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DEVINE HOMETOWN HISTORY:

This historic Mill & Elevator in Devine, Texas employed hundreds of local adults and youth in its long and storied history. Depending on your generation, you may call it, “SWT”, the “Co-op”, “Devine Mill & Elevator”, or just “The Mill”, but no matter the name, the mission was the same . But in 1915 ground was broken here to build the first mill in Devine as the “Adams Company Corn Sheller”. The elevator was added soon after to load the corn into the rail cars after they were shelled.
Hometown History….
By Nancy Ehlinger Saathoff, Devine Historical Committee
Devine Mill & Elevator – Tri-County Farmers Co-op – SWT Farm & Ranch Supply was a large employer of full-time, summer, seasonal, and high school workers in Devine for many decades! It was also the go-to Feed & Seed business for area farmers & ranchers, as well as home gardeners. Customers were greeted with the smells and sounds of a busy feed store like baby chicks peeping, grain drills churning, and the regular train whistling as it traveled on the nearby tracks. The sights, sounds and smells are often engrained with other memories, whether from a customer or people who worked there.

With those memories in mind, the Facebook page posted this picture of the Mill, and asked followers for any special memories they might have of the Mill. My dad, Arthur Ehlinger, worked at the Mill for over 30 years so the memories of the people, sights, sounds, and smells are very familiar and special to me too. And every time I pass by that elevator tower at the Mill, I think of him and those memories.
*Here are some memories that were posted this week, and a follow-up article will add more. Some of these memories are from customers, former employees, and even children or grandchildren of customers or employees, and give us a good idea of the value that this old building and tower represent in our community.
“Back when we were kids, our grandparents raised parakeets. We used to go with our grandpa to get birdseed from there. There was an older man that worked there who didn’t have an arm. I was always so shocked he could carry those big bags of seed. He also used a wooden dolly.” “I remember watching him load our feed/seed. I don’t think I ever knew who he was, just that he was a nice man and always there. I always loved the way that feed store smelled.” *Mr. Timoteo Ambriz (Timo) was a strong and friendly employee of the Tri-County Farmers Co-op for many years. He lost his arm in an accident at the Mill, but returned to work there and was a great example for everyone with not only his physical strength, but his strength of character.
“My father, Tucker D. Irwin, worked as the bookkeeper throughout the 50s and 60s until he was forced to retire due to health issues. When I was a child, I used to walk there after school, just to spend time with him and watch him work. I was in awe of him and marveled at his interactions with others, giving advice to farmers about which seeds to plant, and when, which fertilizers to use on which crops and which feed to feed livestock. I thought he was one of the smartest men I knew! I remember the smells of seed, fertilizers, livestock food, and pesticides and can still smell those things to this very day. Some of my fondest memories were there with him. Mr. Alton Martin and Mr. Arthur Ehlinger were there and were good friends with my dad for all those years. And yes, I remember that terrible day Paul Bain Marin was injured, and nearly died, when a ton of, I believe, cotton see hull fell on him while he was working with it. Amazing place and amazing days of my life.” *There are articles about Paul Bain Martin in the Devine News archives, including one written by him a few years ago.
*Mr. Tucker Irwin was a veteran of WWII, who was wounded and lost his legs in battle. He, like Mr. Timo Ambriz, never let their injuries stop them from working full time and supporting their families.
“I remember the chiclet machine. I worked there one summer typing names and addresses of the farmers on envelopes and sending out invitations to the stockholders’ meeting. Mr. Timo Ambriz worked there for years. He was always so kind and funny with us kids, especially when all of us kids (siblings) came in.”
“I remember going there with my grandfather, Tharon Savage, to buy feed and Mr. Hope would give me a DumDum sucker. When we moved back to Devine, I bought feed there several times, but they closed shortly after.”
“I worked there a bit while in high school. There was an old guy there that worked in the mill that could out work any man there, no matter his age. He had to be in his mid-60s.”
“My brother worked there for awhile under Butch Roberson. I was too young and so I worked for Floyd Newman in the peanut fields moving irrigation pipes. I liked the smell of the feed store when I walked in there. I have happy memories of my Grandpa Leo Bohl St. taking me there. He would buy me chicks at Easter time.”
“We shopped there frequently. I always liked the smell.”
“My brother and I worked there during our Jr. and Sr. years in high school. After graduation by brother continued to work there a few years longer.”
These are but a few of the memories, and more with be shared in a later article.

• We would love to hear YOUR MEMORIES of the MILL too, so if you have any stories, pictures, or even small memories, please share them on the Facebook page for the Devine Historical Committee or contact me, Nancy Saathoff at gnsaathoff@aol.com, Facebook messenger, or call or text me at 210-289-6205.