The Cherokeean. (Rusk, Tex.), Vol. 132, No. 10, Ed. 1 Thursday, April 23, 1981 Page: 5 of 16
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THE CHEKOKfelfcAN UK KLtíK, ÍÜIAA , i HLHbUA t, AftUL, At, Wl-fAUi I * «.
DuHn® the American Revolution, George Washington sel-
dom commanded more than 10,000 troop* at one time.
♦♦VININGS.. • from p. 1
707 Dickinson Drive
MANESS TIRE
Ph.(713)6834933
ifcio
19SÍSij
SALE
Some Tires at COST!
Others at 10-20% OFF. Wheels discounted 15%. Car
wash, oil, filter and grease job, $19. Offer good April
30, May 1 & 2. If we're unable to get to you on
those dates, we'll reschedule for following week.
We are dealers for:
MICHELIN, GOODYEAR, MULTI-MILE
UNIROYAL AND OTHERS
prize? Well, the day Jim
Bother woo the race, his
wife was made "Queen of
the Day" and paraded
around the suare in really
fine clothes, Bill says.
The tournaments weren't
the only fun involving hor-
ses back in those days. Bill
can remember the horses
racing along Main Street-
right in the middle of town.
In fact, Bill can remem-
ber the name of Frazier
Bagley's horse-Mert. Mert
was about the fastest horse
around in those days. For
us youngsters, Frazier was
the brother of Jewel
Copeland.
The other activities the
folks in Cherokee County
enjoyed during those times
was attending square and
round dances. The Wood-
man Hall in Forest was one
particularly favorite spot
for dancing, as J.J. recalls.
The younger of the two
Vinings recalls when Henry
Berryman of Alto taught
him to drive a car. In those
early days of automobilies,
the cars were steered with
a rod and included Model T
Open Sixes and Overland .
The car was called a tur-
tle, J.J. says, because the
engine compartment was
behind the front seat.
I BUCKH0RN GROCERY & MARKET I
USDA0RA0EA
FRYERS
X;>:
U0HT CRUST
FLOUR
(CUTUP1B.5S*)
LIMIT 1WIIH *10 OR MORE
IN NON SAU FOOD PUR.
SHURFINE
W
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CATSUP
45
5 & 58
70
M0Z. J J
WHOLE IB.
*
4
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SHURFINE
1GREEN PEAS
SHURFINE CUT
GREEN BEANS
6AU0N
CL0R0X BLEACH
g "m 1
416 0Z. f|
CAN I
89
EACH QQ
QUARTERS
PARKAY MARGARINE *53
4
4
WASHINGTON
DELICIOUS APPLES - 3 «#1
MEDIUM
•:*x
GRADE A EGGS
002.
SILVER SPUR
SLICED BACON
RtNPLESS
FAMILY PACK
*1891 PORK CHOPS «I5*
CENTER CUT
'Sit:
1
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OPEN 7 DAYS
6:10 A.M. TIL 9 P.M.
QUANTITY
MOMT
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4
67
♦109
HIUSHIRE FARMS SMOKED
SAUSAGE
CHOKE TURKEY ... ..-0
NECKS i . 39 ¡ PORK CHOPS u>179
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BUCKHORN
GROCERY & MARKET
1
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1
For the 85-year-old Bill
vining, the memories of
early Rusk are all well
recorded. Bill has been
making tapes of the history
of Rusk as he recalls it and
has, he estimates, between
40 and 50 tapes.
There's a tape on the
Methodist Church, a tape
on the business establish-
ments around the cour-
thouse square, a tape on
the Jewish people who
lived and worked in Rusk, a
tape on the buildings which
have stood on the Citizens
Bank corner, a tape on the
former Manning Store, a
tape on Dr. Mosely, and on
and on and on ai.d on.
Bill is a nearly per-
manent resident of Rusk.
He was born on Main Street
just a few blocks from
where he lives now. The
only times he hasn't lived
in Rusk were when his
mother remarried and the
family moved to Mills
County for one year and
the one year he spent in the
U.S. Army during World
War I
Bill's taping business
started on Christmas Day
evening in 1974 when his
children gave him a tape
recorder. The first tape he
made told what occupied
every building on the cour-
thouse square.
The inspiration to start a
history of Rusk came from
Bill's good friend and con-
fidante, Eldrige Gregg Sr.,
who started writing down
all the details of Rusk's
history he could remem-
ber. But, as Bill says it,
he's not that good a writer
and is a better talker so he
decided to record the
history on tapes.
For activities in those
days, there was the circus
that came to town in the
winter. In fact, the circus
came to town so often the
Rusk residents knew the
circus performers and em-
ployees by their first, or
given, name.
The picture shows, or
movies, started up in 1914
or so and that provided a
lot of entertainment.
If you get Bill to talking,
you'll find out all kinds of
interesing details and tid-
bits about life "back in
those days." ,
Have you noticed the
commercial on television
today that starts, "Your
parents used to call it the
light bill." Well, Bill
remembers when the
elecricity was used just for
lights.
