Tarleton Thursdays - Stephenville Historic Resources Survey

In the spring semester of 2015, Dr. T. Lindsay Baker, W.K. Gordon endowed chair in history, and his students in HIST 5309 (Historic Preservation) and HIST 4350 (Special Topics) partnered with the City of Stephenville to identify and document historic, mostly commercial structures within a 25 block area surrounding the Erath County Courthouse and the square, as well as additional sites outside of this area selected by the city.  The students used recording forms approved by the Texas Historical Commission, adding photographs and other research documents.

The result was called the Stephenville Historic Resources Survey.  Dr. Baker recently donated a copy of this survey, as well as the accompanying research files for the 147 sites and other supporting material, to the Dick Smith Library, along with digital copies of the photographs from the project.

A nearly-21-block area downtown was initially identified, with over half of the buildings surveyed in it considered to be contributing to a historic district designation on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP).  Further work by the expert consultant hired by the city, Mary Saltarelli, has expanded the district to include a total of 120 buildings, with 77 of those (63%) contributing.  The minimum requirement is 51 percent to be considered for placement on the registry.  Being listed on the registry can bring tax incentives and other benefits to the downtown area and property owners.

While the original research files will be preserved, the library hopes to make copies of the files available in the Local History Room in the Special Collections Suite on the lower level of the Dick Smith Library, where users can access them to learn the history of their homes or buildings.

Here are just a few examples of buildings that are part of the proposed district.  The first building pictured, the First National Bank building on the square, built in 1889, has been a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark since 1994.  On July 21, 2015, it was added to the NRHP as an individual building, and in February 2017, it received a Preservation Texas Honor Award for its restoration and rehabilitation.

Above:  198 S Belknap Ave., First National Bank Building.  Photo by T. Lindsay Baker, 4 May 2015.

Below:  160 E Washington St., W.W. Rutherford Building.   Photo by T. Lindsay Baker, 3 May 2015.

Below:  154 E Washington St., Tatum and Sons Building.  Photo by T. Lindsay Baker, 3 May 2015.

Research by the library's Special Services and Archives staff using old Sanborn insurance maps shows that the first floor of the Tatum building was actually constructed between September 1902 and November 1907, which corresponds with a large increase in the property's value in 1905, the estimated construction year for the first floor (a grocery warehouse on that 1907 Sanborn map).  
The second floor was added in 1920.

On this building, the first floor is made of stone while the second floor is made of brick.  The cast iron columns by the entry were furnished by Fort Worth Iron Works, and were added before 1920.  

Tarleton Thursdays: From Our Day at the State Capitol, March 21, 2017

Senate Resolution 426, issued at Tarleton State University Day at the State Capitol on March 21, 2017, in honor of Tarleton's centennial as a member of the Texas A&M University System (click on the image to enlarge it).  This proclamation will be added to the University Archives.

Tarleton Thursday: Alum Donates Ancestor's 1870s Texas Emigrant Journey Memoir to Library

Above:  Alan Easterling '90 with his ancestor's memoir

It's very appropriate that we get to announce an exciting donation to our archival collections on Texas Independence Day!  Yesterday, Tarleton alumnus Alan Easterling, Class of 1990, donated the original handwritten account of the mid-1870s journey from southern Illinois to northern Texas made by his great-grandfather, Nelson Fleming Rudolph (1861-1937), and his great-great uncle and Nelson's brother, Charles Francis Rudolph (1859-1929).

As can be seen in the photograph, the approximately 139-year-old document has been a little torn and taped on its first (and last) few leaves, but the remaining leaves (there are 100 pages) are in remarkably good condition.  Charles, who later became a newspaper editor, wrote the account of the journey and gave it as a Christmas gift to two of his sisters, Serena Estella "Stella" Rudolph Dort (1855-1932), who also moved to Texas, and Louisa Catherine "Lou" Rudolph Lee (1857-1930).

