Here is a site with a history of "The Grange" with the name of a book to go to for more information. http://www.grange.org/history.htm Connie Prater Reed ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com

Sheryl....I hope someone has the answer to this one.....I just found where one of my husband's great great aunts donated land with a building to be used for the local Farmer's Grange. There is a clause in the deed that the land reverts to the donor's family if it is no longer used for that purpose. At present a local church is using the property and I am sure no one would want to take it back.....but I am very curious as to what it was....this is in North East Texas area. Sheila -----Original Message----- From: SJMcS@aol.com [SMTP:SJMcS@aol.com] Sent: Thursday, October 07, 1999 11:36 PM To: TXERATH-L Subject: [ERATH] Farmers Grange Charles and list members, can anyone tell me what a Farmers Grange is? There was mention of one in Randolph Co MO that my gg grandfather evidently was a member of at one time. Were they local organizations? What function did they perform, etc.? Anyone have any information on Farmers Granges? Charles, I appreciate all your postings. I am working in Erath Co area on my husband's lines. However, my mother is from Cisco in nearby Eastland Co and I sometimes forward your interesting posts to her. The one of Thurber will probably be the basis for some reminiscing! I enjoy stopping in Thurber-Mingus at the Smoke Stack for a meal! Appreciate any help or info on Farmers Granges. Thanks! Sheryl McNeely Shaw Crosby, TX Erath Co lines: SHAW, SMITH, KIRKLAND, FOX Eastland Co lines: GALLAGHER and DONICA ==== TXERATH Mailing List ==== --- Author Retains Copyright --- -- Copyright 1999 Author -- All Rights Reserved Post to List: TXERATH-L@rootsweb.com http://www.selfroots.com Unsubscribe request To: TXERATH-L-request@rootsweb.com

--part1_0.704bbddd.252f0d29_boundary Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit --part1_0.704bbddd.252f0d29_boundary Content-Type: message/rfc822 Content-Disposition: inline Return-path: Texasdog@aol.com From: Texasdog@aol.com Full-name: Texasdog Message-ID: <0.4f5c42dc.252f0b89@aol.com> Date: Fri, 8 Oct 1999 04:55:37 EDT Subject: Re: [ERATH] Farmers Grange To: sheilap@etex.net MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Mailer: Windows AOL sub 41 After the Civil War, there were many fraternal orders that sprang up here and there across the country. What we know as the Elks Lodge (The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks or Best People on Earth as they might have one believe) was started as an association of actors in New York City; Woodmen of the World, the Grange were some of these. The Grange was a fraternal order of farmers and the intent was providing local lodges where the members could freely associate and exchange ideas with regard to farm techniques and to serve for the betterment of farmers as a whole. Like other fraternal orders, the Grange offered its members insurance----life insurance. Later the Fraternal Order of the Grange became a very political body---endorsing candidates who stood up for farmer ideals and all. They had their own candidate for president in national elections on different occasions. In some states, I think it is even today an active political party aside from the Democratic, Republican, Socialist and other better known political parties. Many of the early ideas of the Grange were adopted by the Democratic and Republican parties as the vote of farmers was recognized as a powerful force. But the local Grange was the social and fraternal chapter for an organization of farmers. Bill McCarty --part1_0.704bbddd.252f0d29_boundary--

Charles and list members, can anyone tell me what a Farmers Grange is? There was mention of one in Randolph Co MO that my gg grandfather evidently was a member of at one time. Were they local organizations? What function did they perform, etc.? Anyone have any information on Farmers Granges? Charles, I appreciate all your postings. I am working in Erath Co area on my husband's lines. However, my mother is from Cisco in nearby Eastland Co and I sometimes forward your interesting posts to her. The one of Thurber will probably be the basis for some reminiscing! I enjoy stopping in Thurber-Mingus at the Smoke Stack for a meal! Appreciate any help or info on Farmers Granges. Thanks! Sheryl McNeely Shaw Crosby, TX Erath Co lines: SHAW, SMITH, KIRKLAND, FOX Eastland Co lines: GALLAGHER and DONICA

