Five thousand souls. One of the original 13 counties in Texas. As for the name . . . it's located on the absolute east-most part of the state. But it's in the center of the county.

<Dr. Smith voice> Oh the Payne

The Payne the payne the payne </dr. smith voice>

Recent news:

Members of the community and Shelby County ambassadors turned out for a new member ribbon cutting at Payne & Payne Home N’ Suchlike on Friday, September 15, 2017 to celebrate with new owners Josh and Lacie Payne.

Chamber Ambassador president Andi Foster congratulated the Paynes on their new venture and thanked them for being a valued chamber member. Foster then invited Lacie Payne to share the history of the building and the new business, “The hardware store, Payne & Payne Hardware N’ Suchlike, started in 1915, it did close in 1996.” Payne & Payne was a hardware store and a gift registry and was owned by Vance and Billie Sue Payne.

According to the story, the facade has been repainted. I’m not sure that was a good idea.

“Aren’t you worried people will think we’re just a Ners Undry?

Odd decision to clutter up the sign like that, unless you assumed everyone knew who you were and what you did.

<dr. smith voice> Oh the pain </dr. smith voice>

Buckaroo treatment and the absolute wrong brick took away the building’s sense of composition and self-possession.

<dr. smith voice> You must be referring to my brother.</dr. smith voice>

I don’t know why I clipped this, except to note that it has a profusion of extraneous names. Windham's Ivan Smith Furniture.

OUMB

But not that U. A nice example of the modern embassy.

Nearly every government building from the 70s and early 80s should be razed:

Again with the small windows. Energy-saving! And people don’t really like to look out the window anyway, or, if they do, they don’t want anyone else to be standing next to them, looking out as well.

A reminder of the age that was erased to build this new crap.

Believe it or not, I’d like to know the history behind this.

One project built all at once? Two office blocks and a low-slung commercial strip? Seems likely. Also possible that the space on the right became available and the fellow who owned the building on the left though he’d tie it all together.

Whoa! There’s an old pile.

A gloomy thing, thick and forbidding to modern eyes, but probably solid and prosperous to the people at the time. Or maybe they thought it looked like a baronial mansion built for the governing class, and resented it.

This one’s hard to place, time-wise. Whatever I said for certain would be accompanied by a small nagging doubt.

STATE GUARANTEE BOND BANK, it used to say.

The Rio:

2014, Cinema Treasures: “We are the owners of the Rio Theatre in Center, Tx. and it has never been closed since 1926. It is one of the oldest single screen continuous running theatres in the state of Texas. We take great pride in that fact and strive to be always friendly, maintain cleanliness and keep prices down for our customers.”

Closed in 2020 due to COVID, as if this writing.

Uh -

Yes, by all means, dump your cell and go back to folding paper maps.

“Dammit, John, people told you that the place had to have a door, no wonder you’re broke."

C’mon, kiddies, all the way to the back. The building can’t hurt you. It’s not going to eat you. That’d be silly.

Finally: Yes.

Texas.