IMPACT ON HISTORY

OUR TOWN

Claudia Taylor and the pecan factory

Do you remember Claudia Taylor? I’m sure you would instantly recognize her by her married name, and especially by the childhood nickname she was known for her entire life. She was recognized around the world, played a significant role in American history and is remembered fondly in Central Texas.

You may also find it interesting to know this American icon’s father owned a business here in Taylor connected to the pecan factory I wrote about in Our Town two weeks ago.

I just love discovering long-forgotten stories about Taylor, especially when they have a surprising twist involving someone famous, and even more so when it features local people I know or remember.

In case you missed the first column, I shared what I learned from Irene Schmidt about the Taylor Pecan Co. on Second Street. I also included information found in a newspaper article about the fire that destroyed the factory in 1941.

The article named George O. Cumings as manager and W. C. Wofford as president.

I will now refer to that column as The Pecan Factory Part 1.

After reading Part 1, George Cumings Jr. called me. His father was the manager of the company and Mr. Wofford was George Jr.’s grandfather on his mother’s side. So, the manager and president of the pecan factory were father-in-law and son-in-law.

A huge “Thank You!” to George Jr. for meeting with me and sharing the “rest of the story” about his family’s business. So now get ready for another amazing Taylor tale that involves a U.S. president, a famous first lady and massive amounts of pecans.

The Taylor Pecan Factory Part 2

George Jr. was a young child when the pecan factory was in operation. He tells about running barefoot through the factory as the ladies who worked there operated the machines that shelled huge amounts of pecans. A mischievous grin still appears on his face as he remembers grabbing handfuls of freshly shelled pecans on his way through the plant before finding a spot to stop and munch on the tasty treats.

With eight rows of ladies at machines shelling massive quantities of pecans every day, the hardwood floors absorbed large amounts of pecan oil. Little George’s feet became so black by closing time his mother told him to go to the outside hydrant and wash off the oils every day before getting into the family car to go home.

Taylor’s Pecan Factory was a thriving business. Large trucks brought in loads of pecans from orchards all over the state. The local company bought them, shelled them and sold them. The pecans were then shipped out in 5-pound and 25-pound boxes, making Taylor a major supplier of shelled pecans to candy factories across the country.

Then on Pearl Harbor Day, Dec. 7, 1941, Taylor’s pecan company burned. Everything was destroyed except for a shell that had been the front part of the building.

“There were 122 women working there,” George Jr. said. “It had the biggest employment in Williamson County. A lady from Hutto was driving down Second Street and saw the fire. She stopped and went inside and asked my father if he knew his building was on fire.”

According to George Jr., a norther had arrived with a strong wind, and the floors were so full of pecan oil the flames quickly spread. It was wartime, and getting materials for rebuilding proved difficult.

“My grandfather said, ‘I know someone who can get the supplies we need to rebuild. Lyndon Johnson can get them for us.’ My grandfather was good friends with Lyndon Johnson.”

Johnson, of course, became the 36th U.S. president. The Texan previously served as both a U.S. representative and a U.S. senator.

Before long, trucks drove up with the needed materials and the factory was rebuilt on the same spot as the original. The thriving business continued, but at one point, the bottom fell out of the market.

“They couldn’t sell the pecans, so they used Taylor Locker and Cold Storage next to it and stored the pecans there in the freezer until they were ready to use them,” George Jr. said.

Refrigerator company

The Taylor Pecan Co. and Taylor Locker and Cold Storage sat side by side on Second Street.

According to George Jr., the word “Taylor” in Taylor Locker and Cold Storage had nothing to do with the city. It came from the building’s original owner: T. J. Taylor from Karnack. Mr. Taylor’s daughter was named Claudia, but from a young age, everyone called her Lady Bird. She married Lyndon Johnson and was known for the rest of her life as Lady Bird Johnson.

“He (T.J. Taylor) had a cold-storage warehouse for storing government commodities,” George Jr. said. “In 1950, Lyndon came to my grandfather and told my grandfather the business next door was available. So my family closed the Pecan Factory and took over the refrigerated warehouse from Lady Bird’s family.”

George Jr. said Mr. O. C. Wimberly was one of their biggest pecan growers and suppliers and depended on the refrigerated warehouse.

“At one time, Mr. Wimberly had over a million pounds of pecans stored in that locker plant. One year, the locker plant had a bunch of cooler rooms that weren’t being used,” George Jr. said. “Mr. Wimberly wanted to make sure there was space available in case he needed a place to store his pecans, so he paid for the cooler rooms for a year in advance to make sure they were available if he needed them. He ended up selling his pecans right off the trees to the candy companies, and my dad gave him all his money back because he didn’t use the rooms.”

At one time the pecan company was burglarized. Thieves got away with a pickup load of shelled pecans. The stolen merchandise was never returned.

George Jr. also talked about truckloads of pecan shells being spread on the yard of their house at 1506 Grace St. and covered with dirt. He’s not sure where they disposed the rest of the discarded shells.

Years later, his parents had a house built nearby for his grandmother, Mrs. W. C. Wofford. They wanted to move her from a large three-story residence on Seventh Street to a smaller house closer to them.

“My grandmother wanted a specific type of script for her house number, and my mother found 1800 in that script. She called the manager here in Taylor and asked if they could use the number 1800 for the house they were building. At that time, 1506 was the last number on Grace Street, that was my mother and dad’s house. He said, ‘Yes, it’s starting a new block so that would be fine.’ That’s why the numbers on Grace Street go from 1506 to 1800.”

On a personal note, I remember Mrs. W. C. Wofford when she lived on the corner of Grace and Fisher streets. I delivered her Taylor Daily Press in the 1970s, and I recall that scripted number on her house.

The rebuilt Taylor Pecan Factory and Taylor Locker and Cold Storage, two caramelcolored buildings, are still side by side on Second Street. The front part of the building that survived the flames is still there. There is a visible distinction on the outside wall where the back part was rebuilt.

Remnants of an old curb are in the grass in front of the building, marking an area where vehicles used to park without sticking out into the street. The front door of the original entrance is still there, with a more modern glass door next to it that was added years later.

A church now meets in the old pecan company building, and various businesses have occupied the refrigerator warehouse over the years.

Join me here in two weeks as we look at another incredible tale from Taylor. Until then, make it a great week and be proud of where you’re from.

Crow is a longtime Taylor resident and retired from the Taylor Independent School District after 40 years of service. For a topic or suggestion, reach out to Crow via jason.chlapek@granitemediapartners.

com.