Copyright USGenNet Inc., 2026 All Rights Reserved USGenNet Data Repository Please read USGenNet Copyright Statement on this page: Transcribed and submitted by Linda Talbott for the USGenNet Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ =========================================================================== USGenNet Data Repository Notice: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization. Non-commercial organizations desiring to use this material must obtain the consent of the transcriber prior to use. Individuals desiring to use this material in their own research may do so. ============================================================================= Formatted by USGenNet Data Repository Chief Archivist, Linda Talbott All of the above information must remain when copied or downloaded. ============================================================================= Galveston Daily News Tuesday, 17 January, 1911 Beeville, Tex. Jan. 17. -- The ruins of the Bee County court house, which was burned here last night, sufficiently cooled by this morning for the vault containing the county records to be opened. They were found to be intact, nothing being injured. The outer-door of the safe of the Tax Collector fell open during the fire and the tax rolls were lost, but the polltax books were not consumed, though badly scorched. All the County Surveyor's papers, including a valuable map of the county, on which he was at work, together with the field notes were destroyed. County Judge COX also lost a valuable abstract on which he has been at work for the past four years. He had spent $2,000 upon it. The insurance policies carried by the county upon the build- ing for $4,200 were found in the Tax Collector's safe, somewhat scorched, but entirely legible. The building consumed is one of the few remaining frame court houses to be found in Texas. It was built in 1879 of Florida pine, carted from the of Port of St. Mary's, forty miles from here. The County Commissioners had Wednesday let the contract for a new brick court house to cost $75,000 and had contracted with a local builder to removed the old court house. The origin of the fire still remains a mystery. At the telephone office, just across the street, a call was sent in for a physician at 11:20. The operator noticed no fire at that time. Five minutes later his attention was attracted by the glare of fire and the en- tire southeast corner of the building was bursting with flames. ===============================================================================