The Aikin Archives Forums

Downtown Drugstores

2006-08-11T12:13:59-06:00

A current (August, 2006) question elicited for the Aikin Archives asks if anyone remembers the Palace Drug Store.

Actually there were two. The Palace Number One was located on the northeast corner of the Plaza, and the Number Two was located on the southwest corner of the Plaza. Both were owned by William H. Campbell and John R. Campbell, two gentleman who also owned Campbell’s Ice Cream Company at 143 South Main.

The Number One is best recalled as a favorite watering hole for Paris High School students, especially in midafternoon when school was dismissed for the day. There was a side entrance facing Lamar Avenue, and that’s where the Palace Coffee Shop and the pharmacy were accessed. Entering from the front, which faced the Plaza next door to S. H. Kress and Co., you saw the beautiful and long marble-topped fountain to the left, plus booths on the right and a table in back. The waitresses were high-school girls who wore immaculate white dresses, probably made of voile or watered silk. One was Martha Savage (PHS Class of 1955), and another was Virginia Lane (PHS Class of 1957). They could concoct any kind of Coca-Cola drink you wanted, and the most popular was the cherry Coke for only a nickel. My favorite on a summer day was the tall refreshing orangeade with fresh-squeezed fruit for only a dime. All varieties of sundaes were available for just fifteen cents. My favorite was the marshmallow, which featured a syrupy marshmallow ingredient swirled throughout the bounteous scoops of ice cream. Daisy Harvill recalls narrow aisles crowded with various items of merchandise.

The Number Two, being cater-cornered across the Plaza from the Number One, was not nearly as popular for students, but was busy enough. The fountain was on the right, tables on the left. Henry McEwin recalls a different interior layout, possibly because of a fire at nearby Dobson’s, a general merchandise store. His cousin, Earnestine Bonner, attended the fountain, which was in back according to him. My favorite reason for patronizing the Number Two was the self-serve ice-cream freezer with its pints of Campbell’s ice cream for fifteen cents. Their orange-pineapple flavor was outrageously scrumptious. Campbell’s also intoduced a bar-on-a-stick novelty called the Bananza. This was a frozen banana enrobed with chocolate-coated vanilla ice cream. I rarely had enough money to afford them at fifteen cents, what with Popsicles still costing only a nickel.

The Corner Drug Store was located on the Plaza’s southeast corner and had its fountain on the right. Two of the fountain girls were Chloie Ingram and Sandra Perkins. Mamie Rutherford, who played carols on an organ at Belk’s during Christmas season, recalls the chocolate-marshmallow sundaes. The Beasley-Vaughan Drug Store was on the Plaza’s north side during the 1950s. A decade earlier it had stood next to the Grand Theater on Lamar. Its fountain, which stood in the store’s rear, had a unique way of serving drinks. Conical paper cups were inserted in stainless-steel holders. My favorite was the lime Coke, which of course featured fresh-squeezed limes. I recall vividly the boxes of Pangburn’s Chocolates filling the shelves behind the fountain. There was a Cut Rate Drug Store at 218 Bonham. It had no fountain, but was the best place in Paris to buy cameras and photographic supplies.

The R. J. Murphy Drug Store on the Plaza’s south side was one of Paris’s oldest establishments. Evidently it specialized in cigars, as cigar bands littered the sidewalk and gutter before it. I recall many other drugstores, the most popular being the Owl at 1775 North Main, where motorcades packed with teen-agers circled nightly. As for Paris Junior College, the C & C Drug Store at 1709 Clarksville was always packed after football games on Saturday nights. Oh, what I wouldn’t give to revisit the Palace Number One again, just as it was in its glorious heyday!

David Clarkson, alumnus
Paris High School
Paris Junior College

Othello Club of Paris, TX

2009-09-24T12:00:40-06:00

Hello,

I’m a graduate student researching nineteenth-century Shakespeare reading groups. I came upon a reference to the Othello Club of Paris, TX, in the Houston Republic for Feb. 20, 1858, and I’m interested in finding more information about this club. I’d particularly like to get my hands on record books, correspondence, or journal entries regarding the Othello Club.

Thank you for taking the time to read this request. I would appreciate any assistance you can provide.

