My town, Mt. Vernon, Texas, is only a blip on the map to those who pass it by on their journey down the interstate. The population at last count was roughly 2,000, with more folks leaving each year than staying. Old highway 67 becomes Main Street as it passes through the town square, and if you blink you can miss the town entirely.
The town square, for years, has been filled with the ghosts of businesses that have moved on or simply died. Last year the courthouse on the square was reopened after a long renovation process. Some of the old buildings are beginning to be redone and we're stating to see the sprouts of new life in a dying town.
One of those buildings stands on the southeast corner of the square. After sitting abandoned for years, a local resident purchased it and recently renovated the building. It is now home to the Watermelon Mills Coffeehouse. That building, and the man who once owned it, is the story.
William Cullen Mills was born July 28, 1910, and grew up in the small rural town of Mount Vernon, Texas. As with most young boys in that era, he spent his childhood outdoors and made his own entertainment. On one such day, William and a group of friends thieved a few watermelons from a farmer's patch and were having a grand ol' time tossing them off the local railroad trestle bridge. Deputy Sheriff Mal Moore just happened to pass by, and they all ran for cover. While making their escape, young William fought with a barbed wire fence, leaving noticeable scratches up and down his arms. A few days later Deputy Moore saw William in town and nonchalantly asked the boy, "So where'd you get those scratches, Watermelon?" And so began the nickname he carried from then on.
"Watermelon" Mills eventually left Mount Vernon and joined the U.S. Army, where he served for six years. After the Army, Watermelon did a little bit of everything…from being a farmer, to a roughneck, and even a security guard. He was laid off at the age of 50, and decided it was finally time to pursue his lifelong desire of becoming a barber. He cut hair the rest of his life in his beloved hometown, in a building that would eventually become known as "Watermelon's Hair Corner."
Watermelon's love for conversation and coffee (both of which he consumed in large amounts) was shadowed only by his love for his community. Many residents still remember "lemonade runs," when Watermelon would bring fresh-squeezed lemonade out to summer football practices for the players to enjoy.
His ability to wield a pair of shears and his mastery at storytelling earned Watermelon a loyal following that stayed with him for years; folks would continue to line up for a cut even when he hit his nineties and his hands shook a bit.
William Mills passed in 2003. He was later voted into the Franklin County Hall of Fame and to this day, people still speak of Watermelon with reverence and respect.
A side note: There is a BB hole in the building's plate glass window that faces main street. A young Don Meredith put that ding there decades ago; the same Don Meredith who grew up in Mt. Vernon, played football for the Dallas Cowboys and became a renowned sports commentator. Before he died, Watermelon asked that if the building was sold could the window be left as is. His wish was honored; the BB hole remains there today.
William Mills at the age of 90.
Early morning at the Watermelon Mills Coffeehouse. In my opinion they offer some of the best coffee I have ever tasted.
The town square, for years, has been filled with the ghosts of businesses that have moved on or simply died. Last year the courthouse on the square was reopened after a long renovation process. Some of the old buildings are beginning to be redone and we're stating to see the sprouts of new life in a dying town.
One of those buildings stands on the southeast corner of the square. After sitting abandoned for years, a local resident purchased it and recently renovated the building. It is now home to the Watermelon Mills Coffeehouse. That building, and the man who once owned it, is the story.
William Cullen Mills was born July 28, 1910, and grew up in the small rural town of Mount Vernon, Texas. As with most young boys in that era, he spent his childhood outdoors and made his own entertainment. On one such day, William and a group of friends thieved a few watermelons from a farmer's patch and were having a grand ol' time tossing them off the local railroad trestle bridge. Deputy Sheriff Mal Moore just happened to pass by, and they all ran for cover. While making their escape, young William fought with a barbed wire fence, leaving noticeable scratches up and down his arms. A few days later Deputy Moore saw William in town and nonchalantly asked the boy, "So where'd you get those scratches, Watermelon?" And so began the nickname he carried from then on.
"Watermelon" Mills eventually left Mount Vernon and joined the U.S. Army, where he served for six years. After the Army, Watermelon did a little bit of everything…from being a farmer, to a roughneck, and even a security guard. He was laid off at the age of 50, and decided it was finally time to pursue his lifelong desire of becoming a barber. He cut hair the rest of his life in his beloved hometown, in a building that would eventually become known as "Watermelon's Hair Corner."
Watermelon's love for conversation and coffee (both of which he consumed in large amounts) was shadowed only by his love for his community. Many residents still remember "lemonade runs," when Watermelon would bring fresh-squeezed lemonade out to summer football practices for the players to enjoy.
His ability to wield a pair of shears and his mastery at storytelling earned Watermelon a loyal following that stayed with him for years; folks would continue to line up for a cut even when he hit his nineties and his hands shook a bit.
William Mills passed in 2003. He was later voted into the Franklin County Hall of Fame and to this day, people still speak of Watermelon with reverence and respect.
A side note: There is a BB hole in the building's plate glass window that faces main street. A young Don Meredith put that ding there decades ago; the same Don Meredith who grew up in Mt. Vernon, played football for the Dallas Cowboys and became a renowned sports commentator. Before he died, Watermelon asked that if the building was sold could the window be left as is. His wish was honored; the BB hole remains there today.
William Mills at the age of 90.
Early morning at the Watermelon Mills Coffeehouse. In my opinion they offer some of the best coffee I have ever tasted.
