82 Years Ago
June 6, 1940
When the peach business is good in San Saba County, then the watermelon business suffers. Truckers come into town, and where the peaches are good, they are first in demand by trucker, who haul them profitably to nearby markets. Watermelons come as "second chance" after fruit.
The Donkey Rodeo and Thrill Circus staged by the Boy Scouts on Rogan Field, although not as successful as had been hoped, was well attended, according to Bobby Joe Pridgeon, Scoutmaster. Total gate was around $35, with a net of $10 to go into the local Scout fund to be used to pay transportation to and from Camp Billy Gibbons this summer.
Mr. and Mrs. H. B. Wayland delightfully entertained a small group of close friends. Fortytwo was the game played, with the tables arranged in the outdoor living room. A salad plate was served Mr. and Mrs. H. O. Timmins, W. H. Hinyard, F. A. Townsend, Mrs. G. A. Arhelger and the host and hostess.
The Chappel school is going to put on a play here at Cherokee in the high school cafetorium. The title of the play is "The Adventures of Grandpa."
Building activity continues here with warm weather, local lumber dealers report, with a number of new houses in the preliminary stages of construction and much repairing and repainting of property underway.
Around 150 persons attended the alumni banquet which was held on the Richland Springs school campus. The theme was a gypsy scene centered around and in a covered wagon standing on the ground bearing waitresses dressed in gypsy costumes, singing gypsy songs, while a seething cauldron on the ground added color to the affair, which was held under a gorgeous array of colored lights and dancing balloons.
Gala colored shirts, designed to add pep and color to the approaching rodeo, are seen in abundance on streets and in stores here. Upwards of 75 have already been sold, local clothing dealer report. Although all types may be seen sporting the rodeo regalia, high school and graduate jitterbugs are in predominance. By the way, here's a definition of a jitterbug: A convulsion that made good.
52 Years Ago
June 11, 1970
Jerry Franklin, son of Mr. and Mrs. Johnny Franklin, a San Saba Alumnus, also a graduate of Southwest Texas State University, is going from NASA to a new field, that of stock broker with a Houston firm. He has a wife and daughter, Marti, age one year.
George Booker, son of Ruth and Eldon Booker, recent grad of University of Texas, has contracted to teach math in J. Frank Dobie senior high school in Pasadena.
Blanch Biggs of San Saba was among 81 Mary Hardin-Baylor College students named to the Dean's Honor Roll for the spring semester. The Honor Roll is comprised of those who achieve an academic standing of 2.5 or above, under the 3.0 system of grade points. Mrs. Biggs, wife of James Biggs, is majoring in nursing.
The Mod Squad 4-H sewing group met in the home of Mrs. Martin Vann and worked on their dresses. Most of the garments will be finished by next week's meeting. Melissa Watkins served refreshments to Amy Harrison, Sherry Ellis, Shirley French and Nanette Vann.
Bygone days will be remembered here when the public is invited to attend a "mock wedding" underneath the spreading branches of the "Wedding Oak" on the China Creek road, where the ceremony at high noon will be filmed and sound recorded. The "Wedding Oak" was a popular place for local marriages to be performed in the early days of the county and many couples still live in the area who were married underneath the tree. A motion picture firm will film the ceremony for the picture "The Great Trees of America," which will be for national television showing.
Forty years is a heap living, and it had been that many years since I had set eyes on the Barnes Ranch, in the southeast tip of the county, where buffalo once roamed. The late John F. Barnes had a herd of buffalo in the early 1930's. There are none on the range now, but a breed of cattle I did not recognize. Sign at the entrance of the ranch off the Bend-Cherokee ranch road says Barnes-Keith Ranch. Dr. Keith of Port Arthur is co-owner of the ranch, I was told. Mr. and Mrs. John Vann were not at home at ranch headquarters. Vann is ranch foreman, Mrs. Vann busses the school kids to the San Saba schools.