--------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Tim Seawolf-Self <tim@route66autoclub.com> To: wyly1@juno.com Cc: pondspond@juno.com, beatneil@juno.com, ktshahan@juno.com, olamaetrout@juno.com, seawolf@selfroots.com Date: Thu, 7 Oct 1999 12:29:40 -0700 Subject: Fw: Returned mail: Service unavailable Message-ID: <199910071940.MAA05708@ns1.inland.net> Juno is having some ongoing problems. I have been getting a few of these notices. --- START OF FORWARDED MESSAGE --- From: MAILER-DAEMON@rootsweb.com (Mail Delivery Subsystem) Date: 10/07/1999, 12:19:56 PM Subject: Returned mail: Service unavailable The original message was received at Thu, 7 Oct 1999 12:11:58 -0700 (PDT) from slist@localhost ----- The following addresses had permanent fatal errors ----- wyly1@juno.com pondspond@juno.com beatneil@juno.com ktshahan@juno.com olamaetrout@juno.com ----- Transcript of session follows ----- ... while talking to mx.boston.juno.com.: >>> DATA <<< 550 Permission denied 554 olamaetrout@juno.com,ktshahan@juno.com,beatneil@juno.com,pondspond@juno. com,wyly1@juno.com... Service unavailable 451 smhatfield@yahoo.com,glenita_g@yahoo.com,ktate.geo@yahoo.com,MyGenealogy @Yahoo.com... reply: read error from mx1.mail.yahoo.com. 451 smhatfield@yahoo.com,glenita_g@yahoo.com,ktate.geo@yahoo.com,MyGenealogy @Yahoo.com... reply: read error from mx2.mail.yahoo.com. smhatfield@yahoo.com,glenita_g@yahoo.com,ktate.geo@yahoo.com,MyGenealogy@ Yah oo.com... Deferred: Connection reset by mx2.mail.yahoo.com. Content-Type: message/delivery-status Reporting-MTA: dns; bl-14.rootsweb.com Arrival-Date: Thu, 7 Oct 1999 12:11:58 -0700 (PDT) Final-Recipient: RFC822; wyly1@juno.com Action: failed Status: 5.2.0 Remote-MTA: DNS; mx.boston.juno.com Diagnostic-Code: SMTP; 550 Permission denied Last-Attempt-Date: Thu, 7 Oct 1999 12:16:01 -0700 (PDT) Final-Recipient: RFC822; pondspond@juno.com Action: failed Status: 5.2.0 Remote-MTA: DNS; mx.boston.juno.com Diagnostic-Code: SMTP; 550 Permission denied Last-Attempt-Date: Thu, 7 Oct 1999 12:16:01 -0700 (PDT) Final-Recipient: RFC822; beatneil@juno.com Action: failed Status: 5.2.0 Remote-MTA: DNS; mx.boston.juno.com Diagnostic-Code: SMTP; 550 Permission denied Last-Attempt-Date: Thu, 7 Oct 1999 12:16:01 -0700 (PDT) Final-Recipient: RFC822; ktshahan@juno.com Action: failed Status: 5.2.0 Remote-MTA: DNS; mx.boston.juno.com Diagnostic-Code: SMTP; 550 Permission denied Last-Attempt-Date: Thu, 7 Oct 1999 12:16:01 -0700 (PDT) Final-Recipient: RFC822; olamaetrout@juno.com Action: failed Status: 5.2.0 Remote-MTA: DNS; mx.boston.juno.com Diagnostic-Code: SMTP; 550 Permission denied Last-Attempt-Date: Thu, 7 Oct 1999 12:16:01 -0700 (PDT) Content-Type: text/rfc822-headers Received: (from slist@localhost) by bl-14.rootsweb.com (8.9.3/8.9.3) id MAA26018; Thu, 7 Oct 1999 12:11:58 -0700 (PDT) Resent-Date: Thu, 7 Oct 1999 12:11:58 -0700 (PDT) Old-To: TXERATH-L@rootsweb.com Old-Cc: TXERATH-L@rootsweb.com Date: Thu, 7 Oct 1999 14:11:58 -0500 Subject: Re: [ERATH] Thurber Cemetery Message-ID: <19991007.141202.-129955.1.Wyly1@juno.com> X-Mailer: Juno 2.0.11 X-Juno-Line-Breaks: 0-1,5-6,8,12-13,21-22,31-32,34-35,41-42,50,53-55 X-Juno-Att: 0 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit From: "Charles A. Wyly" <wyly1@juno.com> Resent-Message-ID: <-YmNQC.A.ZWG.-BP_3@bl-14.rootsweb.com> To: TXERATH-L@rootsweb.com Resent-From: TXERATH-L@rootsweb.com Reply-To: TXERATH-L@rootsweb.com X-Mailing-List: <TXERATH-L@rootsweb.com> archive/latest/1016 X-Loop: TXERATH-L@rootsweb.com Precedence: list Resent-Sender: TXERATH-L-request@rootsweb.com

