Military
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Established about 1860 by Col. James Gathings, founder of Covington, and his brother Philip, Gathings College enrolled over 200 students. A military department prepared young men for duty in the Civil War. While many of the 25 colleges in Confederate Texas closed because of shortages of teachers and books, the college here remained open. Col. Gathings also operated a flour mill, tannery, shoe shop, machine shop that made wagons, coffins, and farm equipment, a brick kiln, and a saddlery. He gave flour, meat, and shoes to needy families of soldiers, and he also mounted, clothed, and equipped army units free.
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Covington, Texas · United States
