A.M. & Welma Aikin Regional Archives http://www.aikinarchives.org/index.php en blamb@parisjc.edu Copyright 2006 2006-04-07T16:01:00-06:00 Letters from the Home Front: Carmel Vila http://www.aikinarchives.org/index.php/harvill/entries/letters-from-the-home-front-carmel-vila/ Thanks to Carmel Vila, of Jefferson, Louisiana, for this unique description of the wartime dinners that her mother served to servicemen far from home. Paris is now anticipating the many soldiers who will be training at Camp Maxey, but let’s hope that the men and women don’t have to suffer politely such meals from well-intentioned “cooks” (about like me).

“Generally there were at least five of them, and my mother would begin dinner with a glass of unsweetened grapefruit juice, served in small jam glasses. She always put a sprig of mint on each glass, trying to…]]> 2008-07-16T19:58:07-06:00 Letters from the Home Front: Joan Novak http://www.aikinarchives.org/index.php/harvill/entries/letters-from-the-home-front-joan-novak/ Joan Novak writes from Baxter MN that she was only ten years old when the war began. Her mother will be 100 in December. However, Joan remembers much about those years.
“I do think the economy is going to have a severe setback some time in the future. It will not be as bad as the depression, but the younger set will be devastated. They are not used to going without. Too much easy credit is out there floating around to cover their every whim. I think it will be a good thing if it does not…]]> 2008-07-14T15:59:55-06:00 Montague County http://www.aikinarchives.org/index.php/harvill/entries/montague-county/ Here’s an interesting website to investigate: http://www.totty-families.org/diary/jun1876.html.

The great-great-great-granddaughter of Capt. F.M. (Frank) and Rhoda Totty has transcribed numerous years of the diaries that Rhoda kept from 1876-1881, and she has put them online. I am their great-great-granddaughter. John Harvill was their son-in-law, married to Anna, one of their several daughters. My Harvill heritage is long and rather colorful, and its roots are in Montague County, Texas. I return to this scenic county once or twice a year, and each time that I do, I feel it calling to me.

I spent much of my…]]> 2008-07-07T18:37:00-06:00 Home Front Letters: Lottie Thompson http://www.aikinarchives.org/index.php/harvill/entries/home-front-letters-lottie-thompson/ I had an interesting letter from Lottie Thompson of Lewistown, Penn. Lottie remembers the ’40s quite well, but she wasn’t writing about the ’40s this time.

She was just telling her news and what she does in her routine, and something she said really caught my attention. I thought to myself: we’re on the way back to how it was in the ‘40s. Give a listen to this.

“… I’m making plans to move up around there to be closer to my girls. They tell me I will be sorry, but I still think I need…]]> 2008-07-02T20:45:00-06:00 PJC Housing in 1946 http://www.aikinarchives.org/index.php/harvill/entries/pjc-housing-in-1946/ How far we’ve come at Paris Junior College.

On Jan. 7, 1946, The Paris News printed this headline: “Housing Seen for PJC Vet Students.” Married veteran students were soon to be occupying three-room pre-fabricated houses on campus. Dr. J.R. McLemore, president of the college, had applied through the Federal Housing Authority at Fort Worth for 12 houses for the coming term and a total of 24 for next fall.

Married students were then occupying two trailer houses and one apartment. Unmarrieds would find plenty of room in the dormitories, he said, and the existing cafeteria could…]]> 2008-06-13T15:05:00-06:00 Home Front Letters: Shirley LaRosa http://www.aikinarchives.org/index.php/harvill/entries/home-front-shirley-larosa/ Shirley writes, from Pahrump, Nev.:

It seems in the old days before the big grocery chains and supermarkets, a lot of food was sold individually. For example, there was a store that sold nothing but fresh fish. Outside this fish store, there was a man who, all day long, ground horseradish (on a grinder) to order. You bought the horseradish from him separately and got it fresh. I believe it was put in a paper container.

