With a little inside information, A.B. Kerr and Major Richard Dixon bought a league of land in anticipation of the coming railroad. About 1890, A.B. Kerr had masons construct a large rock store with locally quarried stone. The Kerr store issued brass tokens in denominations of 5¢ - $1.00. ( Kerr token picture coming soon!) These tokens, along with the later issue of Muldoon Mercantile Company aluminum tokens, have turned up in numbers and are not considered rare. ( Muldoon Mercantile token picture coming soon!)
By 1894, Muldoon had a twelve room hotel, a cotton gin and a Woodmen of the World Hall. A.B. Kerr controlled the town with no competition until Tom Ivy and J.L. "Bunk" Stagner established a new town about a half mile south and named it New Muldoon.
New Muldoon caught on quick with a store, post office, saloon and gambling house, and several small homes. Ivy & Stagner also issued a token for their saloon of which only two examples are known today.
J.L Stagner was born in neighboring Colorado County and with his first wife had two sons, William and Charles. In 1892, his estate was estimated to consist of several hundred cattle, hogs, several thousand dollars in cash, land, interest in the quarry and liquor stock in two saloons.
The competition between the two towns was fierce and was complicated by cattle rustling and finger pointing. By 1891, a detective agency was hired to track down the cattle thieves. The detectives infiltrated the town and the surrounding country. Charles Stagner was arrested in 1892 for cattle rustling but the local courts passed the case back and forth until the charges were eventually dropped.
In 1894 J.L. Stagner, Bell Whitley, William Stagner and Will Jerome headed out to pick up some loose cattle. J.L. and Bell went one way while William and Will another. Around 11:00 a.m., William and Will saw Tom Birge, a neighbor, walking near the Toledo Church. As they rode, a shot was fired from behind them. They dismounted and sought cover behind a tree with William having a pistol and a Winchester. Several shots were exchanged when William exclaimed "I am killed, shot through". Will Jerome received a wound to the hip. At this point, Tom Birge fled the scene as did Will Jerome. The final details were sketchy. Tom Birge was tried and acquitted of this murder charge.
In 1895, Charlie Stagner was arrested for stealing a yoke of oxen and selling them to a butcher in Smithville. He was found guilty and sentenced to four years in prison.
About a year later, Constable Charles Null relayed to George Cole that he had hard evidence which "would land someone in the penitentiary". On August 6, 1896, Null was murdered while on his way to the courthouse in Muldoon. He was shot several times with a 32-40 then once in the back of the head for good measure. The tracks of several horses and one mule were found at the murder scene. J.L. Stagner was known to ride a mule.
After Charley Null's death, his son Will, armed himself with a pistol, a Bowie knife and a double barrel shotgun. One month later, Will, his brother, George and Tom Birge caught up with J. L. at the cotton gin at Primm's Switch. Stagner was unarmed and told Will, "Give me five minutes and I can explain everything" to which Will replied, "You didn't give my Pa five minutes" and shot him down with both barrels. Will Null was tried but never convicted of this murder.
Not much is left in Muldoon today. The old Kerr store is in the process of being restored and the small rural community passes the days in the sweltering Texas heat. The streets are quiet with the exception of a passing train or car. The only memories of J.L.Stagner are the two small brass tokens that bear his name.