Hi, I thought of something going to the Post office- I guess you know Thurber , Erath County is in the Huckaby School District- Lingleville may have some of it. I remember because of the "Chilsren of God " Commune there in the old Nondenominational Church camp ground and study retreat for Missions volunters. This was coverred in the Stephenville Newspapers and some in Fort Worth Star Telegram. It seems Rev. Frank Jordan of California & nationwide radio back then, Rev. Ira Sidebottom of Fort Worth, , and one of my wife's distant cousins- a Rev. Shiflett with Cleburne roots and he was also a Mineral Wells Principal and their fellowship founded the Thurber Soul Clinic Camp Before it closed inthe 60s or 70s, the various ministers had sent children from or under the sponsorship of their churches. to Thurber for a disciplined lifestyle away from the drugs and other problems of that day. Some had children. The school age children rode the Huckaby School bus and all qualified for free lunches. know the rest yet? a Rev. Berg became their prophet and they got an old School bus and rode in to Fort Worth, where the Star- Telegram ran photos of them panhandling on street corners and returning to Thurber each night. Berg left for England, where, last I heard, he was still sending letters to his followers , who had moved to Dallas and bought a communal building near the State Fair Grounds, and each of his letters are studied as Revelations from God. Tell me, why was that different from Mount Carmel- or would it have cost more votes back then? A branch of The Goodnight - loving Trail went through or near Thurber in Erath County, heading to Lovington, N.M. Reservation cattle market. or north into Colorado up the Rio Grande for reservations there, sometimes after they grazed Wyoming summer pasture. One has written me saying some of her family were buried in Erath County while trail driving on the Trail and lost cattle there in an Indian raid. Thurber had the FIRST syncronized red lights, treated city water, and fire plugs on every block corner in the U.S., coverring the entire company owned City limits. Their water supply was the lake presently used by the Fort Worth Sportsmen's Club. Some are now holding family reunions in the area. Take care, Charles Wyly

