Cherokeean/Herald (Rusk, Tex.), Vol. 143, No. 18, Ed. 1 Thursday, June 6, 1991 Page: 1 of 20
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Rusk:
Home of the
Texas State Railroad
State Historical Park
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■EST AVAILABLE COPY
Cherokeean
Texas' Oldest, Continuously Published Weekly Newspaper — Established Feb. 27, 1850 as the Cherokee Sentinel
Alto:
Home of the
Caddoan Mounds
State Historic Site
Vol. 143, No. 18 - 12 Pages
Thursday, June 6, 1991
Rusk, Texas 75785 25 cents
Highway's 300th birthday will be observed
By: BETTY HARDIN
1GS" EL £AMINO RERL 1991
* > 'O . mNl U
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ALTO GETS READY to welcome visitors to the 300th birthday celebration of the El
Camino Real - Highway 21 that passes through downtown Alto. The festivities are
scheduled from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 8, and will include a parade with more than
30 floats and attractions. -staff photo
The streets of downtown Alto will
be the setting for possibly the big-
gest parade ever held in Alto. The
football stadium is where the pa-
rade of some 28 floats will end and
a special program will begin. The
Caddoan Mounds will feature the
conclusion of the June 8th festivi-
ties with exciting events scheduled
for the historical site west of Alto on
Highway 21 - The King's Highway,
the oldest highway in Texas.
Members of the Historical Com-
mission that have been working on
the celebration for many months
met recently for an update of the ac-
tivities.
The parade will begin at Hilltop
Baptist church, meet up with other
floats assembling at First Baptist
Church and head west on Highway
21 toward the football stadium.
A color guard from Lufkin will
lead the parade followed by the Alto
School Band. Several area dignitar-
ies will follow and then the proces-
sion of floats and other parade par-
ticipants, including carriages,
horses, flamenco dancers, etc.
The parade will be divided into
units representing the many, his-
torical stages throughout which the
State of Texas, and El Camino Real
have witnessed. These units will be
"Indian and Pre-Indian" with par-
ticipants from the Delaware Indian
Village and a float from the Alto
Nursing Center. "Spain and Its
Dominance" will feature a Friar and
his family (aka the Jay Witt family);
"Texas Under Mexico" will find
Davie Crockett (aka Chris Davis)
and his Tennessee Volunteers
marchi ng along followed by Stephen
F. Austin (aka Ray Penn) and his
Colonists. Somewhere along with
them will be an authentic 1820s
cannon.
"The Republic of Texas" era, 1834-
45 will feature the Daughters of the
Republic of Texas on their float, and
the Mail Riders. Under the era of
1846-61, "Texas in .the United
Wells church sets Cümp Wanna-Read
VBS June 10-14
First Baptist Church in Wells will
have a Vacation Bible School June
Í0-14. Ages three through sixth
grade will meet from 9 a.m. to 11
a.m., while teenagers will have the
evening sessions at 7 p.m. Monday,
Tuesday and Thursday. The eve-
ning sessions will be taught by Steve
Hulsey. Everyone is invited to at-
tend, according to Pastor Bob
Goodnight.
Memorial Service
The annual Myrtle Springs Ceme-
tery Memorial Service is planned
for Saturday, June 8, beginning at
10 a.m. The event is held each sec-
ond Saturday in June. There will be
a business meeting, followed by a
guest speaker. A basket lunch will
be spread for all to enjoy.
T. R. Perkins is secretary. Per-
sons not planning to attend can mail
contribution to him at Route 5, Box
275, Jacksonville 75766.
Atoy Baptist slates
Vacation Bible School
Atoy Baptist Church, located on
County Road 1210, will hold Vaca-
tion Bible School from 6:30 - 9 p.m.
June 10-14 at the church. Ages
preschool through high school are
invited to attend and those needing
a ride or more information can con-
tact Paula Helm at 683-6129.
H'coming is set
The Rev. Don Copeland will be
speaker Sunday for homecoming
activities at the Lone Oak Baptist
Church. Activities begin at 10:30
a.m. Preaching is planned for 11
a.m. Lunch will be served in the
fellowship hall at noon. Featured
guests at the 1 p.m. singing will be
the New Life Singers and the Glory-
land Trio. The public is invited.
Fish fry, rummage
sale is scheduled
On Saturday, June 8, the Mt.
Pleasant Church will Bell fish plates
from the fellowship hall located on
Reeder Street. A rummage sale will
be held on Casner Street off of Hwy
69 North. To place orders call 683-
3441.
Association will meet
The annual memorial service and
business meeting of the Jarratt
Cemetery Association will be Sat-
urday, June 8. Registration of
members and guests is at 10 a.m.;
the memorial service is 10:30 a.m.
and the business meeting and elec-
tion of trustees will be at 11 a.m.
Lunch will be spread under the pine
shade at noon, according to Rachel
Jenkins, secretary-treasurer.
The summer reading program,
CampWanna-Read, will begin at 10
a.m. Wednesday, June 12 at Singlé-
tary Memorial Library. Registra-
tion will be followed by a movie.
Programs will be each Wednesday
for seven weeks and will include
movies, book talks, guests from the
community, and other book-cen-
tered activities. Pre-schoolers three
and above and school-age readers
through 13 are welcome. Persons
needing more information can call
the libraiy at 683-5916.
June 8 set for
Sacul festival
The Builders of the Community
Center of Sacul will be hosting the
annual Folk Festival on the Square,
Saturday, June 8 beginning at 10
a.m. Events will include blue grasB
bands, East Texas Gunfighters, arts
and crafts, food vendors and heri-
tage exhibitors. Interested persons
can contact Novis White at409/326-
4544for booth i nformation a nd other
details of the event.
