Evans family keeps spirit of Texas farming alive at Wilson Valley Mercantile
By Janna Zepp | Photos by SKEEBO
Nearly 160 years ago, six brothers traveled from Alabama and Mississippi to the Little River in Central Texas to make a new life for themselves after the Civil War.
Jim, John, Ben, Leonard, Rier and William Wilson traveled in wagons to Texas. Jim, a preacher, came first in 1866. The other five brothers followed, looking to connect with Jim. They camped in the area for the night and had almost given up hope of finding their brother when one of the boys silenced the group.
“Listen, I hear old Logan’s bell,” he said. Logan was the name of an ox owned by Jim Wilson. Sure enough, they located Jim’s camp, and the six Wilson families — plus two or three other families who had come with them — all camped in the valley that first year under a huge oak tree in what is now the eastern side of Bell County, near Little River-Academy. The family farm, established in 1867, remains there to this day. And on it, descendants of those Wilson brothers continue to farm there. Among them, the Evans family whom a Wilson (John’s great-grandmother) married into.
Evans Ranch is just outside of Little River in Wilson Valley and has been involved with corn, wheat, oats, soybeans, cotton, milo, cattle and the movement of those commodities for more than 150 years. The ranch currently specializes in quality stock feed, deer corn and trucking.
The ranch has been recognized by the state for a century of continuous operation, making Evans Ranch part of an elite group of Texans in agriculture. That is a pretty big deal if you know your Texas history and the current state of American farming.
“We’ve had to change with the times to keep the farming business alive,” said John Evans, owner of the ranch. “One of those adjustments has been the creation of Wilson Valley Mercantile.”
John, his wife, Erica, and the ranch hands raise English/Continental crossbred cattle, purebred Charolais cattle in Bell County and Brahman crossbred, purebred cattle in Victoria and Lavaca County. In addition to the aforementioned crops of corn, wheat, oats and cotton, they also grow sesame, rye and barley, of which they use some of those grains in the distillery.
Did I mention they just opened a distillery? That’s the Evans Ranch’s relationship to Wilson Valley Mercantile. The mercantile opened last fall. The name honors the Wilsons who ran an actual mercantile in the early 20th century, constructing the original building in 1911 and selling everything from nails to coffins. The building later was home to Wayne Shirley’s popular restaurant. Inside Wilson Valley Mercantile are remnants of the original mercantile, including the safe and the cash register. Everything on site, new or old, is a tribute to the area and the family’s history.
“We are Bell County’s first farm distillery,” John, as he took me on a tour of operations. “We are a farm to glass experience steeped in history and endeavor to grow every ingredient in our spirits.”
The mercantile itself is something of a museum, distillery, tasting room, event venue, music hall and a place to buy what the farm has to sell, including bottled spirits. In November, the first five barrels of Wilson Valley Three Way Bourbon were barreled.
“Our 3 Way is made up of three grains grown at Evans Ranch, Inc. That’s corn, wheat and oats grown right here in Bell County just outside Little River,” John says as we’re standing in front of his distilling equipment that looks like something straight out of a Dr. Seuss illustration. “We have a gin tower on this thing, but it’s real messy to make gin. If there’s enough demand for gin, we’ll look into making it, but I think I’ll use separate equipment for that.”
The bottled whiskeys available for purchase are Wilson Valley Mercantile’s Little River Premium Vodka, Wilson Valley Three Way Bourbon, Little River Straight Bourbon and Broken Post White Whiskey.
John does a lot of his work on a 1962 John Deere 3010. He says it was the 40th tractor of that model built that year. “It belonged to our neighbor and relative Melvin Garner, and W.C. (John’s father) bought it sometime around when Uncle Melvin retired from farming. I think we are the second owner since it was new.”
When you visit Wilson Valley Mercantile, you might take home a package of Evans Ranch, Inc. ribeyes, T-bones, sirloins, roasts or some ground beef. They’re sold by the cut. On occasion, they also have quarter half and whole freezer beef available. They even have branded apparel. Hometown hospitality Wilson Valley Mercantile-style is not all about the whiskey, after all.
“I make the charcuterie plates we sell when the tasting room is open,” Erica says. “When I can’t sleep, I look at Pinterest for great ideas, then I take ‘em and make ‘em up for WVM. I can’t stop creating. It’s fun.”
Erica teaches school when she’s not farming or hostessing at Wilson Valley Mercantile. She pours her heart and soul in all of it.
I and two of my friends visited the tasting room on a cool December night last year and sampled WVM’s liquid wares and Erica’s charcuterie platter. Watching regular customers come in to celebrate birthdays and other family events was like watching a scene out of one of those Hallmark Christmas movies, right down to the hometown couple being lauded at a baby shower. Erica’s face lit up when I told her what we thought. “Oh my gosh, I love those movies! I can’t get enough of them,” she replied. “That just makes me so delighted to think we can make that happen here!”
Building up Wilson Valley Mercantile began in 2018. The Evans credit a whole lot of folks with help in launching it. John says Justin Gregory, mixologist and associate distiller, also helped with construction. Justin’s wife, Jerrica, often helps run the tasting room. Nick and Dannyelle Turner: Nick helped with construction and they both help in the tasting room from time to time. Chris and Amanda Southerland are employees who might as well be family. Amanda runs the office. Chris is John’s “right hand.”
“Both play a huge role in the ranch and distillery. Amanda probably made 1,000 trips to get pieces and parts we needed, Chris and myself did most of the welding on the primary and secondary structural steel for the building,” John says. “I also want to remember Bill Cody Southerland, Chris’ older brother. He did a lot of work on the building with welding, fabricating, and the electrical. He passed in a car wreck in May.”
Bill Cody left behind six children. His loss continues to be deeply felt by the community and the WVM family.
If you visit WVM to sample the whiskeys or the vodka or craft cocktails, and if the spirit moves you (God or the grain variety), raise a glass. To Bill Cody, to good people, entrepreneurship, or to 160-plus years of farming history that built this place, raise a glass. Bring friends and family. Make your own Hallmark movie moments in Central Texas. Life’s too short not to.
IF YOU GO
Address: 2421 Wilson Valley Loop, Little River
Phone: 254-982-4265
Email: info@wilsonvalley.com
Website: wilsonvalley.com