Thanks, Bill, Some of the Wylys of Ben F. Wyly's line worked in Thurber. John L. Lewis organized his first strike there- the strike that killed a town because Erath County (Lingleville- Desdemona) and Ranger (Eastland County) could pump California bound oil for fuel cheaper than coal. Some type of Farmer's Grange operated an academy and "College" in Huckaby. Some of the Morings and Tacketts, Wyly descendants worked there. Zelma missed the reunion this year. One of her cousins in Madison , Wisconsin said she could not find Thurber in that library there. Labor Union censorship????She contacted me a few months ago. The communities near Thurber with cemeteries are Thurber, the Johnson Ranch, Pea Ridge, south of New York Hill, where mom lived as a Stone- Copeland- Carey family member fresh from Arkansas, about 1904. (Wonder if Confederate Vets from Pea Ridge, Ark. named It? Others are Lipan, Caddo, Strawn, Mingus, Morgan Mill, Lipan, Ranger, Santo, and probably a dozen or more communities similar to Old Johnsville , Indian Creek , Little Duffau, Salem and Garrett Springs (Selden) have been bypassed by modern roads. I have a photo of my Great Aunt Susie Moxley as the teacher of the Pea Ridge school. on a woodpile with her students. One is a perfect image of Edwin Sullivan of Oak Dale and the Stephenville Country Opry (or is it Cross Timbers Country Opry. ?)Must have been about 1920. They were south of New York Hill. Czech and Irish Catholics in Thurber attended different Catholic churches because of a language barrier and different traditions concerning some "Saints", so Catholic Church records may show 1 or 2 Catholic cemeteries there. They did the same in New Orleans, where French landowners and merchants looked down on new Irish Immigrants. One man was buried on the Johnson Ranch in a glass coffin, immersed in Alcohol or Formaldehyde and the masoleum kept the door open. The Big Boys used to tell me about someone drinking too much in a Thurber bar and his Stephenville College or High School buddies would take him to the the cemetery by the glass coffin. He would awake with the sun in his face and the coffin by him. It was finally walled up to keep pranksters out. Thurber and Mingus were all one town, except the part in Palo Pinto was called Mingus, which still prospers. About 1950's there was a Black Invalid lady in Ranger who read palms and told fortunes. Some of the more venturesome party kids would go see her after a few hours in Mingus drinking and dancing. I was told one young man walked in with a group and she shudderred and refused to read his palm. He got a little vocally abusive and she said " I cannot read your palm because you have no future". He left laughing , got in his car and was hit broadside by a truck on old U.S. 80 somewhere near the Ranger Hill. Seems something similar happended to King Saul & the Witch of Endor in the Old Testament, didn't it? (Yes I know King Saul was not hit by an 18 wheeler, but he was just as dead). Take care, Charles Wyly

You might find the web site www.thurbertexas.com of interest. Biff Hatfield

Sharon, Charles, and all---- When Hudson & Cawyer did their transcription of graves at the Thurber Cemetery......there were more graves marked with fieldstones than there were names on gravestones. For this reason, H&C went to Erath County, Death Records in Erath County and compiled the names of those who died at Thurber during the early part of this century (which by the way does not end Dec 31, 1999 but rather Dec 31, 2000). Many of the inscriptions in the Thurber cemetery are in Italian or Polish language and H&C make special notation that inscriptions were carefully transcribed as appeared on the gravestone. There is a special section of the Erath County cemetery book which lists Thurber deaths on alphabetical order. Many of these appeared to be infant deaths. Bill McCarty

To those I have promised copys from the Cemetery Listing Books, I am having some physical problems going on right now and am unable to get to the copy machine. Please be patient I will get back to you soon as I can get out to make the copys and get them mailed. Thanks for your patience, Phyl Phyllis Garner Virginia Beach, VA ICQ #6544793 sasilady@erols.com ^i^ I Believe In Angels CCLov-A-ghan Co.-Aquisitions/Collections Co. http://www.onelist.com/subscribe/CrochetCrafts

Hi, Which Fleming? \\\\\\\great Grandad George Milton Moxley married 1. Lucinda Armstrong- Ill. or N.|C. and 2. Mary Ann Fleming, my great grandmother. Her brother fought in the Union army , went to Colorado, then Alaska. We have found no record of him since then. Great Uncle Ed and Phene Fleming lived between Great Grandad and Pleasant Hill Methodist Church, Erath Co. betweeen Indiann Creek and Selden (Garrett Springs. ) Take care, Charles Wyly

Can't anyone tell me how many cemeteries in Thurber and the names? Has there been a book published on the cemeteries of Erath County? Thanks, Sharon R. AZ

Sharon, There are several cemeteries around Thurber. It is located in the extreme edge of Erath County and is very near Palo Pinto County, and Eastland County as well as Stephens County. During the mining days, Thurber probably had peoples from every country of Europe migrate in for the mining jobs. Erath County had a three volume set of cemeteries pub. in the 1970s by Weldon Hudson & Shirley Cawyer. They also published a set for Eastalnd County. There are also books for Palo Pinto and Stephens though not as well circulated. At its zenith, Thurber had a population of about 30,000 people. New York Hill there at Thurber has memorial marker posts for the native countries of the miners. But my point is, Thurber cemeteries (nearby) would include four counties. Regards, Bill McCarty

