Dublin vicinity, Erath County
In 1873, several families, including the Cannons, Howells, Kikers, Mayfields, Strongs and Whitfields, came to the Green’s Creek Community. John M. Kiker arrived from Alabama with his wife, Serena Rhonda (Howell), and their eight children. They first lived near Waco before moving here. In 1878, Kiker and his brother-in-law, John Holcomb, built a steam-powered cotton gin fueled by timber cleared from farmers’ cotton fields and used as credit for their ginning bills. Later the gin engine was coal- and then oil-burning. Kiker’s gin was the main commercial enterprise in the community and served as an election precinct and community meeting place. The Kikers donated land for a church, and the gin remained in operation until 1947. Descendants of early families still live in the area.