This week, Elm Grove Echoes turns its attention to a memorial that stands as a tribute to the pioneers and families who helped shape this community.
The Elm Grove Pioneers Ford Family Memorial is an impressive structure, measuring 45 feet long and 17 feet high at the center. Topping the memorial was an emblem of the State of Texas, and worked into the wrought iron are the words “Elm Grove Pioneers Ford Family Memorial.” Altogether, the memorial weighs approximately 1,800 pounds.
The project was the work of Mr. Hilary Ford, who was living in Victoria at the time of the article but said he returned home to Elm Grove as often as possible. Like so many rural communities, much of Elm Grove’s activity centered around the old schoolhouse. By then, the school had been converted into a community center and was in the process of being refurbished.
One of the biggest gatherings each year was the Elm Grove Rodeo, held behind the old schoolhouse. Ford said he always tried to return for those special occasions. The meal, according to Mr. Ford, was much like a large family reunion. At the end of the day, any leftover barbecue was sold for two dollars a pound.
The idea for the large memorial actually began with a much smaller project. Ford recalled friends looking at the cupola, (a small, dome-like or square structure that sits on top of a larger roof or dome) atop the old schoolhouse, where the school bell had once been housed, and deciding that it needed a weathervane. Ford set out to make one that would be special to Elm Grove. Along with the date it was made, the weathervane listed four nearby communities and their distances from Elm Grove: Indian Creek, nine miles; Holt, six miles; Bowser, eight miles; and Milburn, six miles.
That project planted the seed for something much larger.
Ford, Elm Grove native and a retired industrial arts teacher in Victoria, brought out his welding equipment and began work on the memorial. The project would take two years and a great deal of research. At times, it must have seemed almost too large an undertaking, even for the energetic 67-year-old, but he refused to give up on his plan.
His goal was simple and heartfelt: to create a lasting tribute to the friends, neighbors, and pioneers of Elm Grove.
What began with a weathervane on an old schoolhouse grew into a memorial that still tells a story of community pride, craftsmanship, and remembrance. It is a reminder that the history of Elm Grove was built not only in buildings and landmarks, but by people who cared enough about their community to make sure its story would not be forgotten.
I believe it is time for a quick road trip to Elm Grove to check out this community memorial marker and to see the old schoolhouse with fresh eyes, can’t you just imagine the guys proudly installing this memorial and thinking to themselves, “a job well done”. What a legacy!