History

The Gin was originally built in 1953 by H.H. Moore & Sons, a partnership including Laura’s great grandfather Harry H. Moore, great uncle Bob Moore, and grandfather Bubba Frede. It was truly a family operation, with Laura’s grandmother, Joyce working in the office and Laura’s father, aunt, and cousins working and playing there as kids.

The Gin consisted of four buildings, all connected by a pipeline which would transfer the cotton from house to house. Cotton was brought in from the fields and stored in numbered lockers in the Cotton House until it came that farmer’s turn for ginning. It was then brought for initial weighing at the Scale House. From there it moved into the main Gin building where the lint was separated from the seed, pressed into bales, bound and weighed again. The seed was then moved to the Seed House where it was dried and stored. The Gin remained in operation for many years, was eventually sold in the late 90’s, and bought back into the family by Laura’s father in 2004. 

Hidalgo Falls

Just a stone’s throw away to the west of the Gin runs the Brazos River and historic Hidalgo Falls. In the 1820s, steamboats would travel the Brazos, delivering goods from Galveston into the countryside and bringing back cotton and other goods from Texas plantations. Marking the division between the middle and upper Brazos, Hidalgo Falls was a challenging obstacle for steamboat captains and was navigable only upon an unusually high period of water. In 1910, a lock and dam was built enabling boats to navigate the shoals. Remains of this landmark are still standing today. And the falls are now popular among kayakers and canoeists. The area also boasts other interesting history, including the unearthing of mastodon bones by archaeologists just four miles downstream, and that Stephen F. Austin and the original settlers of Texas used this spot as a river crossing, just upstream from Washington on the Brazos, the birthplace of the Republic of Texas. 

The Story Continues

It has been a dream come true for owners Donald and Laura Goodie to be able to renovate the Gin and bring it back to life along with the many memories it holds. As we grow our own family, we are honored to continue the family tradition and create our own heritage. It is our hope and our mission to share the Gin experience with others and to offer our hospitality and love to all who walk through its doors.