 Due to the fire, the lack of railroad service in Cooper, his fairly poor personal financial situation, and a disturbing public execution that occurred near the college in 1894, Mayo looked to move ETNC to whichever community made him the best offer, ultimately selecting Commerce after it promised him land and $20,000.According to Gladys Mayo, the daughter of William and Etta Mayo, her father did not have "any desire to rebuild in Cooper", and "was anxiously looking around for a place where he might re-establish the college".One of Commerce's chief advantages was that it was well connected by rail, boasting regular service on the St. Louis Southwestern Railway of Texas ("Cotton Belt") to Dallas, Sherman, and Texarkana and on the Texas Midland Railroad to Paris, Ennis, and Houston.