The electric service
company ran an adver-
tisement in the local paper
that said they would be
producing electricity on
Tuesdays and Thursdays-
during the day-for the
ladies who had electric
irons and wanted to use
them, Bill remembers.
Before that time, the
electricity was turned on
after darkness fell and tur-
ned off around 9:30 or 10
p.m., Bill says. Then the
town was as dark as it
could be!
In those days the Cotton
Belt railroad started two
trains, one in Lufkin and
one in Tyler. Both trains
came to Rusk where they
turned around and went
back.
The newspapers that Bill
and Eldrige sold on the
streets of Rusk, including
the Dallas Morning News,
The Chicago Ledger, the
Saturday Evening Post and
the Saturday Blade, were
delivered by trains.
Also revolving around
the arrival of the trains
was the business of the
many of the hotels in town.
One hotel owner, Gen. John
M. Clayburn, would meet
the trains each day and
"solicit customers," as Bill
says on one of his tapes.
.V.V.V.V.V.V.V • • V VtVMVMVtV.'Wi
eee**e*oeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
eeeeeeeeeeeeoeeeeeeeeeeeeea
Jessica Lynn Cummins
would like to tell everyone
about her new little
brother, Thomas Joel
(T.J.).
He arrived March 31
weighing 9 pounds, 14 oun-
ces and was 21H inches
long.
Proud parents are
Nathan and Janet Cum-
mins. Grandparents are
Thomas Joyce Sparkman
and Joel Maxlne Cummins.
Great-grandpar«nu are
MUdred Sparkman, Huien
and Opel Wilcox and
Beulah Williams. aU el
Rusk
The depot was about four
blocks from the hotel so
Clayburn would have a cart
pushed by an employee
along to carry client's
baggage.
In those days, the hotels
charged various prices. At
the Lang Hotel, which was
located where the U.S. Post
Offfice is today, the charge
was $1 per day-a charge
which included three meals
if the boarder ate at
mealtimes, the Clayburn
Hotel charged $1, but that
price did not include meals.
Meals were a big thing,
in those days, with boar-
ding houses and hotels
having dining rooms and
several restaurants scat-
tered around the square.
Probably the "principal
place to eat in the county"
was at the C&W Bower
Restaurant, Bill Vining
says. J.J. Vining remem-
bers that the restaurant
lost business during World
War II because the Bowers
were German immigrants.
The Deckard Cafe was on
the west side of the square.
Cobble Corner, where Bab-
cock Auto Parts is today,
had all kinds of "eating
joints," Bill sayd.
Mrs. Vernie Minter of
Alto ran a popular
restaurant in the Cobble
Corner-between where
Babcock's and Fowler's
are today. She later moved
on to run the Rusk Hotel
and Cafe on the north side
of the square.
Allen Huett had a
restaurant on the east side
of the Rusk Hotel. Bill
remembers going into the
kitchen one day and seeing
Allen take a white waiter's
cloth and rub across the
cook stove-and have it
come up still white.
Frank , and Jewell
Copeland were located on
the east side of the square
and had a place that
specialized in hot tamales.
Their cook was a black
man named Robinson who
had cooked for the
Southern Hotel.
To Bill Vining, the
biggest change in Rusk
came about with elec-
tricity. He notes that the
courthouse we have today
is the third courthouse to be
located on that spot and
comments the paving of the
streets are a tremendous
improvement to the City of
Rusk today when com-
pared to yesterday.
m
W.M. "Bill" Vining
FEED
xxx
We at Ike's Feed Mill would' lito
to congratulate Rusk on Its 134th
birthday.
At Ike's Feed Mill we've en|oyed
contributing to the growth and
success of Rusk and we ap-
preciate all our customers for
letting us serve them.
Ike's still has flowers far
planting, including bogonlas
and petunias. And If there Is
something Ike doesn't have
he'll be glad to order H for
you.
*§■
*
Ike's Feed Miil
'Growing with Rusk'
If you feed feed, feed good feed.
Feed Ike's Feed
U.S. Hwy. 69 in Rusk Ph. 683-2206
iiMiimiiniiunm nimitMH msMimMiMinMM«.iw Mi«eMNiiMm>ilNewmim>N>W
Mátheu - Mitten
LEVI'S
SALE
THURS.-FRI.-SAT.
$]234
•LOT NO. 646-0217
REGULAR FLARE
• LOT NO. 501
OLD BLUE
SHRINK-TO-FIT
134TH ANNIVERSARY
CELEBRATION
i
Ajcitinwj - MtCCc
l) I 4 I N U A III I UUAI I I V
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The Cherokeean. (Rusk, Tex.), Vol. 132, No. 10, Ed. 1 Thursday, April 23, 1981, newspaper, April 23, 1981; Rusk, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth151485/m1/5/: accessed April 27, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Singletary Memorial Library.