Texas Dog: You also helped me....I knew that there was a cemetery there and someone had said there was a post office also at one time....I have my grandmother's autograph book with autographs dated 1905 from Altman City....a Mattie Bingham and a Mollie Seets plus a R.R. Kellum, dated 2/21/1905, school teacher. So now I feel sure there was a school in that area. Gracie Hall, Mattie Hall and Ruby E. Cannefax signed the book....but there is not a date or town by their names. The rest of the autographs in the book were from Alvarado, Hico and Cross Timbers. Sheila Anything can be accomplished if only you try.....Remember.... Amateurs built the Ark; Professionals built the Titanic Sheila's direct line surnames...... Bates; Blake; Burleson; Carson; Cooke; Crews; Culp; Daniel; Fitzgerald; Fleming; Graham; Griffin; Holmes; Kee/Key; Keeling; Kimble; Kirkpatrick; McCarty; McCiver; Nelson; Newberry; Proctor; Renfro/e; Ruth; Self; Smith; Tarleton; Watkins; Williams Paul's direct line surnames..... Allen; Bell; Blair; Bryan; Coburn; Colbert; Daniels; Davis; Evers; Gilpin; Gower; Greer; Grider; Griffith/Griffin; Hester; Hoffstetler/Hufstetler; Lewis; Moon; Morgan; Mullington; Nash; Parks; Phelps; Pool/e; Richardson; Ross; Simpson; Watkins; Wilkins; Womack -----Original Message----- From: Texasdog@aol.com [SMTP:Texasdog@aol.com] Sent: Monday, October 04, 1999 3:33 PM To: TXERATH-L Subject: [ERATH] RE: Altman Cemetery.....Altman Community From Handbook of Texas---online...... This biography of Mr. Thompson indicates that he was born about three miles west of Clairette and that his mother was an ALTMAN....... the ALTMAN family was in Hico in 1900 and later in Mitchell County. The proximity of Mr. Thompson's birth would coincide with the Altman Cemetery-----where a post office by the name of Altman existed about 1900. This would suggest that Altman community was named for this family; the cemetery was named for the community. ************** THOMPSON, CHARLES COLLINS (1898-1983). Charles Collins Thompson, attorney, banker, and rancher, the sixth of ten children of Charles M. and Annie (Altman) Thompson, was born on July 3, 1898, on a stock farm in Erath County, Texas, three miles west of Clairette. In 1906 the family moved to Loraine in Mitchell County, and in 1910 they ran cattle and sheep on grazing land leased in neighboring Nolan County. One of Thompson's childhood friends and classmates was George Hermon Mahon.qv After graduating in 1918 Thompson enlisted in the United States Army and was discharged at the close of World War I.qv He attended Simmons College (now Hardin-Simmons University) in Abilene for a year and received a teacher's certificate in January 1920. For the next three years he taught at the Rogers Community School, ten miles northwest of Colorado City, to finance his own education at the University of Texas law school in Austin. He never completed a law degree, but was admitted to the bar after passing the state examination in 1923. In 1922 he married Ewell Gary; they had no children. Thompson was elected county judge of Mitchell County in 1924; he established his law practice with Mahon. He was elected to the board of directors of the Colorado City National Farm Loan Association in 1927 and became its secretary-treasurer in 1931. In 1932 he helped organize the Mitchell County Agricultural Credit Corporation to provide financing to area farmers and ranchers