Then there was a shop that only sold chickens. The fowls were slaughtered and hung up on hooks until all of…]]> 2008-06-11T14:57:00-06:00 World War Two Archives Exhibit http://www.aikinarchives.org/index.php/harvill/entries/world-war-two-archives-exhibit/ When you’re in the Sudent Center at Paris Junior College, check out the Archives exhibit by the north doors into the ballroom. Derald Bulls, our new director of institutional advancement and alumnae affairs, has given the archives 48 World War II photos, which soldiers who had rented rooms from his mother and father, Jo and Derald Bulls, left behind during the war.

Bulls told the story of the photos:

Mom and Dad moved to Paris from Commerce in 1943,” Bulls said. “Dad went to work with Ayres Department Store (north plaza), and Mom secured employment at Camp…]]> 2008-06-10T16:02:00-06:00 Home Front Letters: Merrybell Seeber http://www.aikinarchives.org/index.php/harvill/entries/home-front-letters-merrybell-seeber1/ Merrybell has taken a break from making 28 jars of corn cob jelly for church bake sales and gift baskets to write the following:

I grew up on a small farm, and our school and church was two miles from home. The church would hold box socials and bake sales; also, they were noted for their Roast Duck Suppers. This church had no indoor plumbing or water. The ladies had to carry all the water from across the road for everything; also, the people had to use the outdoor 2 holer, also across the road. When my mother passed…]]> 2008-06-05T19:10:00-06:00 Home Front Letters: Merrybell Seeber http://www.aikinarchives.org/index.php/harvill/entries/home-front-letters-merrybell-seeber/ Thanks to Merrybell Seeber, from Delavan Wis., for this little solution to the high-priced ingredients of desserts today.

War-Time Cake (Eggless, Milkless, Butterless)

Mix in a saucepan:

1 cup of brown sugar
1 3/4 cups of water
1/3 cup of lard or other shortening
2 cups of seeded raisins
1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg
2 teaspoons of cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of cloves

Boil for 8 minutes and cool. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of soda, dissolved in 2…]]> 2008-06-02T16:36:00-06:00 Home Front Letters: Shirley La Rosa http://www.aikinarchives.org/index.php/harvill/entries/home-front-letters-shirley-la-rosa/ Mrs. Shirley La Rosa, of Pahrump, Nev., writes of church life on the home front during World War II. She says the first thing that came to mind about church activities was bingo.

“They had picnic tables set up outside on warm summer nights for the adults to sit around and play. We used to say bingo, the old corn game, because unlike today, where ink daubers are used to cover your numbers when called, in those days they used hard kernels of corn.”

(I’ve played bingo with kernels of corn before. I guess bingo popularity…]]> 2008-05-30T13:25:01-06:00 Preservation http://www.aikinarchives.org/index.php/harvill/entries/preservation/ I found an interesting chart in the June 2008 issue of Family Chronicle about the life expectancies of paper, which is a question I’m often asked by people interested in preservation. According to the author, Gregory Peduto, newsprint/ground wood will last 20-30 years, but has a potential of lasting 50-100 years with proper care.

In contrast, rag paper can last 500 years with a potential of lasting over 1,000 years Archival paper (ISO 11108) will last 100 years with a potential of 500 to over 1,000 years, which is awesome, isn’t it?

Interested in collecting photographs?…]]> 2008-05-01T19:06:00-06:00 Armistice http://www.aikinarchives.org/index.php/harvill/entries/armistice/ I read an interesting article by Maude Neville — daughter of A.W. Neville, Lamar County’s late distinguished historian, both of whom worked for The Paris News — dated Jan. 28, 1973. The series of articles by various journalists recounted the end of wars which they recalled, and Maude wrote about what happened in Paris, Texas, when World War I finally ended. I was struck by the finality of it. Will we live to see the “end” of any other war in our lifetime? Sometimes, I wonder.

She said the telephone call came at 1 o’clock on Monday morning,…]]> 2008-04-21T18:10:00-06:00 1946 Memories http://www.aikinarchives.org/index.php/harvill/entries/1946-memories/ Going through a collection recently, I came across an interesting pamphlet entitled “Remember When: 1946 Memories.” Of course, I stopped working and started reading. Well, here are some facts that I certainly didn’t know:

Our life expectancy was only 62.9 years. The President of the United States was Harry Truman, and there was no vice president of the United States. There was no Pulitzer Prize winner that year.

