City of Edna

Edna, Did You Know?

Edna became known as “Flag City, U.S.A.” during the Vietnam War.

According to information on display in the Texana Museum, in 1968 Mayor A.D. Tinker requested that the city council pass a resolution condemning anti-war demonstrations and decreeing “that the flag of the United States of America be displayed along our streets until an honorable peace has been secured in Vietnam.”

The resolution read: “Inasmuch as our sons were risking their lives in a conflict on foreign soil; and knowing the draft card burning, protest marches and anti-war demonstrations aided and comforted the enemy and prolonged the war; the City of Edna condemned all such unAmerican activities, and wished to show its support of the government of the United States, and decreed that the Flag of the United States be flown along City streets until an honorable peace had been secured in Vietnam.”

News of the city’s resolution was picked up by The Associated Press, spreading across the nation and even into the military’s Stars and Stripes newspaper. One serviceman stationed in Vietnam became a celebrity among his peers because Edna was his hometown.

As the city website says, “this patriotic, no-nonsense attitude still exists in Edna and is symbolized by the ongoing use of the Flag City motto and the daily display of American flags in downtown Edna.”

- “Appreciation Day in Flag City, USA: Jackson County’s Tribute to Vietnam Veterans,” published by The Edna Herald newspaper in 1970.
- “History of Edna” on the city website at https://www.cityofedna.com/page/history-of-edna
- Photos courtesy of Roy Ortolon and Mike Hessong

Edna, Did You Know?

The railroad didn’t just transport people and supplies. It also hauled cattle.

According to I.T. Taylor in his book, “The Cavalcade of Jackson County, Third Edition,” the first stock shipping pens were located to the west of town, near the J.O. Brown residence, and were soon replaced with 10 acres donated by George S. Gayle. Gayle stipulated in the contract that the railroad must build and maintain a “substantial” fence around the track to keep the livestock from getting loose.

According to Taylor, Edna had the distinction for a number of years of being the largest cattle shipping point in Texas, and probably the largest in the world, in part due to the cattlemen knowing they wouldn’t have to watch over their herds during the night.

The photograph, provided by Frank Condron to Roy Ortolon, shows cattle around 1900 outside of the old livery stable by the railroad tracks.

- “The Cavalcade of Jackson County, Third Edition,” page 117.
- Photo Courtesy of Roy Ortolon and Frank Condron.

Edna, Did You Know?

The Houston Natural Gas Company was the first company under contract to provide natural gas to the City of Edna. The city passed an ordinance in 1927 approving the contract.

The photo above shows a group of ladies at the service counter inside of the Houston Natural Gas Company building.

- “The Cavalcade of Jackson County, Third Edition,” page 122.
- Photo Courtesy of Mr. Jim Chase and Mr. Roy Ortolon.

Edna, Did You Know?

While an empty, 0.3 acre lot inside the City of Edna might list on Realtor.com today at $30,000, in 1882 when the railroad came through, prices for lots were much different.

According to I.T. Taylor in his book, “The Cavalcade of Jackson County, Third Edition,” the Killough corner lot sold for $125, the Allen corner lot for $75, the Utzman corner lot for $90, and A.A. Egg’s warehouse site for $234. Lot sizes were 50x140 feet.

Pictured is the Allen Bank Building, built in 1896 at the corner of Main Street and Wells Street. The Egg Grocery Store is to the right of the bank.

- “The Cavalcade of Jackson County, Third Edition,” page 111.
- Photo courtesy of Mr. Roy Ortolon and Wells Fargo Bank.

Edna, Did You Know?

City government and services expanded in 1929.

E.D. White was elected Mayor in April 1929, with W.R. Farquhar and W.I. Marvin elected as Commissioners. Later that year, W.M. Fooshee was named Engineer to build the city’s first water and sewer system, and J.W. Wheeler was chosen as the first City Attorney.
- “The Cavalcade of Jackson County, Third Edition,” page 122.
- Photo courtesy of City of Edna.

Edna, Did You Know?

The Dr Pepper Museum in Waco just celebrated its 35th birthday with the unveiling of the world’s largest Dr Pepper bottle.

But there’s plenty of vintage Dr Pepper bottles around Edna, due to the city being home to one of the regional bottling facilities.

According to information from local historians Frank Condron and Roy Ortolon, as well as the Dr Pepper Museum, Edna businessmen and brothers Dewey and Schley Strane opened a bottling facility in 1925 on E. Main Street, close to where Efficiency Air is located today. The plant acquired the Dr Pepper franchise in 1931 and bottled Dr Pepper, 7UP, and Delaware Punch. It was regarded as one of the better facilities in the region.

In December 1943 the brothers acquired the Victoria bottling facility, and around 1945 or 1946 they moved their operations to S. East Street near where Kotlar Plumbing is located today. In 1955 Schley bought out his brother and combined the Edna and Victoria operations so the Edna plant was closed.

- Information and photos provided by Roy Ortolon, including text from Frank Condron
- Dr Pepper Museum historical information pinned at https://www.historypin.org/pins/92081/

Edna, Did You Know?

On Jan. 2, 1926, Edna residents voted 212-69 to for a “Commission Government”, thus becoming an incorporated city with S.G. Drushel elected as Edna’s first mayor.

According to I.T. Taylor’s book, “The Cavalcade of Jackson County, Third Edition,” P.W. Clement and J.M. Hutcheson were elected as the Commissioners, but when Hutcheson did not qualify to serve, E.T. Rose was appointed to the position. In addition, A.E. Lovett was appointed City Clerk, Treasurer, Assessor, and Collector for the city.
- “The Cavalcade of Jackson County, Third Edition,” page 122.
- Photo Courtesy of City of Edna.

Edna, Did You Know?

Railroad owner Count J. Telfener loved his daughters so much that we recognize their names nearly 150 years later.
As the Count built the New York, Texas and Mexico Railroad between Victoria County and Wharton County, he named railway stations in his daughters’ honor. Those stations grew to be the towns of Edna and Inez. Louise, however, is a slightly different story. Although "The Cavalcade of Jackson County" lists Louise as a daughter, other records available at the Texana Museum show her to have been Count Telfener's sister-in-law and an aunt to Edna and Inez.
Nonetheless, Telfener’s 1881 map shows the entire length that he originally planned to build, prior to the creation of the stations that later became Louise and Inez.

- Texana Museum
- “The Cavalcade of Jackson County, Third Edition,” page 110.
- Map By Giuseppe Telfener - UTA Libraries Cartographic Connections: map / text, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=106360262

Edna, Did You Know?

Have you ever driven or walked on Ed Linn Street by the theater and wondered what that large metal object in the pavement is?

It formed the base that held a stop sign before the signs were moved to the side of the road. They were installed in 1937 around town, but only the one by the Edna Theater remains. As traffic lights were installed, the signs in the middle of the roads were removed.

- Photos courtesy of Mr. Roy Ortolon.

Edna City Manager Gary Broz, along with Victoria Economic Development Corp. Regional Partnership President Jonas Titas, CEcD, and Operations Director Diane Drussell, traveled to Washington, D.C. for the 2026 SelectUSA Investment Summit where Bauner Inc. announced it will build a $15 million facility in Edna. The facility will be located at the old rice dryer on Fannin Street and will produce aluminum siding products.