affected by the Great Depression.qv Thompson was elected chairman of the Mitchell County School Board in 1933 and served until 1978, when the state legislature abolished rural school districts. He vigorously backed Mahon's successful bid for Congress in 1934 and the following year was elected to the board of directors of the City National Bank in Colorado City, which named him its president in 1938 and its board chairman in 1955. Over the years Thompson contributed to the farm credit system by implementing programs to help individual farmers own their farms. He was appointed a director of the Tenth District Farm Credit Board of Houston by the Federal Land Bank Association in Texas in 1943 and was elected its chairman in 1952. In 1957 he was appointed by President Dwight D. Eisenhowerqv to chair the credit committee of the Drought Conference, convened in Wichita, Kansas, to study drought conditions in the plains states and plan financial aid for victims. Thompson's commitment to aid for farmers and ranchers in financial straits earned him the nickname "Mr. Farm Credit." He played a leading role in the passage of the Farm Credit Act in 1971 and the following year was named Man of the Year in Texas Agriculture by Progressive Farmer magazine. In addition, he was elected a director of the Texas Electric Service Company in 1957 and subsequently was instrumental in the building of Lake Colorado City and the company's first power plant on his ranch property. Thompson was appointed by Gov. James B. Allredqv to the board of directors of Texas Technological College in 1937. He remained on the board until February 1957 and served as its chairman from 1944 until his retirement. In 1958 he was awarded an honorary doctorate, and a Texas Tech dormitory was named for him. In 1978 the Charles C. Thompson Professorship in Agricultural Finance was established at the Texas Tech College of Agricultural Sciences. His wife died of cancer in 1955, and Thompson married Emabeth Pittman of Albany on January 21, 1956. He was president of the Colorado City Chamber of Commerce for five years and served on various committees of the West Texas Chamber of Commerceqv during his twenty-five years in that organization. He was a member of the Lion's Club and the First United Methodist Church, where both he and his wife taught Sunday school classes. Thompson was also noted for his collection of dolls and other antique toys, a hobby that started in 1936 when Dr. Bill Rhode presented him a mechanical jumping dog named Flippo. He was elected the outstanding chamber of commerce member in Colorado City in 1975. He was plagued with failing health during his last years and died at Root Memorial Hospital on August 5, 1983. He was buried in the Colorado City Cemetery. BIBLIOGRAPHY: Abilene Reporter-News, August 6, 1983. Colorado City Record, May 17, 1979. Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, August 7, 1983. Vertical File, Southwest Collection, Texas Tech University. Vertical Files, Barker Texas History Center, University of Texas at Austin. Clarence R. Wharton, ed., Texas under Many Flags (5 vols., Chicago: American Historical Society, 1930). H. Allen Anderson ==== TXERATH Mailing List ==== --- Author Retains Copyright --- -- Copyright 1999 Author -- All Rights Reserved Post to List: TXERATH-L@rootsweb.com http://www.selfroots.com Unsubscribe request To: TXERATH-L-request@rootsweb.com

