel.

Note: The museum is still in need for a volunteer for Friday’s. It is only 3 hours once a week to help preserve the history of Shelby County. You are NEEDED!! Please contact the museum at 936-598-3613 or Vickie Martin at 936-332-4847 for additional information.
At this time, until a new volunteer is found, the Shelby County Museum will be closed on Fridays. The museum hours are now Mon – Thur 1-4pm.