Easterling also donated three family photographs (two are originals from the late 1880s).  Watch for future posts featuring these images, as well as excerpts from the memoir.

Alan Easterling's nephew, Grayson Easterling, is a student at our Stephenville campus.  We also discovered another family connection here in the Dick Smith Library.  Jennifer Barrera, Assistant Director for User Services, is also a descendant of Nelson Fleming Rudolph.  He is Jennifer's great-great-grandfather, which makes Jennifer and Grayson third cousins, and Alan and Jennifer are second cousins once removed. 

Tarleton Thursday: Historypin Tour of Campus

Just in time for Homecoming 2016, the Dick Smith Library is introducing a Historypin tour of the main campus in Stephenville!

What is Historypin?  It's a nonprofit organization with "a free website where anyone can upload and create collections of historical photos, videos and sounds."  You can also create a "tour," which is what we have done with some of the photographs from the University Photo Collection.

The Special Services and Archives Department of the Dick Smith Library (Coordinator Amanda Pape, Collections Archivist Gary Spurr, and former staff member Crystal Stanley) chose 18 photographs from this collection and uploaded them to Historypin.  In the process, you can actually "pin" the image on a Google Map.  If the location has a "Street View" available, there's a really neat "Dear Photograph"-like then-and-now feature you can activate.

Below is one example.  The very first John Tarleton College building was located at the northwest corner of what is now N. McIlhaney Street and W. Tarleton Street / Military Drive.  Below is a screen capture from our tour on Historypin, showing a 1900 photograph of the building superimposed over its approximate site.

Note the slider bar at the top of the photograph?  If you slide the red dot all the way over to the left, you get a more contemporary view of the same site (in this case, where the Hunewell Bandstand is now located):

Below is an outline of the "stops" on the Tarleton State University Campus History Tour.  The six spots with an orange figure in the upper right corner are along the campus perimeter and thus had Google Map Street Views available where we could use this feature.

Even better for the research and history geeks in our library department, there is lots of space to include a detailed history of each site, including links to other resources, such as the Cross Timber Historic Images Project photographs and narratives, and relevant pages and articles from the collection of Grassburr yearbooks and J-TAC student newspapers online at the Portal to Texas History.  The Grassburrs and J-TACs often provide descriptions and other details written in the same years the photographs were taken, resulting in more accuracy.

We invite all alumni, students, and current and previous faculty and staff to take the tour!  Let us know in the comments (here on the blog or on the Historypin site) what you think, and if you have any stories (or photos) to add! 

Tarleton Thursdays: Did You Know?

Texan Transition Week is just around the corner, and campus departments are preparing to greet the Class of 2017 by making plans for an activities-filled week and developing strategies to ensure the new students' time at Tarleton is rewarding -- academically, professionally, and personally.

Welcoming students to campus is a long-standing Tarleton tradition that has evolved over time. For example, when the 1963 Freshman Class arrived on campus, they received registration help, took campus tours, attended a general assembly and departmental presentations, and participated in social events like swimming at the college pool and a dance.

Curious about what previous students experienced at Tarleton? No problem. You can learn much about Tarleton's past by reading The J-TAC articles (1919-2009) online at UNT's Portal to Texas History.

Here's how:

-- Click this direct link to the J-TAC (1919-2009) collection at the portal.

   -- Or, click "J-TAC Newspaper Archive" on the library's database page.
-- Use the "Advanced Search" feature to search for topics, choose specific time periods, or set other search limits.

   -- Or, browse for articles by year and issue.

If you have questions, give us a call 254-968-9249 or contact us with our Ask a Librarian service. Enjoy!

Tarleton Thursdays: Did You Know?

It’s Graduation Time!

In my blog posts on May 13, 2010, and September 13, 2012, I wrote about the 1962-63 school year being a significant one in Tarleton’s history.  The May 26, 1963 graduates were in the first class to receive degrees in over fifty years!

