News Story: James C. Lammers Honored at Bronte Depot - June 18, 2011

Contributed by Brenda Scott Hines
Sep 2011

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The Observer/Enterprise, Coke County, Texas, Friday, June 17, 2011

STONEMASON JAMES LAMMERS TO BE HONORED

       Lammers to be honored at rededication of Bronte Depot

[Editor's Note: The following information was compiled by James Coalson 
and Arlie Lammers, Mr. Lammers' grandsons.]

James C. Lammers was the stone mason who built the Bronte Depot, along with 
many other rock buildings in and around Bronte. He will be honored Saturday, 
June 18, 2011, at the 100th Anniversary celebration of the old railroad 
depot. The event will begin at 12:30 pm and will include this history and 
refreshments.
  
James C. Lammers ("Big Jim") was the son of Bernard Lammers (born in Germany, 
1847) and Nettie Lammers (born in Iowa, 1858). Bernard died in 1920 and 
Nettie died in 1922.  They had moved to Bronte in 1907.
 
"Big Jim" was born in Goldthwaite in 1874 and died in Bronte in 1942.  
Elizabeth, his wife, was born in 1880 and died in 1953.

Bernard Lammers was a stone mason and brick mason in Germany before he 
immigrated to the United States. "Big Jim" learned the art of being a 
successful stonemason and brick mason from his father.  Bernard and 
"Big Jim" constructed several stone buildings at Fort Concho in San 
Angelo and built the original "sun dial" at Fort Concho. They continued 
their trade and built numerous buildings in Ballinger and Goldthwaite, 
before relocating to Bronte.
  
"Big Jim" greatly enjoyed the art of being a successful stone mason and 
got involved with several projects in Bronte and Coke County.  He built 
the Bronte Depot, starting in 1909 and finishing in 1911.  He also built 
the depots at Fort Chadbourne, Orient and Mertzon.
  
The Bronte Depot was the only stone depot maintained and entered into 
the "National Achieves". It is now owned and maintained by the Masonic 
Lodge.  Each of the depots had similar floor plans, which made for easier 
planning and construction.

"Big Jim" and Elizabeth had three children (Vernon, Leslie and 
Nettie [Coalson]. "Big Jim" was a hard worker (German ethic) and 
encouraged his children to be independent and to take care of themselves 
at an early age.
  
In addition to building the depots at various locations, '"Big Jim" is 
credited with building many of the stone buildings on Main Street in 
Bronte, plus many of the rock residences.
  
One item of interest that was passed down from a main street merchant 
involved the aggressiveness and reliability of "Big Jim" in honoring his 
commitments to the community.  During construction of one of the 
downtown buildings, a section of rock/brick shifted and fell on "Big Jim".  
According to the merchant, this accident would have put most people in 
the hospital, but  "Big Jim" simply got up; dusted off the stone dust 
and told the other employees that "we have a building to complete, so we 
need to proceed as planned."  This is part of the nature of the 
reliability of "Big Jim."
  
Before they started paving roads, the stone/gravel roads were subject 
to washouts when it did rain on occasion. "Big Jim" organized a work 
crew who hand built the concrete culverts in Coke, Nolan and Mitchell 
County on most of the important gravel roads. All of the roads were 
built using teams of mules and horses to move and grade the stone/gravel.  
"Big Jim' and crew used teams and freight wagons to haul all of their 
needed materials from site to site and all concrete was mixed by hand 
using "concrete eye hoes" and then poured by hand into the wooden forms.
Royce Fancher's father was a member of one of   "Big Jim's" crews and, 
according to Royce, worked one complete winter building concrete culverts.  
Royce's father told his son that they used a lot of rock from local work 
locations in the concrete mix since it was so difficult to haul all of 
the materials by wagon. Of course, all of these were replaced when they 
started paving roads and building better sub-structures.
  
"Big Jim" was interested in the improvements that were made in Bronte with 
the new Railroad Depot and the new "Downtown Area". As history would 
indicate, he was proud of the opportunity afforded to him and his family 
to be involved in many of the improvements of the growing town that 
really started with the advent of the Orient Railroad and the Bronte Depot.


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