This reminds me of a picture I took about 2 years ago. Driving west from Fulbright toward FM 410. I came to the T in the road. There is a sign there on FM 411 as you approach FM 410. Rugby to the left and Detroit to the right. Thing is, on this single post sign, one of the two bolts had broken out and the sign had swung down. It hangs there horizontal, but it is upside down so the arrows are pointing in the wrong direction. There are weeds around it and a deserted house in the background. Seemed a sign of the times for our small rural communities. I drove that route again recently and the sign has been repaired, I am glad to say. Glad I got a picture of it for my collection of "back road" pictures. Yes, there are a lot of fine brick homes up and down the FM roads and on the County Roads. Drive down those black top roads that are in need of repair, you will be surprised at the fine homes you will find. It is a mixture of the old and the new. Good luck to Al in his search for a place to rent. If there is anyway I could help him, I am in the phone book. Jim Giddens Paris, Tx ----- Original Message ----- From: "MaryK Croft" <marykcroft@msn.com> To: <txredriv@rootsweb.com> Sent: Tuesday, September 25, 2007 6:08 PM Subject: Re: [TXREDRIV] [TXREDRIV Returning to roots// rambling > > This is indeed the same folks! How exciting! Al is there in Clarksville > right now and took a picture of the sign that says "Little Chicago." > > "Everything has changed and yet nothing has changed" is how he described > it. He found his old home place (135 acres) where someone has built a > brick house on top of the old frame house. > > He's staying there if you want to contact him, looking for a place to > rent. --MaryK> From: samples@1starnet.com> To: jimgidd@suddenlink.net; > txredriv@rootsweb.com> Date: Sat, 22 Sep 2007 15:56:10 -0500> Subject: Re: > [TXREDRIV] [TXREDRIV Returning to roots// rambling> > I vaguely remember a > Gray family that lived in the Mabry community (aka > little Chicago) for a > while in the 50s. There was a boy about my age (your > husband's age) and > a girl a couple of years younger. We rode the school bus > together. Seems > like I remember the family moved to somewhere in west > Texas.> > Cynthia> > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Jim Giddens" > <jimgidd@suddenlink.net>> To: <txredriv@rootsweb.com>> Sent: Saturday, > September 22, 2007 11:36 AM> Subject: [TXREDRIV] [TXREDRIV Returning to > roots// rambling> > > > (I pasted below the reply I got on Gray. I added > the parenthesis for> > information sake)> > > +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++> >> > Jim, I'm > sorry to say! > I don't know very much--in fact, nothing, about> > Uncle Roy's (Gray) > family. He was an "in-law"; the one I know about is> > Aunt Mary (Roy's > wife), his wife, who was Daddy's (Moody Hale) sister.> > After Uncle Roy > died, she married an oil wild-catter named Roland Busby > > and> > moved > away from Clarksville. My mother (Helen Hale) would have known, > > but> > > like so many other things I never asked her, and now it is too late. You> > > could ask the family of Alvis Gray if they know of a> > Roy in their > family connections. Cindy> > > +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++> >> > I > will ramble a little.> > Mrs Helen Hale taught grade school in Clarksville > for many years. I> > think she taught about the 4th or 5th grade, but it > was after I got past> > that point. Some of you may have had her as a > teacher. She probably> > started in the late 50s or early 60s. Her husband > was Moody Hale.> > Moody's sister, Mary Hale Gray lived on a very limited > budget (w! > ith> > husband Roy) because she thought they must. When Roy died, she > found > > you> > they had considerable money in the bank and had several > (maybe many) rent> > properties in the area. She was not pleased with > living on a very low> > income (they had not children). When Roy died and > Mary discovered the> > money, she started spending and enjoying the money. > The e-mail above > > is> > the first I remember about her remarrying and > moving away. It would be> > interesting to know a little more of her > latter life.> > Roy & Mary Gray lived in a house in Clarksville that is > easy to> > remember.> > It was built of rock. Not many of those in > Clarksville. It was on > > about> > the 700 block of S. Walnut, across the > street and about one block south > > of> > the First Baptist Church.> > > About 6 years ago I made contact with Helen Hale by e-mail. He was> > > living in New Mexico in the same town as one of her sons. She was very> > > bright and she gave me a lot of my and her family genealogy via e-mail.> > > She never told me she was sick. Finally I notice h! > er e-mail stopped and> > later I found out she had died with a health > problem she had lived with > > for> > a few short years. I think I am > correct that Helen was a Crabtree and > > a> > sister to my Grandmother > Giddens that certainly was a Crabtree. They > > use> > to have a big > reunion at White Rock in the 50s. There were 7 Crabtree> > sisters and 3 > brothers. The reunion was as the home of Mrs Flora > > Crabtree> > > Thompson, widow of Tip Thompson. Actually the home was just west of the> > > White Rock Road (FM 1158) about 1/2 mile (on CR 1275 toward Concord)> > > before getting to the White Rock Cemetery.> > Jim G.> >> >> >> >> > > -------------------------------> > To unsubscribe from the list, please > send an email to > > TXREDRIV-request@rootsweb.com with the word > 'unsubscribe' without the > > quotes in the subject and the body of the > message> >> > > > > > -------------------------------> To unsubscribe from > the list, please send an email to TXREDRIV-request@rootsweb.com with! > the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body > of the message > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > TXREDRIV-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > > -- > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG Free Edition. > Version: 7.5.488 / Virus Database: 269.13.30/1030 - Release Date: > 9/25/2007 8:02 AM > >