The 1903 class pictured above was the first John Tarleton graduating class.  The last graduating class for John Tarleton College was in 1908  -  until Tarleton became a four year institution in 1959 and conferred the first degrees in May 1963.

The first graduates in 1903 were (left to right) William M. Bowman,  Monnett Chambers, Walter Powell, William Bryant Williams, and Pearle Mulloy front and center.  Mr. Bowman and Mr. Williams attended the 1963 graduation ceremonies as shown above.  Also attending the 1963 ceremony was long time educator and retired Tarleton faculty member Charles Hale, who is standing in the photo above behind Mr. Bowman and Mr. Williams.  My November 19, 2009 blog was about Charlie Hale.

The 1963 Tarleton graduation was held in front of the library.  Degrees were awarded to 29 men and women.  In addition, 27 certificates of completion were awarded for two year special and pre-professional programs.  The first degree was awarded to Pete Stanford as shown in the photo above.

“Tonight’s ceremony was a culmination of the dream of a West Texas pioneer, John Tarleton!  The school that started in 1899 with a single building has developed into a college with some 25 buildings, with a more than 96 acres campus, and 725 acres of farm land for agricultural research.  In the last 5 years, 5 of the buildings were completed or begun  – the library, student health center, a men and a women’s dorm, and the groundbreaking for a new student center was held March 12, 1963."

Among the 1963 graduates was honor graduate Leveta Hord, history major from Stephenville, who also at one time worked in the library, and Rodney Davis, the first Tarleton ROTC student to enter the army upon graduation, and who for a time later worked in Tarleton’s Financial Aid department.

Tarleton’s Community of Inquiring Minds

have

Come a Long Way!!

Congratulations upon Completing Finals!

Have a Wonderful Summer!!

Cross Timbers Historic Images Project.

Dallas Morning News, May 26, 1963.

Grassburr, 1963.

JTAC, May 14, 1963.

Tarleton Thursdays: Did You Know?

George Oliver Ferguson

George Ollie Ferguson was a lifelong Erath County resident.  He attended John Tarleton College from its opening in 1899 until 1901.  He received his BA from the University of Texas in 1907 and his masters from the University of Chicago in 1917.

G.O. Ferguson joined the Tarleton faculty in 1913 as professor of history and economics, and head of the economics and social science department.  He became associate dean and registrar in 1919.  Dean Ferguson retired in 1946, but continued teaching until 1950.  During his tenure he also taught Spanish, German and sociology.   Dean Ferguson, along with other faculty members, stuck it out at Tarleton through the thinnest of times.

Upon his retirement, Dean Ferguson was given the status of Associate Dean Emeritus.  In 1959 Tarleton built a new men’s dormitory and named it after Dean Ferguson – Ferguson Hall – which is still here today, the dorm closest to the library.  Dean Ferguson is shown above in his office in the administration building (now the Education building).

G.O. Ferguson died April 8, 1963 of a heart attack at his ranch sixteen miles southeast of Stephenville.  He was buried across the street in Stephenville West End Cemetery.  His family home was on Vanderbilt Street.  His widow Nona Laney Ferguson continued living in their home on Vanderbilt and caring for their rental duplex apartments next door.  Mrs. Ferguson was my first landlady when I moved to Stephenville in 1969.  She died in 1971.

Dean Ferguson’s sisters, Mett and Minn, were also long time educators.  Minn was on the Tarleton faculty as an instructor of piano and secretary of the Music department.  She graduated from John Tarleton Agricultural College in 1915 and from the New York School of Music and art in 1920.  Mett was a long time public school teacher in East Texas.  Mettie died in 1961 and Minn in 1972.  Both are buried in Stephenville West End Cemetery.

Dean Ferguson’s daughter and son in law, Mary and Jack Anderson, have been longtime members and supporters of the Dick Smith Library Friends and have helped with many book sales and programs.  Jack also served as president and as secretary treasurer of the Friends group.

