The Grove: Anderson's Largest Acquisition

Moody Anderson's passion for collecting doesn't stop at the gates of his warehouse, either. Roughly two hours northwest of Austin lies Anderson's largest acquisition to date, The Grove. Dating from the 1870s, The Grove is an entire village, including a U.S. Post Office, a bank, a saloon, a doctor's office, and a smithy. The Grove's centerpiece is the W.J. Dube general store, which Anderson has turned into the Country Life Museum and stocked with various period items such as hardware, washing machines, and even a coffin or two.

Before becoming part of Anderson's collection in 1972, the village was founded by Wendish colonists in the mid-1800s and flourished as a regional agricultural center, boasting a population of 400 at one point. When I-35 arrived, linking the DFW/Austin/San Antonio thoroughfare, The Grove found itself suddenly off the beaten path and began a slow move into obscurity.

Enter Anderson, who discovered the town while visiting a flea market in nearby Gatesville. The ever-curious Texas trader met local store owner John Graham and, after some serious haggling, managed to buy the W.J. Dube general store lock, stock, and grain barrel, while allowing Graham to continue to run the property until his retirement in 1980.

"Graham was sitting outside when I pulled up that day," recalls Anderson. "After we got to talking, I walked inside and saw this pretty neat old bank fixture that I wanted. I tried to buy it, but he wouldn't sell it. Then I saw a meat counter in the back of the store and I tried to buy it, but it wasn't for sale either. Then I got way back in one of the back rooms, and there was a solid brass foot-rail for a saloon bar that I had to have. Well, Graham thought it was a paper rack -- he didn't know what it was -- so I thought, 'Boy, I've got him now.' But no, he wouldn't sell it to me. Finally I asked him if he'd be interested in selling the building, the property, and everything in it. I told him he could run the store as long as he lived -- I kind of figured I'd outlive him. Three days later he said he was ready to sell."

Since that time, Anderson's added a total of six buildings to his Grove holdings and draws a steady stream of tourists and Texas antiquarians every weekend. On the third Saturday of the month, the village plays host to a jamboree, with musicians performing on the steps of the general store.

Listed in the Smithsonian Institute catalogue of historic Texas places, The Grove is just another example of Anderson's unquenchable collector's drive, albeit one slightly less easy to get lost in than the warehouse.

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The Grove is open for tours on Saturdays and Sundays, $2 per person entrance fee. For more info and complete directions call Moody Anderson at 282-1215 or 254/986-3437.