Sincerely,

Elissa Hansen

Page family

2009-07-23T12:53:21-06:00

Hello all,

My name is Bob Page and my family lived in Paris from somewhere around 1866-1870 to 1941 when my great great grandmother died. My great great great grandfather relocated there after the Civil War (he fought for the North) from Missouri. He was Richard Anderson Page and his wife was Mary Rucker Page. My great great grandfather James Henry McBride Page came there as a youth and lived there most of his life as far as I know. He was an expressman apparently for the railroads in 1890 and was a foreman at Ames shovel and tool in 1906 (all gleaned from the city directories with help from Skipper). His wife Lucinda (Neelie or Lucy) lived on there after he died in 1920, she died in 1941.

My great grandfather fought in WW1 and stayed in NYC after the war and raised my family line from there. My father married my mother, a native of Columbus, GA. and they divorced when I was 3. So I lost most all of any history I had of the page family.

I know that Richard A and his wife Mary, James and Lucinda are buried in Evergreen cemetery. I have some info. But no death records, marriage records, or birth records are available anywhere I have found. My great grandfather was Richard Bedford and his brother was Fred Lee.

Any help I can get, family I can contact or direction you might have would be helpful. I am proud to have this nailed down this far. Many of my cousins in NYC are also getting an education, at least as fast as I can relay info.

Again, thank you to anyone who can help. My e-mail is BOBPAGE_1 at hotmail dot com. I look forward to hearing from you.

baileys of paris texas

2009-07-25T00:56:46-06:00

I am looking for obit or graves of Frank H Bailey born 1839- died May 1912 and his wife Mary
Ella Bailey born 1842 and died 1906. They both died in Paris Texas and I assume they
were buried there. Can anyone help me? Barbara

Early education at Shelton Fort

2009-02-11T16:30:18-06:00

Looking for information on the location of a school in the late 1800s near Fort Shelton in Lamar County, Texas. The school was in the home of Mrs. Minor who taught until about 1846.

wesley tincher waist gunner b-17 flak happy

2009-01-08T13:58:39-06:00

If anyone remembers my father please contact me. thank you
ron tincher sr.

rontincher at gmail dot com

Homer F. Morrison/Bill McGill

2008-12-09T16:44:12-06:00

Does anyone have any information on Homer F. Morrison of Paris? A memo from the Red Cross, dated July 29, 1944, and forwarded to Sen. A.M. Aikin, Jr. from Bill McGill asks for information on “a sergeant who knows the Senator.” According to McGill, he was found “wandering around in a city north of here (no city named) 3 or 4 days after the ‘Jerries’ left. He had just escaped from a German prison camp and couldn’t find his outfit. He hadn’t had anything to eat for several days and was a mess to look at. I got him cleaned up, fed, and put on his way.” The memo is signed “wlmc,” and I think he is the brother of Clifton McGill, the deceased husband of Ethel McGill, who passed away recently at age 91.

Bessie Gregory married to Millard Earl Gregory(deceased 1988)

2008-10-21T13:01:24-06:00

I am looking for the obituary information on the death of Bessie Gregory, a long time resident of Paris Texas. She was my step mother who was married to my father who died in 1988. Any help whatsoever would be appreciated. Thank you Marvin Gregory cobradrill at pdq dot net

Jemima Paulina BURK TEMPLETON COLBERT

2008-10-19T16:54:36-06:00

Looking for information on Jemima Paulina BURK TEMPLETON COLBERT who married Ira Colbert and is found in the 1870 & 1880 TX Lamar County censuses.
Jemima lived in Hot Spring County, AR at the time of the 1860 census and was a member of the “ New Prospect Lodge Number 20 of the Independent Order of Good Templars”. I understand this was an anti-alcohol/temperance organization and that there were similar groups in the Paris area and I suspect she would have remained active in this effort when moved to the Paris area. The general location of her residence in 1870 as noted at the top of the census page, is listed as “Beat A 2” - don’t know exactly what this expression “Beat” means. maybe means “Route “? Several years after Ira’s death, in the 1880 census, she is said to be living in Precinct 2. I would like to know where this/these areas were, what churches and temperance groups existed in this area during this period and if there are any members lists or records mentioning her, her children or her marriage to Ira. Her married name before her marriage to Ira Colbert was Templeton.
Does anyone know where I can find a map showing the precinct boundary lines of Lamar County in 1870 & 1880 ?

