Early Bonnetmaker, Frances Thornton, made an appearance and
conducted a style-show of her wares, on Thursday night, at a joint
meeting of the Hopkins County Historical Society and Hopkins County
Genealogical Society, in Heritage Park.
Early Businesswoman, Frances Thornton,
Makes Appearance, Thursday Night
by: Bobby McDonald
In what is fast becoming an annual tradition, local historian, Lavyn Sisco, brought the life and times of Hopkins County businesswoman and bonnetmaker, Frances Thornton, "to life" for a joint meeting of the Hopkins County Genealogical Society and the Hopkins County Historical Society, in Heritage Park, Thursday night. In the three previous years, Sisco has portrayed historical women, Sarah Atkins, Isabella Hopkins, and Myra Wilson, as she tells about their lives, customs, and cultures, as Hopkins County was formed. "It's always one of the most talked about meetings of the year!" expressed John Sellers, a member of both groups. "Everyone enjoys the work and talent that Lavyn brings to these presentations about some of our noted historical women, in the county. I don't know who she will choose to bring to us next year, but everyone is already anticipating the program!"
Frances Thornton was born Frances Eliza Hunt, on May 12, 1866, on a Louisiana plantation, to a Scottish father and Irish mother, and had a privileged upbringing. She was educated near her home and after completing her schooling, was hired to teach school in Haynesville, Louisiana. She then married Benjamin H. Thornton, and the young couple made plans to move to Sulphur Springs in 1894.
Sandra Glenn modeled one of Thornton's bonnet designs that was
black and worn to funerals or used by women in mourning.
Once in Hopkins County, they made their home in the city of Sulphur Springs, where Benjamin was a merchant, who drove his wagon throughout the rural areas of the county, selling notions, dry goods, and supplies to families in the "outer reaches" of the county. In return, he received money or exchanged his goods for poultry, eggs, and butter, that he returned to Sulphur Springs and offered for sale.
Bonnets were very fashionable at this period in history and having been taught to sew, crochet, and embroider, by her mother, Frances designed and made a bonnet. Soon, her friends were asking her to make one for them, and it became so successful that she made a few for her husband to include on his wagon, as he "went to the country." The farm and rural women liked the bonnets so well that they were asking for more!
Business was "booming!" Benjamin was selling every bonnet she made and his business prospered enough that they were able to "burn the note on their home." Then, Benjamin suddenly became ill and died. Frances was left a young widow with three daughters to rear. This wasn't her first heartbreak, as a son, Thurman Allen Thornton, had died at the age of four months. Six months after losing her husband, she lost one of her beloved daughters, Myrtie.
Frances had been purchasing bonnet material from T.C. Perry, owner of the "Mississippi Store," located on the west side of the square, in Downtown Sulphur Springs, where Faulk Drug Store later located. Mr. Perry was the person who advised and encouraged Frances to begin her bonnet making business.
She first began making the bonnets in her home. In addition to the sewing machine that she already owned, she borrowed another one and hired two orphan girls to help her with the business. The business soon outgrew her home and she located the business in the second story of the Mississippi Store Building. Doing her own designs, cutting, and a great deal of sewing, she soon had to hire a third employee. As she built her business, she pledged to hire women who were faced with the same situations as herself....she hired widows and orphans and encouraged them to be independent women. However, as the business grew, she eventually hired other women who needed to supplement the family income.
This model demonstrates the fashionable bonnet and matching
apron, produced by Thornton in her factory.
The business outgrew this location and she moved it to the KP Building, on Main Street, where the J.M Pearson Piano Company had been located, and occupied the entire building.