A new house could be purchased for only $5,600, and the average annual income was $2,500. A new car cost $1,125, and if you bought a car and…]]> 2008-04-10T20:55:00-06:00 Home Front Letters: John W. Kautz http://www.aikinarchives.org/index.php/harvill/entries/home-front-letters-john-w-kautz/ From John W. Kautz of Blue Grass, Iowa, we learn the following:

My father made two statements that I remember to this day. (1) when my two older sisters began dating, he would remind them as they departed on a Saturday evening, “If you can force yourself to stay out past midnight, then you can force yourself to get up for church in the morning,” and (2) when I entered school, he said, “Remember that the teacher takes my place.” Mom’s favorite was, “In budgeting your father’s paycheck, I never take from one envelope to balance out another at…]]> 2008-04-09T19:13:00-06:00 Home Front Letters: R. L. Simons http://www.aikinarchives.org/index.php/harvill/entries/home-front-letters-r-l-simons/ With the writers’ written permission, I will be sharing some of their vivid memories of the past, especially of the 1940s. I have begun a collection in Aikin Regional Archives of the written memories of people who lived through the turbulent years of World War II, including memories of America’s Home Front, and many of them have given me permission to excerpt their wonderful letters for the readers of this Web site.

The letters, pictures, and other papers which they have sent me become a permanent part of this collection in Aikin Regional Archives. Since I cannot possibly…]]> 2008-03-24T21:02:00-06:00 Pete Humphries http://www.aikinarchives.org/index.php/harvill/entries/pete-humphries/ On November 12, 1942, according to the Pete Humphries Co. ad (“The People’s Friend: Not Too Big for Little Business, Not Too Little for Big Business”) in The Paris News, Gold Medal flour went for 6 pounds for 35 cents, or 12 pounds for 65 cents. Sugar came in cloth bags at 5 pounds for 35 cents, or 10 pounds for 65 cents. Spuds, on the other hand (Idaho Russets) were 10 pounds for 47 cents. Read it and weep. Fresh, “krisp” Post Toasties were two 14-ounce boxes for 19 cents. (How much is cereal today?)

Let’s proceed…]]> 2008-03-13T15:42:00-06:00 359th Infantry Texas Brigade 1918 http://www.aikinarchives.org/index.php/harvill/entries/359th-infantry-texas-brigade-1918/ A unique item being catalogued for Aikin Regional Archives is “A Short History and Photographic Record of the 359th Infantry Texas Brigade, Lt. Col. W.A. Cavenaugh commanding, 1918.” It is illustrated with pictures of the members of the 359th. I’ve included a list of the counties making up the various companies whose members are pictured:

Co. A: Collins and Grayson
Co. B: Cooke, Denton, Parker, and Wise
Co. C: Johnson and Tarrant
Co. D: Ellis, Navarro, and Hill
Co. E: Delta, Fannin, and Lamar
Co. F: Dallas 2008-03-12T22:04:00-06:00 Quilts and “Los Cuatro Gatos” http://www.aikinarchives.org/index.php/harvill/entries/quilts-and-los-cuatro-gatos/ Aikin Archives is interested in collecting traditional handmade quilts and quilt tops, especially with a local or regional connection, for preservation as well as display purposes on the PJC campuses. These historic handmade items are original folk art, and we want to preserve them for posterity.

If you would like to donate quilts or quilt tops to Aikin Archives, contact Daisy Harvill, Archivist, at either 903-782-0411 or dharvill@parisjc.edu. You may also contact the following interested parties at PJC: Dwight Chaney, Diann Mason, or Rita Tapp.

Diann and Rita have recently completed a colorful quilted wall hanging,…]]> 2008-02-29T17:08:00-06:00 World War Two Project http://www.aikinarchives.org/index.php/harvill/entries/world-war-two-project/ Aikin Regional Archives invites letters or e-mails with first-hand accounts of life in Paris, Lamar County or this region of Texas in the earlier years of our century, especially the 1940s.

Who remembers the home-front in your hometown and the joys and sorrows, the challenges and the hidden rewards of those days? Share them with our readers. Your letters and e-mails will become a permanent part of a special Aikin Archives Collection dedicated to preserving those fast-disappearing memories.

