Temple, Bell County
By the early 19th century, Chambers of Commerce, first called Boards of Trade or Commercial Clubs, flourished in many major U.S. cities. The goals were to gather economic data and research, influence legislation, serve as a court of commercial arbitration, act as a semi-official adjunct to local government, and promote the local economy. On April 30, 1907, a crowd gathered at the Elks Club to form a citywide commercial club. Local merchant Andrew Jackson Jarrell (1860-1935) was elected the first president of the club. The organization immediately began work on paving downtown muddy sidewalks, promoting shopping, negotiating new transportation opportunities, and producing marketing materials for the City of Temple. The club also was influential in gaining the Blackland experiment station which encouraged other businesses to move to Temple and Bell County. In 1912, the Temple Commercial Club merged with the Young Men’s Business Club to form the Temple Chamber of Commerce. Over the years, the Chamber participated in supporting citizens of Bell County with fundraising campaigns, military support efforts during both world wars and the establishment of Temple Junior College. The Chamber also negotiated placement of Camp Hood (now Fort Hood), McCloskey General Hospital (now Olin E. Teague Veterans Center), Lake Belton and many more projects. All of these led to industrial, medical and transportation growth in Temple and Bell County. For over a century, the Temple Chamber of Commerce has provided essential leadership to attract economic development to the city.