The Phillips-Cole Gin
by Tim Campbell · first published 26 November 2017 · his original post
The Phillips_Cole Gin and Fuel Company of Blooming Grove, Texas distributed this fine old advertising calendar for 1924 which now hangs in a frame in my home. The "Phillips" of the company was "Uncle" Jack Phillips and the "Cole" was Otis Albert Cole. Other owners of the gin at one time were Homer Wharton and J.O. McSpadden and I believe a few others. This gin was located near where the Blooming Grove water tower now stands, East of the downtown area. It was a great race in the late summer months to see who could bring in the first bale of cotton to Blooming Grove. The bale was auctioned and the event was quite a gathering and celebration. There was also great competition among the gins of which Blooming Grove had as many as four at one time. In 1928, as noted in the attached clipping, the Phillips-Cole Gin processed the first bale.
Uncle Jack Phillips, who owned part of the Phillips Cole Gin and Fuel Company in BG, should not be confused with Jack "Baby Jack" Phillips, a well known, long time resident of Blooming Grove, of more recent years who lived all his years in Blooming Grove and lived to be a ripe old age. "Baby Jack" Phillips' father was Claude Phillips, brother of Uncle Jack Phillips. Both "Baby Jack" and his father Claude worked at the Phillips-Cole Gin. Claude was injured there when a bale of cotton fell on his leg and walked with a limp the rest of his life. Claude Phillips and Uncle Jack Phillips had two brothers, being Walter Phillips and Edgar Phillips, and one sister, Pearl. These were the children of John W. Phillips and wife Martha Fields (photo attached). John W. Phillips was most likely born in or near Crawfordville, Georgia in 1855, the son of William T. and Evalina Phillips.
Uncle Jack Phillips was born in 1885. He was married for a number of years and lived in BG, but later in life he went to California where he passed away in Los Angeles. An interesting story about Uncle Jack involves a prize hunting dog which he owned. In 1909 he was travelling with the dog in Dallas on Akard Street when a streetcar ran over and killed the dog. Uncle Jack asserted that the streetcar was traveling in excess of its legal speed and sued the Dallas Consolidated Street Railway Company for $300. The court awarded damages of $75. If I remember correctly his nephew "Baby Jack" Phillips was also an avid hunter and spent many nights at "Hunters Corner" south of Blooming Grove near the Old Pevehouse Cemetery listening to the dogs run and swapping stories with others on the hunt. My very first hunting trip as a boy was with my father and Baby Jack. We were using 22 rifles and 4-10 shotguns and looking for squirrels, but as I remember all we saw was one possum.
The other fellow whose name was attached to the gin was Otis Albert Cole (1896-1953) (see photo attached, man in suit). Otis was born in Navarro County, the son of James Hiram Cole and Jennie Goodwin (see this couple's photo attached). Jennie passed away in 1902 and James Cole remarried Lula Bell in 1904. Otis was known during his life as a great civic leader. He moved several times during his life and was very well thought of everywhere he went. He was a Lions Club member and served several terms on the Hubbard school board in the 1930s when he was president of the cotton oil mill in that town. Otis is buried at Oakwood Cemetery in Corsicana.