JOSEPH BLAKE MANOR

When the new town of Manor was formed in early 1872, the southernmost street running east to west was named Brenham Street. It wasn't long before roads were being laid out linking Manor with other nearby cities. One of those roads joined Brenham Street at its eastern end, connecting Manor with Webberville where James Manor's brother's family lived. For many years it was officially known simply as the "Manor and Webberville Road". At some as yet undetermined date, it was renamed "Blake Manor Road". Newspaper stories referred to it by that name as early as 1953.

Who was Blake Manor?

Joseph Blake Manor was born October 6, 1867 in Webberville, TX. He was most likely named after his Father, Joseph John Manor and his maternal Grandfather, Blake Barefield Forehand. He was the nephew of James Manor, founder of Manor, TX. By all appearances and indicators, he was a very successful farmer, capitalist and businessman in the Webberville, Manor and Austin area. Since his Father's name was also Joseph, he was most often known as J.B, especially in legal documents, but in newspapers he was often called Blake Manor. 

In 1904 he and 13 years old daughter Lillian attended the World's Fair in St. Louis, MO. 

On January 10, 1905 he purchased from his 2 sisters their inherited portion of their father's estate totaling about 655 acres of land, for a price of $1600.

TRAVIS COUNTY DEED RECORD 268, PAGE 97

For many years he owned and operated a mercantile/dry goods/grocery store store in Webberville - probably the same one started by his father in the 1840's. It was still in business at the time of his death. 

THE BASTROP ADVERTISER - JUNE 15, 1907

He was appointed a delegate to the Travis County Democratic Convention in 1908.

THE DAILY EXPRESS (SAN ANTONIO) - MAY 6, 1908

In 1909 he sold 2500 square feet of land in Webberville to Aaron Burleson as Trustee of the Missionary Baptist Church for $765.  A church building had already been erected on this land. 

TRAVIS COUNTY DEED RECORD 226, PAGE 433 (edited)

In 1911 he purchased 6 lots in block 23 of the new upscale Hyde Park subdivision of Austin for a total of $2500. The deed stipulated that houses built on these lots must be valued at a minimum of $3000 each. 

TRAVIS COUNTY DEED RECORD 245, PAGE 311

An article in the San Antonio Express newspaper for November 6, 1911 listed him as having the rank of fourteenth degree in the Masons of Austin.

Also in 1911 he attended the Shriners of Texas convention in Galveston where he was a candidate for admittance into the organization.

THE HOUSTON POST - AUGUST 20, 1911

He served as a trustee of First Baptist Church in Austin at least from 1915 to 1923, maybe longer.

"HISTORY OF FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH - AUSTIN TEXAS" - 1923

He grew and sold cotton and corn crops on his farm. He ran ads in newspapers for several years selling seed corn and cotton seed ginned from his farm land in Webberville.

THE DAILY EXPRESS (SAN ANTONIO)
SEPTEMBER 10, 1908

THE SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS 
FEBRUARY 11, 1920

THE OLNEY ENTERPRISE - MAY 9, 1924

Newspapers show that he was living on one of his lots at 4212 Avenue E (Speedway) in Hyde Park as early as 1919 when his car was hit by a street car in front of his house. 

THE AUSTIN AMERICAN STATESMAN
OCTOBER 12, 1919

He was one of nine Directors of the Citizens State Bank in Austin in the 1920's. 

AUSTIN CITY DIRECTORY - 1922

He was appointed and served as Travis County Grand Jury foreman in June 1922.

TEMPLE DAILY TELEGRAM - JULY 19, 1922

Austin City Directories in the early 1920's have him listed as President and Manager of the Travis County Livestock and Agricultural Association.

AUSTIN CITY DIRECTORY - 1922

The Journal of the House of Representatives of the Regular Session of the Thirty-Eighth Legislature of the State of Texas for 1923 stated that he owned 3000 plus acres of land near Webberville.

Travis County Deed Records document that 200 acres of the farm land was set aside for the J.B. Manor homestead in 1925. This land was declared by the court to be exempt from any forced sale of property. 

TRAVIS COUNTY PROBATE MINUTES 53, PAGE 251

While the Austin Statesman newspaper stated only that he died at "a local hospital", his death certificate records he died on March 4, 1926 at the age of 58 while a patient at the Oaks Sanitarium in north Austin. It further states that he had been suffering for four months with "Nervous Exhaustion" combined with "Financial Stress".

On March 30, 1926 Travis County Judge G.S. Matthews appointed Roy C. Archer and Banks McLaurin as administrators of J.B. Manor's estate which was, at that time, given a probable value of $25,000. (Travis County Probate Record 54, page 413)

The first report made by the administrators on August 9, 1926 showed that he owned 2578 acres of farm land in Travis and Bastrop counties in addition to about 25 lots in the town of Webberville. The appraised value of this property was listed as $139,785.00.

They also listed personal property in the amount of $14,125.53 giving his estate a total value of $153,913.53.

A subsequent report made on August 12th, showed that from April 10th to August 10th there was income in the amount of $12,542.81 and expenses in the amount of $11,414.28 leaving $1,128.53 cash on hand. 

This report also showed that J.B. Manor owed $100,000 in bank notes to four different banks where he had borrowed money to finance his land purchases and farming operations. These loans were all secured by lands owned by his estate. 

The administrators also said that there were 33 families that had contracts to farm over 2000 acres of the estate and that the land had already been prepared for planting. Therefore, it would be advisable to continue to  provide whatever was needed in the way of seeds, supplies, equipment and farm animals to complete the growing and harvesting of the current crops. Not to do so would cause a great loss to the estate. 

On April 5, 1927 it was also requested by the administrators that they be allowed to sell 16 different tracts of land belonging to the estate in order to pay off the notes carried by the banks. These 16 different tracts of land purchased separately by J.B. Manor had all been combined into one farm that made up the over 2000 acres of his estate.

In their final accounting made on April 9, 1928 the administrators reported that the notes to the banks had been satisfied by  transferring titles of most of the farm lands to the banks. No actual money was paid to the banks. 

After all was said and done, the remaining estate consisted of one 75 acre tract of farm land that had not been sold, along with the 25 city lots in Webberville. Included was about 50 head of mules and some old farm implements. Cash on hand was said to be $2520.80. 

Excluded from all of the negotiations and sales was the 200 acres of farm land that had been set aside and legally designated as the J.B. Manor homestead in 1925. This land was inherited by Minnie May (Cook) Manor, his wife for 36 years who he had married January 29, 1890. 

TRAVIS COUNTY MARRIAGE RECORD 7, PAGE 254

At the time of her death on April 22, 1928, she was still living in their house at 4212 Avenue E (Speedway) in Austin.

Both Joseph Blake Manor and Minnie May Manor are buried in the J. J. Manor Cemetery in Webberville. The headstone contains both of their names along with the name of their daughter Claudia who died the same year as her father at the age of 24.