Cotton Gin Museum
Burton helped bring the cotton industry to Texas
In the eyes of the public, the formative influence of the cotton industry on Texas life has often been overshadowed by that of oil and gas. But it’s worth remembering that the foundation of the Texas economy was truly cattle and cotton — a story told by a small museum and a working gin nestled deep in the Texas Independence Trail Region.
From the period when Texas was a state of Mexico to its days as an independent republic, and finally to its inclusion as part of the United States, Texas evolved as a unique blend of Hispanic, black and Anglo cultures. Washington County, in which Burton is situated, was among the earliest locations to receive the wave of new immigrants who brought the cotton industry to Texas.
Crossing the border from Louisiana to Texas for travel, trade or immigration was closely controlled in the early years. The Mexican Constitution of 1824 changed that, allowing American and European farmers along with their African slaves to immigrate into Coahuila y Texas (present day Texas). It wasn’t long before the northward expansion of cattle ranchers powered by Spanish and Mexican immigrants met the westward push of cotton farmers from the United States.
Left The Burton Farmers Gin as it was in 1914. Right Quin Dell Kroll’s father weighs cotton before it’s ginned.
After the Civil War, with slavery abolished, cotton growers were forced to devise new approaches to their business. Plantation-type gins were replaced by community gins, which automated and sped up the process of ginning cotton considerably. And the establishment of railroads introduced an extremely cost-effective way to transport cotton bales to market.
The small town of Burton sprang up when the Houston Texas Central Railroad built a track from Houston to Austin. In 1913, 13 Burton men formed the Burton Farmers Gin Association and built an “air system” cotton gin, opening for business in 1914. The gin was initially powered by a steam engine until 1925, when a Bessemer fuel oil engine was installed. That was the power source for 38 years until an electric motor was installed with the Bessemer as a backup. The last year of commercial operation of the gin was 1974, as cattle and dairy farming replaced cotton farming in the area.
The Burton Farmers Gin is the oldest operating gin in America. It is a National Historic Engineering Landmark, is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, and is designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark. Since 1986, volunteers have maintained the gin, which has, since 1994, continued to gin at least a couple bales a year. Visitors to the gin may tour museum exhibits and experience firsthand the process of ginning and baling cotton.
As a bonus, the Texas Cotton Gin Museum is located in the Burton Commercial Historic District, a remarkable collection of historic structures. The district contains 28 buildings that contribute to a National Register designation, including retail stores, industrial buildings, a railroad depot and a portion of the railroad right- of-way, all providing a glimpse of Texas’ industrial past.
