A train trestle spans the Red River north of Gainesville. Photo by Jim Perry of the Gainesville Register. Any time is a great time to start or even renew a special project. And that’s what I plan to do. I had to slow down and then put down my blog, but it and I are ready to go again. Several years ago, a dear friend encouraged me to save all of the historical stuff in my head and put them in papers or books on shelves. I have notebooks from graduate school, and stories my families told me before television around Wichita Falls. Older people I know shared their memories with me, things my husba ..read more

This Texas Historical Marker is at the site of Northeast Texas Christian Theological and Industrial College. In a deposition made in 1919, Reverend Andrew Jackson Hurdle stated he never went to school a day in his life. He considered himself a self-made man who learned to read and write while a slave. Born on Christmas Day 1845, Hurdle was sold at the age of eight in North Carolina to a family moving to Daingerfield, Texas. Family tradition recalled the family had a son with a severe speech defect about the same age as Hurdle who became the boy’s companion, even being with him while the boy’s ..read more

Happy New Year!! It’s very chilly around here and Texans aren’t accustomed to extremely cold spells. While I’m sitting at my computer writing I look out at the trees that seem to be so cold. Yet I am lucky to have a roof over my head, walls to keep the wind out, and floors to keep my toes warm. New Years is a great time to start a new project. I began a blog several years ago, slowed down and finally dropped it when I had surgery. Today I am up and about and ready to start again. A dear friend encouraged me several years ago to save all of the historical stuff I have in my head and on my shelv ..read more

A woman prays in her makeshift cave where she sought protection during the siege of Vickburg in 1863. What does the Declaration of Independence of the United States mean to you? More than two hundred years ago, citizens of the North and South had faith in their new country. It was a new land that was independent from foreign sovereignty, a hope for freedom. During the Civil War (1861 -1865) celebration of Independence was subdued if not totally ignored. However, two events on July 4, 1863, altered the future of our country forever. In late June General Robert E. Lee led his Army of Virginia on ..read more

The headlines on the front page of the Greenville (TX) Morning Herald for Tuesday, May 8, 1945, read “REICH SURRENDERS: British Declare Today Official V-E Day.” Ironically, at the top of page 1:6 the headline screamed “Lt. Truman Allen Reported Missing.” Lt. Truman Allen, 21, son of Mr. and Mrs. D. T. Allen, Route 1, Greenville, has been reported missing in action over Italy since April 26, it was announced Monday in a message to his parents from the War Department. A P-47 pilot with the 12th Air Force in Italy, Lt. Allen had been overseas since 1st October and in a recent letter to his mothe ..read more

Carol Taylor, author, lecturer, genealogist, local historian, following the dedication of a Texas Historical Marker at the Merit Cemetery in rural Hunt County. Have you ever stopped and read those Texas Historical Markers along Texas roads? They are so interesting, and some are quite amazing. You’ll find stories of outlaws, Indian raids, Texas Rangers and more fascinating characters and places. Texas isn’t the only state with a program that keeps track of historical places, interprets their importance, and sees that the site is maintained properly. Every state in the United State has some sort ..read more

Although this is not a photo of me, there are thousands of photos of girls and boys on ponies from this era. Her smile of excitement does express the way I felt – and still do – around horses. Greetings! After more than a year, I have returned to my computer for more articles about various parts of Greenville, Hunt County, and North Texas. It feels so good to be back in the saddle, to use a turn of phrase. You probably wonder why I took such a long vacation. It wasn’t a vacation but a series of three surgeries dealing with my spine. It had become so painful to sit at a computer and write – or ..read more

3415 Washington Street in Greenville, Texas – the subject of the author’s research. Spring Fever was delightful enough, but it comes along with wet rains and thunderstorms. Indian Summer is delightful, but with less weather intruding. Right now, I’m trying to write this column while watching the wind and gentle breezes send colorful leaves flutter to the ground. The temperature is absolutely perfect for sitting outside and reading. I have changed my collection of articles to fit into this Blog/article, but of course, the one I want is not where it should be. This one is relatively important; i ..read more

Bass Reeves, the possible inspiration for the “Lone Ranger” A recent issue of Texas Monthly ran an article called “Was the Lone Ranger Black?” Being an avid follower of Western Cowboy shows in the 1950s, the Lone Ranger was one of my most favorite. The article is fascinating, and I believe it was possible. The story took place in the Chickasaw and Choctaw Nations in Indian Territory. Because this was about members of the U. S. Marshals and, in the Territory, it was extremely interesting to me. Two men, a posseman and Bass Reeves, left the federal courthouse in Fort Smith, Arkansas, with a writ ..read more

A Chautaugua tent similar to this one (shown from Lake Charles, LA, in the 1910’s, would have been set up to entertain and educate the members of the community when the touring group came to town. (University of Iowa digital library) While we have been distracted about the start of school, whether it will be in-person or on computers, and concerned about all the new cases of Covid, I thought a look at 1920 would be enjoyable. The Great War was over, the economy was fairly stable, and Chautauqua came to town. Actually here in Texas and other parts of the South, it came earlier as the weather wo ..read more