We cannot collect too many of them, as “the greatest generation” is rapidly leaving us. What is a…]]> 2008-02-28T21:54:00-06:00 Old Photographs http://www.aikinarchives.org/index.php/harvill/entries/old-photographs/ Dating Old Photographs 1840-1929 is a set of books in the archives published by “A Family Chronicle” that I find very useful. Halvor Moorshead is the publisher and editor of these books.

An article by Andrew J. Morris tells me that the initial clue in dating a photograph is the process used in creating it. The earliest photographic images available were the Daguerreotype and the Talbotype. Daguerre’s invention was unveiled first, in France, in 1839. Talbot introduced his own process shortly afterward, but the two differed in several ways. Later called Calotypes, Talbot’s images were patented, but Daguerreotypes…]]> 2007-11-30T22:23:00-06:00 Death Record http://www.aikinarchives.org/index.php/harvill/entries/death-record/ Back again. It’s been hectic at Paris Junior College as we approach the end of the fall 2007 semester and the Christmas holiday break.

An interesting article in the October 2007 issue of Family Chronicle by Patrick Wohler on deaths and the records which can be useful in tracing family history.

Of course, the first one that comes to mind is the death certificate issued by the attending physician with the time, date, and cause of death. Many agencies require a death certificate, such as insurance companies and probate courts, and copies may be in the…]]> 2007-11-27T19:11:01-06:00 Homecoming 2007 http://www.aikinarchives.org/index.php/harvill/entries/homecoming-2007/ It’s homecoming 2007 time at Paris Junior College, Nov. 9-10, which is always a busy time on campus. Carroll Dawson, former PJC student and athlete and All-American basketball player, will be the honored Distinguished Alumnus this year. Dawson retired recently as the general manager of the Houston Rockets in the National Basketball League and will be our keynote speaker at the awards banquet on Nov. 10.

A parade featuring cars and floats will kick off the homecoming on Thursday, Nov. 8 , at 4 p.m. On Friday, Nov. 9, the President’s Reception will be in the McLemore Student…]]> 2007-10-19T16:18:00-06:00 The Subject of Forgiveness http://www.aikinarchives.org/index.php/harvill/entries/the-subject-of-forgiveness/ Thanks to Deborah K. Archer, the daughter of Melba K. Bunch, for bringing Melba’s collection of school yearsbooks to the archives at Paris Junior College. They include The Texan (Travis Middle School) from 1969-1980. We have a fine collection of Paris High School Owls and Paris Junior College Galleons, but very few yearbooks from the other Paris schools. Donations are appreciated and used by researchers.

Thanks, also, to Jimmye Hancock, who donated a photograph of the old Palace Drug Store, dated 1923. It brings back memories, not that I date back that far myself, but I instantly remembered…]]> 2007-10-11T19:43:00-06:00 Local Authors, Part Two http://www.aikinarchives.org/index.php/harvill/entries/local-authors-part-two/ Among the historians in the past, we have to honor Ed H. McCuistion, whose Loose Leaves of Lamar County History was published in The Paris News. His scrapbook of articles is a valuable source of local history.

A.W. Neville, a former editor of The Paris News, wrote The History of Lamar County, also printed first in serial and later in book form. J.J. Cunningham authored a history of the Paris Masonic Lodge. As for ministers, Rev. John H. McLean’s Reminiscences is a valuable resource, along with B.F. Fuller’s History of Texas Baptists. Finally, Mrs. S.J. Wright is the…]]> 2007-09-20T15:49:00-06:00 Grandparents http://www.aikinarchives.org/index.php/harvill/entries/grandparents/ One of the gifts of the season (for me) has been the winning of awards and prizes by seven of my freshman English students at Paris Junior College. The two classes which I teach entered their essays, written on their second class day and without any instruction or effort on my part except a “pep talk,” in the Grandparents Day Essay Contest sponsored by Sterling House of Paris.

Winning in the category for ages 19+ were Cattlin Day, 1st; Jennifer Adams, 2nd; Ryan McClendon, 3rd; and Rory Butkovich, 3rd. Winning in the category for ages 14-18 were Matthew…]]> 2007-09-20T14:47:00-06:00