Hi List, I'am searching for further info. about my 2nd. great grandparents,Thomas PECK b.abt.1815 North Carolina d. yr. unknown(his gravestone is next to his wife's in the Turnbow cem)but it dosen't have any dates on it. He married Eliza BROWN b.13 Feb 1818 Tx. d.23 Apr. 1900. Eliza was Choctaw Indian. Any info. or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. They lived in Erath Co. most of their lives. Betty Stinecipher stinecipher@ofgeorgia.com

Hi, Someone was asking about FOSTER'S in Erath Co. My great aunt Mary (Mollie) Elizabeth LOWERY married a John Luther FOSTER 10 Dec 1911 in Alexander,Erath Co.,TX. One of their sons,Elmer L. FOSTER b.1 June 1915 Erath Co. died July 1994 Eastland,TX. Elmer use to have family reunions every year and although I wasn't able to attend one, he sent me alot of information on his FOSTER line and on my LOWERY line. If someone can give me a little more detail I will look over what I have and see if I can help. Betty Stinecipher stinecipher@ofgeorgia.com

From Handbook of Texas---online...... This biography of Mr. Thompson indicates that he was born about three miles west of Clairette and that his mother was an ALTMAN....... the ALTMAN family was in Hico in 1900 and later in Mitchell County. The proximity of Mr. Thompson's birth would coincide with the Altman Cemetery-----where a post office by the name of Altman existed about 1900. This would suggest that Altman community was named for this family; the cemetery was named for the community. ************** THOMPSON, CHARLES COLLINS (1898-1983). Charles Collins Thompson, attorney, banker, and rancher, the sixth of ten children of Charles M. and Annie (Altman) Thompson, was born on July 3, 1898, on a stock farm in Erath County, Texas, three miles west of Clairette. In 1906 the family moved to Loraine in Mitchell County, and in 1910 they ran cattle and sheep on grazing land leased in neighboring Nolan County. One of Thompson's childhood friends and classmates was George Hermon Mahon.qv After graduating in 1918 Thompson enlisted in the United States Army and was discharged at the close of World War I.qv He attended Simmons College (now Hardin-Simmons University) in Abilene for a year and received a teacher's certificate in January 1920. For the next three years he taught at the Rogers Community School, ten miles northwest of Colorado City, to finance his own education at the University of Texas law school in Austin. He never completed a law degree, but was admitted to the bar after passing the state examination in 1923. In 1922 he married Ewell Gary; they had no children. Thompson was elected county judge of Mitchell County in 1924; he established his law practice with Mahon. He was elected to the board of directors of the Colorado City National Farm Loan Association in 1927 and became its secretary-treasurer in 1931. In 1932 he helped organize the Mitchell County Agricultural Credit Corporation to provide financing to area farmers and ranchers affected by the Great Depression.qv Thompson was elected chairman of the Mitchell County School Board in 1933 and served until 1978, when the state legislature abolished rural school districts. He vigorously backed Mahon's successful bid for Congress in 1934 and the following year was elected to the board of directors of the City National Bank in Colorado City, which named him its president in 1938 and its board chairman in 1955. Over the years Thompson contributed to the farm credit system by implementing programs to help individual farmers own their farms. He was appointed a director of the Tenth District Farm Credit Board of Houston by the Federal Land Bank Association in Texas in 1943 and was elected its chairman in 1952. In 1957 he was appointed by President Dwight D. Eisenhowerqv to chair the credit committee of the Drought Conference, convened in Wichita, Kansas, to study drought conditions in the plains states and plan financial aid for victims. Thompson's commitment to aid for farmers and ranchers in financial straits earned him the nickname "Mr. Farm Credit." He played a leading role in the passage of the Farm Credit Act in 1971 and the following year was named Man of the Year in Texas Agriculture by Progressive Farmer magazine. In addition, he was elected a director of the Texas Electric Service Company in 1957 and subsequently was instrumental in the building of Lake Colorado City and the company's first power plant on his ranch property. Thompson was appointed by Gov. James B. Allredqv to the board of directors of Texas Technological College in 1937. He remained on the board until February 1957 and served as its chairman from 1944 until his retirement. In 1958 he was awarded an honorary doctorate, and a Texas Tech dormitory was named for him. In 1978 the Charles C. Thompson Professorship in Agricultural Finance was established at the Texas Tech College of Agricultural Sciences. His wife died of cancer in 1955, and Thompson married Emabeth Pittman of Albany on January 21, 1956. He was president of the Colorado City Chamber of Commerce for five years and served on various committees of the West Texas Chamber of Commerceqv during his twenty-five years in that organization. He was a member of the Lion's Club and the First United Methodist Church, where both he and his wife taught Sunday school classes. Thompson was also noted for his collection of dolls and other antique toys, a hobby that started in 1936 when Dr. Bill Rhode presented him a mechanical jumping dog named Flippo. He was elected the outstanding chamber of commerce member in Colorado City in 1975. He was plagued with failing health during his last years and died at Root Memorial Hospital on August 5, 1983. He was buried in the Colorado City Cemetery. BIBLIOGRAPHY: Abilene Reporter-News, August 6, 1983. Colorado City Record, May 17, 1979. Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, August 7, 1983. Vertical File, Southwest Collection, Texas Tech University. Vertical Files, Barker Texas History Center, University of Texas at Austin. Clarence R. Wharton, ed., Texas under Many Flags (5 vols., Chicago: American Historical Society, 1930). H. Allen Anderson

Anyone on this list researching any Hickman's in the area? My mom-in-law's mother was a Hickman, and I have a good amount of information on her line. I received a file showing Hickman landowners (firsts, I believe) and I show too that are interesting names that are listed in Erath County, TX. If anyone is interested in this name, please contact me. Tonya Aultman-Harris mtharris@ev1.net Researching: Aultman (AR, TX, MS),Cox (TX, OK), Parker (LA, TX), Peyton (MS)