Ezra M. Tate encouraged her to patent her bonnet designs. He was Postmaster and the Tate family had come to Texas, in 1861, from Kentucky. Shortly after arriving here, he enlisted in the Confederate Army and was assigned to Company E, 9th Texas Regiment. After his army service, he returned to Hopkins County, read law and was admitted to the bar in 1866. He married Miss Elizabeth Bowen, in 1869. Ezra founded The Hopkins County Echo, in Sulphur Springs. He had three sons. The youngest son, Henry Percy Tate, later married Frances Thornton's daughter, Sydney Irene Thornton, on October 7, 1907, in a Sulphur Springs wedding.
With Ezra's encouragement, Frances filed a patent application on May 31, 1890, with the U.S. Patent Office. She presented the ideas for making and improving bonnets, including a description of the bonnet, the material in which was made, and a drawing of the bonnets. Frances received her patent, on January 2, 1900, with two witnesses signing the document.
In 1907, she built a new home on Gilmer Street, just south of the railroad tracks. The house was built from a kit, designed by architects, Gene Hodge and W.E. Ellis. The precut cypress pieces were shipped to Sulphur Springs, on the railroad. The house was called, "The House of Seven Gables" because of its design.
Some of the upstairs rooms in the new home, were occupied by Frances' employees. On the part of the property facing South Davis Street, there was a small pasture where she kept a cow and several goats, for milking. The young women employed took turns milking and they sold milk, cream, and butter to their customers.
Sisco told of the utility advantages of the aprons produced by Thornton, as
they could be used to carry "a mess" of green peas, apples from the orchard,
or pecans from the tree.
In 1912, Frances built a bonnet and dress factory, on the land behind the house, and it faced South Davis Street. The factory was one of the first in Sulphur Springs and operated approximately twenty-five sewing machines, including the "double needle," "button hole," "button," and "hemstiching machines." The factory had an office, a storage room, two long cutting counters, a shipping counter, besides the sewing area. They saved every "scrap" of cloth and the scraps were used in making quilts and rag rugs. The women learned how to sew by making small brown muslin bags for packing uses, that were purchased by the Pratt Packing Company to package their sausages.
When the factory opened, twenty-five women were employed by the business, and Frances Thornton loved her employees and "looked after them" as if they were her own family. She was delighted at giving them the opportunities they had not had in life, and was proud of their advancement in learning a marketable skill, that would help them provide for themselves and their families.
As time passed, her daughter, Sydney, assumed the role of manager and designer, in the company, and it "freed" Frances to travel and present her merchandise to the market. The company expanded its line to include an apron dress, that was worn over the standard dress, and very popular at the time. Sydney's designs proved very popular and successful to add to the original bonnet designs. They also added a "romper" design for children, and a paterns foor sateen bloomers, for little girls, that proved very successful.
Her son-in-law, Percy Tate, was now traveling and selling aprons, bonnets, rompers, and bloomers to Sangers and Tiches, in Dallas, and Joske's in San Antonio.
Frances Thornton was proud when she once placed a $5,000.00 order or material, signifying the growth of her Sulphur Springs business. She traveled on marketing trips to Chicago and St. Louis, and became widely know, wherever she went, truly a success story for a business and its owner, developed from a need in Sulphur Springs.
One Sanger's advertisement offered a $2.59 value, of one of Thornton's bonnets, for a sale price of $1.95. It was a value buy for the consumer. Her bonnets and aprons met every woman's demands and were fashionable, with quality design and construction, from the percale cloth, in solids, stripes, checks, plaids, dots, and formal designs. Pearl buttons, appliques, collars, bow sashes, and other designs added to the appeal of Mrs. Thornton's creations. Her motto was always, "Not the cheapest but the BEST, was put to the test!"
Models joined Sisco in presenting this great and informative program.
Sisco solicited the help of several of her friends and they conducted a style show for those in attendance at Thursday night's meeting. Then, everyone was invited to a "social" in the historic Atkins House, where cookies and punch were enjoyed by everyone, and those in attendance had the opportunity to questions Sisco about the life of Frances Thornton.
Sarah Atkins' portrait "overlooked" the festivities in her home, in Heritage Park....
As those in attendance enjoyed cookies and punch.....
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