Description: Bill Blackshear. Summer 1944. Caption says: "A San Antonio Spree to Galveston, Summer 1944. I call it A.W.O.L. Bill." From the William Blackshear collection, which was donated to the Palestine Public Library.

Description: Photo of Unidentified child labeled only "Dany". Photo is from the William Blackshear collection, which was donated to the Palestine Public Library.

Description: The Anderson County Courthouse is the largest historic institutional building in Palestine and arguably the most prominent architectural landmark. Sited atop a hill that overlooks the central business district to the southwest, the courthouse retains its historic integrity and character. The original architects, C.H. Page and Brother incorporated Classical Revival elements in the design, which bears a resemblance to the firm’s courthouse design for Williamson County, Texas. Legislators designated Palestine the county seat of Anderson County in 1846, the year of the county’s creation. This is the county’s fourth courthouse, and the third to be erected on this site. It was designed in 1913-1914 by the noted Austin architectural firm of Charles Page and Brother. B.P. Garvey of Gainesville, Texas, served as the contractor. The building’s formal dedication ceremony was held December 20, 1914. Billy Bean documented the courthouse in his 1980 survey. The building was extensively remodeled in 1986. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1992 - Building #92001256

Description: Children at play in front of the old Palestine High School Gym. Note this is not the old Rusk School.

Description: Tintype photograph of two unidentified boys. Photo is from the William Blackshear collection, which was donated to the Palestine Public Library.