By Carol J. Rhodes
The tiny town of Dime Box dates back to the mid-1800’s when the area was first settled by German immigrants. Its unusual name brings visitors from all over the state. And while it’s true there’s not a lot to do here, most enjoy a leisurely walk around the town, or less than a quarter of a mile away, an old railroad bridge attracts both professional and amateur photographers.
The gasoline pumps in front of a small old-style filling station still bear traces of stickers when Magnolia gasoline was sold there. The barber shop’s original striped pole and faded leather chair, as well as pomades in etched glass bottles, invite the occasional customer.
The building that was once Alber’s Drug Store appears the same as when it was built in 1910 with its red brick, weathered doors, and a porch roof held in
place by metal stays. Now, a newly painted sign invites you to eat at the “Downtown Restaurant & Bar”. Iron rods cover the windows of the building next door. Formerly the jail, and in later years a liquor store, it’s vacant now.
There’s a weld shop where the owner still forges special parts to repair age-old machinery, and a lumber yard that sells a little bit of everything from nuts and bolts to fertilizer. One small grocery store, with cement floor, bare bulbs, and old-style drink coolers, carries a limited supply of such necessities as Big Red soda pop, Shiner beer, summer sausage, and hunks of rat trap cheese. On Saturdays, if you’re there early, you can buy a sliced barbeque sandwich oozing with thick, red sauce.
It’s not unusual to hear a few older folks speaking English with a German or Czech accent, some more pronounced than others. Numerous AfricanAmerican families whose slave ancestors inherited their parcels of land after the Civil War live here, mostly in an area known as Beat Five, while the oil boom of the eighties brought Mexican-Americans to the area.
Not many young people return here after college due to the lack of jobs that pay enough to support a family. But those who do quickly become involved with the Dime Box Homecoming, Fall Festival, & Fun Run held annually the first Saturday in October, and the frequent turkey, barbeque, or fried chicken dinners hosted by local churches. They are the ones, too, whose children benefit from the small Class A school district that regularly boasts of merit scholars, championship
athletic teams, and state and national winners in FFA, 4-H, and rodeo competitions
In a town too small to be incorporated, a district justice of the peace serves as the only form of city government. Minor crime offenders spend time chopping weeds, mowing grass, or picking up trash. The local Lions Club sponsors a recycling program, and provides help for fire victims or those with serious medical needs. Nine churches of various denominations in a four mile radius reflect the strong religious heritage and ethnic diversity of Dime Box residents.
First called Brown’s Mill, Dime Box was renamed and relocated around the turn of the century. The original settlement, now referred to as Old Dime Box, is hardly more than a wide place in the road on State Highway 21 between Bryan/College Station and Austin. When the railroad pushed through central Texas, missing Dime Box by three miles, the locals decided to move the town to the railroad. FM 141 connects it to US 290 in the Lee County seat of Giddings eighteen miles away,
Before there was a post office in Dime Box, mail was delivered once a week by a postman on horseback. When the farmers in the area needed a box of snuff, they would place a dime in an empty snuff box. The postman would buy a new box of snuff in town and deliver it on his next run. From this “dime box of snuff” tradition, Dime Box became the new name when the similarity between
Brown’s Mill and Brownsville became a problem, There have been many different
stories about how the town got its name, but this one seems to surface most often.
Every Saturday night, there’s a dance at the local SPJST (a Czech fraternal organization) hall where live bands play familiar polkas, waltzes, and “Put Your Little Foot”, along with country Western tunes and, now, even the macarena.
Two events have put Dime Box in the news: In 1988, it was the first town in the country when one hundred percent of its residents answered President Roosevelt’s appeal for the “March Dimes to Washington” campaign to help in the fight against polio. And in 1976, the local bank gained prominence on Wall Street when it was first bank in the country to lower its prime lending rate.
HOW TO GET THERE: Dime Box is about 100 miles northwest of Houston. Take US 290 to Giddings, then FM 141 to Dime Box. Nearby, Nails Creek State Park on Lake Somerville is open year-round for camping. Call the Somerville Chamber of Commerce at 409/596-2383. Six motels are located in Giddings. Call the Giddings Area Chamber of Commerce, 409/542-3455, for more information.
