A Moment in History
Boydstun home
Some may remember the dilapidated Boydstun home that sat to the northeast of the Benton viaduct. It was torn down in 1969 almost 88 years after it was built. The Boydstun home was one of the first homes built in Big Spring. The house was sold before the Benton viaduct was even built. Once Mr. Boydstun died in 1930, it stood empty for over 39 years, void of laughter, family celebration and happiness.
J.B.D. (Benjamin) Boydstun, listed as a Civil Engineer, arrived in Howard County in 1881 just as the tracks were being laid for the T&P Railroad. He purchased a half section of land surrounding the property where he built his home and eventually sold all but 10 acres. Walter Roper purchased the eastern portion of Mr. Boydstuns land and this was later known as Roper's Grove, Parrish Park and then Cottonwood Park. It was in the low draw where Casey Campers is now located, and it stretched to the track area. Boydstun laid out and sub divided the land south of his home and named the streets with letters from his last name: Benton, Owen, Young, Donley, State, Temperance, and Union. He never named a street for the letter ‘n' as his land had reached the city limit boundry.
Boydstun began building his home in the late fall and early winter of 1881-82. On February 12, 1882, the Boydstun family moved into their new two-story home. It faced Benton Street which, at the time was named Demming.
During an interview, several years ago, the Boydstuns granddaughter Florene Wilshire, described the home as a “showplace in it's day.” “The yard was fenced with a decorative picket fence. A wire fence encircled the property to keep out stray cattle. She said “the lower floor had a living room and large guest bedroom located on the south side of the home. There was a door that opened out onto a large covered porch (on the south) where the family and company would gather to visit and the children would play under the shade of the large mesquite tree There was a cistern on the porch where one could draw a cool drink of water. On the north side of the home there was a large dining room where the family would gather for meals and happy times.” Mrs. Wilshire added “Grandmother Boydstun was known for her good cooking. Aunt Nannie helped grandmother by keeping the biscuits hot and serving the delicious food to the guests. The kitchen was right off the dining room and had a large walk in pantry that was filled with shelves of canned vegetables, fruits, and meats.” She continued “You would enter the home into a hallway which circled the stairway that led to three bedrooms once upstairs. When you reached the upstairs landing, you could enter the bedroom to the north, south or the favorite bedroom which had a vaulted ceiling in it and was located at the back of the stairs. From the hallway upstairs, you could walk out onto the upper porch. Our most happiest times were spent on the front porch listening to grandfather teach us the old songs, which I still remember.”
Florene's mother was Malinda Idelia (Delta) Boydstun. On July 6, 1904, Delta came down the stairway in her wedding dress as she married her beau, Edgar Dean Gillespie. Before that, in 1890, Boydstuns other daughter, Jennie married John W. Cook in the yard before many friends and family.
In November 1882, the First Christian Church was organized in the Boydstun home. They continued to have meetings there until a church home was built. Mr. Boydstun along with I.D. Eddins served the First Christian Church as the first Elders.
Mr. Boydstun was hired by the T&P Railroad as one of the first surveyors in Big Spring however, his original purpose was to establish an experimental agricultural farm. He planted numerous testing crops including the first cotton crop in Howard County. Boydstun had to consider the climate and the soil which convinced him that this would be good cotton country. In 1885, he broke out four acres of land and planted it in cotton. He was rewarded with two bales on the four acres. Since there was no gin, even thought of, he loaded the seed cotton in a box car and took it to Sweetwater to have it ginned. He sold his first bale of cotton in Sweetwater to cover his expenses but brought the second bale back to Big Spring in hopes of raising $100 for the premium first bale. His hopes were dashed when he was unable to raise even a dime for his bale. “Cotton raising went on the shelf for about 15 more years.” Joe Pickle Gettin Started. Boydstun fared better with his fruit and vegetable crops. He claimed to have a vine, (in 1883) that yielded 29 watermelons for which he sold for $29. The following year, his 1 ½ acre plot of melons returned him $500 in revenue. Fresh fruits and vegetables were probably a welcome site for West Texas pioneers.
Mr. Boydstun lived to be one month shy of his 93rd birthday. He died on May 6, 1930. The Boydstun's daughter continued to live in the home until her death in 1939. The home was then sold to Lena Jeffreys and her husband who wanted the property to board their horses on. The home was never occupied after the Boydstuns and it then fell victim to vandalism and destruction. Located so close to the tracks, it was used as a safe house for unwanted travelers who would start campfires inside.