Hi, my brain finally kicked in. I think Mr. (J.W.)?Hughes was a former School Supt. at either Crowley or Burleson, Texas. Burleson,I think. I used to see him at ball games and State and Regional school administrator's meetings. Burleson is in Johnson County Crowley is in Tarant County. Burleson was settled by a Renfro from Tennessee and he named the town after his pastor and Lodge Buddy, Rev. Burleson of Baylor University. Churches used to pay round trip tickets for their student or prof. pastors to ride the Texas Electric Interurban cars. Waco to Fort Worth and Dallas and possibly Denton. Mr. Hughes was there in 1950-1960's and before. Take care, Charles Wyly On Sun, 26 Sep 1999 11:13:48 EDT Bantie1@aol.com writes: >Charles Wyly, >Would you have known, or heard, of a teacher by the name of James >Hughs? >Just curious...... >Shirley W. > > >==== TXERATH Mailing List ==== >--- Author Retains Copyright --- >-- Copyright 1999 Author -- All Rights Reserved >Post to List: TXERATH-L@rootsweb.com http://www.selfroots.com >Unsubscribe request To: TXERATH-L-request@rootsweb.com >

Hi, I worked in the Fort Worth Convair plant in 1950 changing out alternator drives on new B-36 bombers going up the line. Someone discoverred the Sunn Constant Speed Drives for the 28 cylinder Pratt & Whitney engines model -41 would not hold up to the -53 engines that were replacing them before they were ever flown. Some of my 8 man crew were sent to San Diego and Anchorage to do the same for them. This was after they added the 4 jet boosters to the 6 pusher gas engines with water injection. Why are the B-36 planes left out of most aircraft history books- to me they won the cold war by flying from Anchorage, San Diego and Fort Worth with full bomb loads headed towards Moscow and turning back over the North Pole. For a few years one never landed unless another was in the air. They stayed above 50, ooo feet for as much as 36 hours with 2 flight crews- one in the rear sleeping cabin with the tube and creeper to get to the flight cabin when the crews changed. I was in the army 1950-52 and returned to Convair Fort Worth. I rode to work in car pools and at one time with dad's second cousin Johnny Rampley. It was faster to drive to Stephenville than to drive to a Fort Worth boarding house. James Conally Runway at Waco also could hold up a landing B-36. Most military runways could not. I worked with Dan Butler of Stephenville- Lingleville area. We and 4 more hired in for the Wichita , Kansas plant during one layoff. That Friday night we had recall notices as soon as Wichita had checked our Fort Worth work records. We did Sam Sac overhaul on older engines of B- 36's - one had radioactive propellers. Now, how in the world do you suppose that happened??? I also built wing sections for the F 102 and worked some on the Regilus II reuseable target missle with landing gear in Chance- Vought, now LTV. in Grand Prairie. One Stephenville High School Friend , Ted Deaver,of Bluff Dale, Texas was working there then . I attended college A.M. and worked 8-10 hour nights, got my degree at Denton, and took a cut in pay to start teaching. Some of my family thought I had flipped out. When Ted retired and came to one Stephenville High School Reunion, Ted was introduced as an international salesman of General Dynamics aircraft and had lived in Tel Aviv, Israel. Now, how come we didn't think of that?? I am sure you could tell some stories - like I have heard worker's speculation and observations of why one B-36 engine fell off over Johnson County, Texas and why one plane dropped like a rock during takeoff, drownding the crew in Lake Worth. After that each prop harness was traced and we did circuit ring outs with testers we made from tool crib parts on the Engine assembly stands. Wonder why???Also you folk on the Shaky side of the U.S. had to build a levee around one old runway to keep high tides and storms from flooding it. Sounds like some of Houston. Good to hear from you. Charles Wyly On Tue, 28 Sep 1999 22:50:46 EDT RMonroe237@aol.com writes: >Wyly1, > >I too worked at Convair (San Diego 1977-1985). On your posted list, >#5 would >be good enough for me !! > >Rick Monroe >Long Beach, CA > > >==== TXERATH Mailing List ==== >--- Author Retains Copyright --- >-- Copyright 1999 Author -- All Rights Reserved >Post to List: TXERATH-L@rootsweb.com http://www.selfroots.com >Unsubscribe request To: TXERATH-L-request@rootsweb.com >