Jemima Paulina Burk b. 23-Apr-1828 Laurens, SC. d. after 1900 Coleman Co, TX
+ Robert W. Templeton b. 1828 Laurens, SC. “Abandoned the family”.
1 Barbara A. P. Templeton b. 1848 Tippah Co, MS.—-Nothing known after 1860 AR Hot Spring
Census & mention on Templars List.
2 Benjamin F. Templeton b.1849 Tippah Co, MS.—-Nothing known after 1860 AR Hot Spring
Census mention on Templars List.
3 George W. Templeton b. 1850 —-Nothing known after 1870 Lamar Co. Census.
4 Levi Young Templeton b. 1852 Tippah Co, MS. d.1894 Taylor Co, TX.
5 Thomas M. Templeton b. 1853 Tippah Co, MS. d. 1936 Coleman Co, TX.
6 Mary Templeton b.1854 Tippah Co, MS.—-Nothing known after 1860 AR Hot Spring Census.
7 Susan Cordelia Templeton b. 1857 TN. d. 1922
+ Ira Colbert b. about 1799 in Franklin Co., NC, d. 1-Dec-1877 Lamar Co., TX.
8 Theodosia Texas Colbert—-Nothing known after 1880 TX Lamar Census.

I would welcome any information on any of these people. Quite a bit is known about Levi, Thomas and Susan but I have found nothing on the remaining five children.
Thanks,
Tim N. Templeton - TimTempleton at Juno dot com

Who were Charlotte Myers and Louisa Bagby ?

2008-10-19T12:03:28-06:00

I am trying to determine the family name of sisters - Charlotte “Lottie” Nancy Myers, b. 16-Apr-1822 KY., d. 26-May-1893 Coleman Co., TX. and Louisa Bagby, born 1826-27, KY.

Charlotte married Isaac Walker Bills, in Red River County 15-Sep-1847. (Some records say 20-Sep, but that is evidently the date the marriage was recorded.
Isaac was b. 10-Jan-1827 in TN., d. 13-July-1911 in Coleman Co., TX.
I have no knowledge of Charlotte before this marriage, except that all census records are in agreement that she was born in Kentucky and parents both from VA.

I do not know if Myers was her maiden name or possibly she had been married previously, since she was 25 years old when she and Isaac married.
She is found in the following census records with husband Isaac :
1850 TX Hopkins Co., “8th Judicial District”
1860 TX Hopkins Co., Charleston PO.
1870 TX Hopkins Co., Charleston PO.
1880 TX Delta Co., 1-PCT(Cooper)
In this, the 1880 census, is a woman who must be Charlotte’s sister - Louisa Bagby (or possibly Bagly/Bagley-I think Bagby) is living with them.
She is marked as divorced and don’t know whether Bagby is her
married name or if maybe she reverted to her maiden name.
There were many Bagbys in the Red River County area - very, very few Bagleys in the RR County area.
Louisa is much more of a ghost than Charlotte- I know of no other record of her except this census.

As far as folks by the name of Myers goes, the only ones I have found in Red River County, TX are : CLARKSVILLE P O 1860
Geo Myers 70 Farmer GA
Elizabeth 60 GA
William 25 Farmer GA
Charlotte is consistently listed as born in KY, as is Louisa in the only instance we know of her so far.
We know a lot about Isaac’s ancestry - absolutely nothing about Charlotte and Louisa.
“Isaac Walker Bills, son of Daniel B. and Martha Walker Bills came to east Texas in 1846 along with all 10 of Daniel B.‘s children and two son-in-laws, James and Elijah Hooten, brothers”. Source: June Ussery Bills
http://www.genforum.familytreemaker.com/bills/messages/498.html
The Bills family had a close relationship with some people by the name of Hooten from back in Tennessee and were intermarried with them.
Isaac and his parents were in Marshall County, TN in 1845-46, his parents were married in Bedford County, TN. Parents were :
Daniel Baxter Bills b. abt 1797, Surry, North Carolina, Death: 1866 in Hood, Johnson, Texas
Martha C. Walker (Wife) b. 1799/1801 in , Surry, North Carolina
Marriage: abt 1816 in , Bedford, Tennessee
This Bills family may have come first to Red River County and soon located further south in Hopkins-Delta County.
If anyone can connect Louisa Bagby with any of the Bagbys in the Red River County area, I would love to hear from you.
Also, any ideas about her Louisa’s sister Charlotte Myers - who her people might be, would be greatly appreciated.
Does anyone know of a Bagby who died in the Civil War ?
TimTempleton at Juno dot com