English native Charlie E. Jenkins came to America in 1873 and to Bryan in 1878. One of Bryan's most prolific and talented builders of the late 19th and early 20th Centuries, Jenkins' legacy of distinctive structures has been recognized by national and state organizations for their historic and architectural significance. Jenkins is known for his masterful use of natural lighting and for employing many different styles. In addition to his architectural contributions, Jenkins also was active in the city's civic affairs, having served as both Fire Chief and City Building Inspector.

In 1871 Texas Governor Edmund Davis appointed three Commissioners to select a site for the newly established Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas (Texas A&M College). The Commissioners chose this location in large part because of the existence of a Houston and Texas Central (H&TC) Railroad line which began in Southeast Texas and extended through this area to its terminus in Bryan (5 mi. north). Although no railroad depot existed here at the time of Texas A&M's formal opening in 1876, H&TC made regular stops here for incoming and outgoing college students and faculty. H&TC railroad conductor announcements referring to to this stop as College Station gave rise to the name of the surrounding community. H&TC constructed a new depot about 1900. The H&TC depots and another built by the International & Great Northern (IGN) Railroad just east of this site in 1900 were for many students who attended Texas A&M the first remembrance of their collegiate experience. Railroad depots owned by the H&TC (later Southern Pacific) and IGN (later Missouri Pacific) maintained passenger service at this location until 1959. In 1966 the last of the depot structures was razed.

The Civil War and its aftermath greatly affected Brazos County. War halted progress of the Houston & Texas Central Railway and made Millican a boomtown. After the war, the railroad created a new town, Bryan City, and brought a need for men and women to build up the new settlement. Bryan City Cemetery is the final resting place of at least 161 Confederate veterans who settled here to help the city develop. Many of their stories intersect in life and in death. Milton Walker Sims, Sr., aide-de-camp on Gen. Paul O. Hebert’s staff, was later given command of his own cavalry regiment. Col. Sims is the highest-ranking Confederate officer in the cemetery. Guy Morrison Bryan, Jr. opened the First National Bank of Bryan (1886) and created the Brazos River Bridge Co. (1896) to erect the first steel bridge over the waterway. Milton Parker, who fought at Shiloh and Vicksburg, was active in commerce, banking and real estate, acquiring vast land holdings in the Brazos River bottoms. William Edward Saunders founded the city’s Commercial Club and was the last Confederate veteran buried here. Briscoe Gerard Baldwin, Jr., Chief of Ordnance for the Army of Northern Virginia, came to Texas to operate a stage line from San Antonio to El Paso, then was superintendent of Brazos County schools. Henry Bates Stoddard was president of Texas Cattle Raisers Association (1887) and, as Brig. Gen. in the Texas Volunteer Guard, presided over ceremonies dedicating the new capitol building in Austin (1888). Many Confederate veterans were early faculty and staff of the Agricultural & Mechanical College of Texas (later Texas A&M), including William Adam Banks, Dr. David P. Smythe, William Bringhurst and Bernard Sbisa. These men with a common bond in war banded together for the common good and progress of their city and state. 175 years of Texas independence * 1836-2011

This house was constructed in 1893 by prominent Bryan builder Charlie Jenkins for his brother Edwin James Jenkins (1867-1959). A native of England, E.J. Jenkins came to Bryan in 1878. He operated a drugstore in downtown Bryan for over 50 years and served as Mayor and a City Councilman. The classic Queen Anne style home, which features a domed tower and wraparound veranda, remained in the Jenkins family until the property was sold in 1971. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1982

In 1920, David J. Finn and other Texas A&M electrical engineering students attempted to broadcast the football game at Oklahoma A&M via ham radio. When the plan failed they used a telephone backup, relaying game updates to fans gathered in the Texas A&M stock judging pavilion. The following year, students at campus wireless station 5XB planned to transmit live play-by-play accounts of the conference championship against the University of Texas. William A. Tolson and other students overcame technical difficulties to make the broadcast possible. They ran lines from the Kyle Field press box to a transmitter at Bolton Hall and borrowed equipment from the Corps of Cadets Signal Corps. They installed three redundant systems: two connected to the power plant and a battery backup. Harry M. Saunders and the coaching staff devised abbreviations to describe the action and improve transmission speed. "TB A 45Y," for example, signified "Texas ball on the Aggie 45 yard line." On game day, November 24, 1921, the broadcast was flawless with Saunders at the telegraph key. At station 5XU in Austin, Franklin K. Matejka relayed messages to Longhorn fans seconds after each play. Amateur radio operators across Texas also followed the action. The game ended in a scoreless tie, but A&M became conference champion. The following year, 5XB became WTAW, and several of the students went on to distinguished careers in engineering, broadcast technology and related fields. By days, the experiment missed being the first such achievement in the U.S., but it is believed to be the first in Texas. Ingenuity and innovation resulted in a pioneering broadcasting accomplishment. (2005)