Plans are Progressing for our 2001
Reunion!
[I have received several progress reports and miscellaneous information about plans for the 2001 Reunion at Fulbright, Texas (motel in Paris, Texas), and about the town and vicinity. I thought I would share this with you. Thanks to Chris & Rex Wilson and Ed Stout for providing this material!]
Dear Bill,
Came home from the hospital Friday with a new knee and am able to walk very well with a walker. Now a few weeks of therapy.
On our trip to Fulbright we found some very positives and a couple of things that leave me with the position 'I will do my best'. A new Hampton Inn will be complete in July or August of this year. There are four new motels close together, none very large and only Hampton with a room that can be used for meetings or for use in the evening for dinner. Prices are very reasonable even without discounts.
It is possible that some attendees might want to extend their trip to Texas past the reunion. In which case, it might be helpful to write The Texas Dept. of Transportation, Travel and Information Division, 1101 East Anderson Lane, Austin, TX 78752 and ask for the latest Texas State Travel Guide plus a map of Texas. For those interested in further genealogy search, you will be happy to learn that three courthouses are nearby--Paris, Cooper and Clarksville which have original records dating from 1835, the beginning of the Republic of Texas. Also, they have deed and marriage records from 1845.
Directions to Fulbright and Vicinity: Look in the northeastern part of a Texas map. Find Paris and follow Highway 271 east to the Highway 37 intersection at Bogata. Follow 37 northeast to Farm to Market Road 411. Go left 3 miles to Fulbright. For the reunion, our motel will be in Paris. Hope to see you there. If Rex or I can be of help, just let us know.
Rex and I want you to enjoy your visit to Texas. If there is anything we can do or information we can furnish, you can reach us at [email protected] or 912 Pavillion St., Dallas, TX. 75204.
Our Best,
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[The following is from Handbook of Texas Online, and was written by Cecil Harper, Jr. Thanks to Ed Stout for locating this information.]
FULBRIGHT, TEXAS. Fulbright is eight miles south of Detroit in southwestern Red River County. Although settlement in the area began much earlier, there was no community at the site until the 1870s, when a general store was established there by F. H. Elmore and Charles Gaines and a cotton gin by John L. Thompson. The settlement was originally called Possum Trot, but when the post office was established in 1882, the name was changed to Fulbright in honor of one-time county judge David Fullbright and his family. By 1884 the community had three churches, a school, and a population of 25. The town grew steadily, and by 1890 its population was estimated at 200. By 1914 Fulbright had an estimated population of 500 and a small bank capitalized at $15,000. Fulbright�s population dropped to 240 in 1931 before rising again to 300 in 1933; its population then remained fairly stable until the 1970s, when it dropped to 200. In 1990 it was estimated at 150.
See You in Fulbright in 2001!!