RELEASE DATE: JANUARY 18, 2009
KINSEARCHING
by
Marleta Childs
P. O. Box 6825
LUBBOCK, TX 79493-6825
[email protected]
This week we will present selected items from the "Comanche County News" column of the 23 Oct 1908 (Vol. XXII, No. 8) issue of THE PIONEER EXPONENT, published in Comanche, TX. Located on page 1, column 5, the miscellaneous tidbits pertain to various parts of the county. The first set of items, dated October 20, is about residents in the Proctor area. (Surnames are capitalized for emphasis. Some punctuation is added for clarity.)
"Jay WOODS and Mack LUKER spent Sunday at the Dallas fair.
Miss Daisy PINSON spent a few days at home last week, at the bedside of her aunt, Mrs. Jim PINSON.
After a long spell of illness, Mrs. Jim PINSON died at her home Monday morning at 2:30. She leaves a husband and eight children to mourn her death...She was a member of the Baptist church. Funeral services were held at the church at 3 p. m. by her pastor, Rev. WEST....
Mr. and Mrs. NAPIER of Louisiana are visiting their brother, Mr. STANLEY, and sister, Mrs. CRIDER.
Rev. FAGAN spent Monday here.
Miss JONES has returned and will take up her class in music.
Mrs. Causy GUYGER and Miss Lillian STEPHENSON spent Monday in Dublin.
Mr. Bill RANDALL, who has been at Terrell, is dead; his remains are to be shipped here for burial; his father lives some six or seven miles from here....
Mrs. THORNTON's mother from California came in Sunday to make her future home here."
The next set of selected items, dated October 19, concerns residents of theOak Valley area in Comanche County.
"T. L. ADCOX and wife visited their daughter, Mrs. JONES, at May Saturday and Sunday.
Mr. ROE has rented out his farm here. We all regret to have them leave us.
Julian JOHNSON has his new residence completed.
C. M. ACKER was out from Comanche yesterday.
Mr. ADCOX left last night for Loraine.
Mr. and Mrs. Allen DABNEY (?) of Rising Star have been here visiting relatives the past week.
Mrs. Alice ACKER is sick."
The remaining selected items, dated October 19, pertain to residents of the Vandyke area. Unfortunately, the page is torn and the last two tidbits are not readable.
"Charley NABERS and R. L. CARNES are attending the Dallas fair.
Cal FRITTS returned from Rosco (sic) where he has been running the gin for $65 a month. He will return there one day this week.
Mrs. D. E. NABERS has been on the puny list this week."
Shipping and the tobacco industry played important roles in the economy of colonial America and the early history of the United States. Their prominence is made clear in the well-documented article, "The History of the Prince William County Waterfront" by Debrarae Karnes. Accompanied by an area map, illustrations, and photographs, the informative article presents interesting facts about the growth and demise of the Virginia county's port and the tobacco industry. To view the well-written material, go to http://www.pwcgov.org/default.aspx?topic=030039002160001340 and click on "History of Prince William County Waterfront" or go direct to http://www.pwcgov.org/docLibrary/PDF/000586.pdf.
The significance and utilization of tobacco-related objects are highlighted in the "Tobacciana" display showing at the National Ranching Heritage Center on the Texas Tech University campus in Lubbock. Running through 29 March 2009, the exhibit features tobacco tins and a cigar store wooden Indian. A brief article about the general history of American tobacco, tins, and the use of carved Indians by tobacco shops can be found in the Summer 2008 (Vol. 28, No. 3) issue of RANCH RECORD, the official publication of the Ranching Heritage Association in Lubbock, TX.