Home of Joseph William (J.W.) and Nancy Martin Shidler in Brownsville Texas

 Scott Horne  

This was the home of my g. grandparents Joseph William (J.W.) and Nancy Martin Shidler in Brownsville Texas. They retired to Brownsville from western Pennsylvania in the 1930's and purchased this home that sat on 10 acres with the Resaca surrounding the property. The property was located north of downtown on what is now Shidler Drive. My g. grandmother wrote that she fell in love with this home the very first time she saw it. J.W. and Nancy lived here until the mid 1950's when the sold the property due to age and health reasons and returned to Pennsylvania to live with their daughter(my grandmother). My g. grandfather was a kindly man and believed in helping others. A family story has been told that when J.W. was returning to Brownsville from a visit to Pa. he met a gentleman who was down on his luck and wanted to start his own business. J.W. and the man went into business and purchased machinery to clean out the Resaca's around Brownsville. Eventually the man repaid my g. grandfather and had his own business. J.W. Shidler, I believe was appointed Water Commissioner for Brownsville for a period of time. I would be surprised if anyone alive today would remember J.W. and Nancy Shidler. J.W.'s brother Dr. Walter Shidler and wife Della with their daughter Sarah lived in San Benito where Walter died in 1965. On a brief trip in the early 1980's my grandmother visited Brownsville to look for the house. Sadly the house had been demolished and apartments now stand on the property. The only landmark left was a street sign that read, "Shidler Drive".