Here’s to a family of great supporters of Tarleton and the Dick Smith Library!

Dick Smith Library Cross Timbers Historic Images.

JTAC, April 23, 1963.

Tarleton Thursdays: Did You Know?

 

Sadie Hawkins Week - Girls Get Your Man!

The week including March 26-28, 1963 marked Sadie Hawkins Week on the Tarleton campus.  Sponsored annually by the Owls and Silver Keys social clubs, good ole Dogpatch style Sadie Hawkins week allowed girls to ask the boys for dates.  Activities included a greased pig race, tow sack race, corn husking contest, and ended with a girl ask guy Saturday night dance, with attendees sporting the usual Dogpatch attire.

Rules included – dates made prior to March 26 were null and void, girls had to ask for all dates and furnish the money - $1.50 per couple for the dance, plus the girls had to spend more money on their fellas than themselves – marriages had to follow the Leap Year tradition where the girls had to ask the guys and provide the ring.  All propositions and advances had to be made by the girls…in the form of a footrace where the unmarried gals chased the unmarried men – if caught the guys had to marry the gals.

Law and order was maintained by Sheriff Mighty Aldridge and deputies Shrimp Sewalt and Mouse Currin.  Gossip was provided by Loway Lewis.  Marrying McCoy performed the Hitchin’ Ceremony and Shotgun  Arthur persuaded the fellows if the girls were having any trouble catching them.

The decorations in the gym included hay bales for seats, a tire swing hung from the ceiling.  Dogpatch pictures and signs adorned the walls depicting the “Dogpatch Haven of Tarleton”.  A dog, some chickens and a goat were housed in a pen at one end of the gym.  The Cruisers, a dance band from Brownwood, provided the music.

Prizes were awarded.  The best “Li’ Abner” was Dr. Robert Keighton,  and the best “Daisy Mae” was Kathy Higginbotham.  Judy Hermes and Troy Kennedy won the tow sack race.  Cheryl Barton and Bonnie Lewis tied in the corn husking.  In addition, the new spring pledges to the Owls and Silver Keys were presented.

A grand time was had by all!

Grassburr, 1963.
JTAC,  March 19 and 26, 1963, April 2, 1963.

Tarleton Thursdays: Did You Know?

Going…..Going…..Gone!!

Fifty years ago this month marked the groundbreaking for the new student center – what is now the Tarleton Center.  Ceremonies began with the Tarleton Texan Band playing the color song, followed by the posting of the colors.  The podium was placed in the northwest corner facing south, with chairs for eight dignitaries.  Included in the “stage” party was Tarleton President Howell, Leon Stanley, general contractor, W.E. Parrish, architect for Wyatt C. Hedrick, and other Tarleton and A & M employees.

President E.J. Howell turned the first spade of dirt with the silver shovel that was presented to him by Mr. Leon Stanley.  The engraved silver spade stated “This spade commemorates the occasion of groundbreaking on March 12, 1963 for the new Student Center, Tarleton State College, Stephenville, Texas…E.J. Howell, President; Wyatt C. Hedrick & Associates, Architects and engineers; and Leon H. Stanley, general contractor".

Before the construction began, however, the original Hunewell Bandstand had to come down, as shown in the above photos.  It was located in the construction area.  The Hunewell Bandstand was a gift from the classes of 1926, 1927, and 1928, and was built by Tarleton staff and students with rock quarried from the college farm.   

The bandstand was named for Tarleton band director and music professor Dennis Hunewell, the same faculty member who endowed Tarleton with the Hunewell Ranch that is still used today.  The Tarleton Alumni Association raised funds for the new replica of the Hunewell Bandstand it was constructed in Heritage Oaks Park in 2005. Today it is a popular venue for many events.

Have a Great Spring Break!!

Grassburr, 1963.

JTAC January 15, 1963, March 12, 1963, March 19, 1963.