Softball tournament
A men's softball tournament
benefiting the Mary Taylor Shar-
rock Bone Marrow Donor Fund will
be held Friday night, June 21, and
Saturday, June 22, in Garrison.
The tournament deadline is June
17 and will be limited to 14 teams.
Awards will be t-shirts for the first
three places. Barbeque, homemade
desserts and other food items will
be available to purchase.
To enter, phone Donna Miller at
409/347-5391.
G.W. Bradford
and Rusk Black
School reunion set
The G.W. Bradford and Rusk
Black School Reunion has been
scheduled for June 14, 15 and 16.
The keynote speaker for the Satur-
day 7 p.m. banquet is W.R. Meador
Sr., former Bradford school princi-
pal.
Meador is a veteran. He received
his bachelor's degree from Texas
College at Tyler and his Master's
degree from Texas Southern Uni-
versity in Houston. He assumed the
principalship of G.W. Bradford in
1955 and remained in this position
until the school ceased to be an
institution of learning at the end of
the 1968 school year.
He retired from a long successful
tenure in education in May 1976
and presently resides in the Pine
Grove Community near Jackson-
ville.
Registration* «re still being taken
for the weekend of activities. Fore
more information call one of the fol-
lowing number*: 683-4878, 683-
5743, 683-4747, or 586-3718 in
Jacksonville.
PICTURED ABOVE ARE the "El Camino Riders" that will take part in the festivities
marking the 300th birthday of the Old San Antonio Road on June 8th in Alto. From
left are, Freddie Wallace, Mike Low, Randy Low, Jim Bob Lindsey, Buster Kahla and
Marlene Kahla. -photo by Grady Singletary
Citizens Bank of Rusk acquires
a Nacogdoches savings and loan
Citizens Bank of Rusk has ac-
quired the former First Federal
Sayings & Loan Association of
Nacogdoches from the Resolution
Trust Corporation effective at 5:30
p.m. Friday.
Citizens Bank will assume all
$49.5 million in deposits.
First Federal has assets of $53.2
million and liabilities of $52.7 mil-
lion.
The RTC will advance about $10
million to Citizens Bank and keep
about $17.4 million of First Federal's
assets.
Citizens Bank President James I.
Perkins says all insured deposits of
the former First Federal Savings
and Loan will continue to be in-
sured.
"It was business as usual on Mon-
day morning," he said.
"We are very pleased that the
Resolution Trust Corporation has
allowed us this opportunity to work
for the fine people of Nacogdoches
County.
"We feel we can provide better
service to local customers through
local and area management and
ownership," he added.
Senior Vice-President Charles
Pickett, former FDIC regional coun-
sel, will be the bank's executive in
charge.
TSR is slated to begin
50 mile runs next week
"We know the fine financial in-
stitutions of Nacogdoches County
have and are furnishing outstand-
ing financial services.
"We will endeavor to show our
Nacogdoches customers with our
former First Federal Saving and
Loan staff, why we have received
high bank rating for the past 20
years," Perkins said.
The Citizens Bank's ratings in-
clude the Sheshunoff Company
rating of A+ for the last six con-
secutive years, 20 consecutive
quarters of Veribanc Blue Ribbon
ratings.
Total assets and capital accounts
for Citizens Bank are $133 million
and $11 million, respectively.
States," there will be a changing of
the flags and Anson Jones will be
there.
"Texas in the Confederacy* will
be represented by the Moses M.
Buckner Chapter of the United
Daughters of the Confederacy. This
unit will also have a Confederate
Marching Unit from Longview and
a commissary wagon.
As "Texas Returns to the United
States," there will be a contingency
of Western Riders with covered
wagons, ranch-type chuck wagons
and pioneers, (aka Bob Grammer,
Mindy Scott, Becky Burroughs and
others). During this section of the
parade there may also be square
dancers and doggers. Hilltop Bap-
tist Church will have a float with a
barber shop quartet.
The Daughters of the American
Revolution will have a marker float
in the Unit of "Texas During WWI."
The DAR "Little Angels" will also be
in this part of the parade. Dr. J.C.
Hill (97) is anticipated to ride in a
jeep representing World War I vet-
erans.
"The Depression Era" will fea-
ture a 1920s road grader, pulled by
horses, on loan from Alton Hicks.
The Jerry Jones family will have a
float depicting this same era.
"Post WWII" will be represented
by a 1950s float with costumes and
music reminiscent of those "good
old days" and high school students
will be on that float Finally, a con-
tingency of "Then and Now" floats
will feature an old blacksmith shop
and a modern West Craft Mfg.; a
Telephone float with costumed em-
ployees from the old to the present
communications system; Rural
Electric Coop will feature a farm
family with oil lamps and a modern
family with all the conveniences we
now enjoy.
An up-to-date float will have
Barbara Bush (aka Virginia Davis)
and children depicting the fight
against illiteracy. And the very last
of the parade will see the families of
the area men who served in Opera-
tion Desert Storm and one service
man who will be in Alto at the time
of the celebration.
As the parade concludes at the
football field, the floats will go into
Ray Perm's pasture and the partici-
pants will march into the stadium
where Robert W. Glover, of Tyler
Junior College, will give the wel-
coming address. Other activities will
include the Pony Express and their
confrontation with some scalawags
on the football field, with the sheriff
coming in to restore law and order.
After the program there will be a
lunch break (the Lions will serve
the public in their building). The
next activity will be the marker
dedication on Hwy 21W.
The activities will then proceed
west to the Caddoan Mounds for an
Indian Dancing celebration followed
by an exciting gun fight. There will
be guided tours of the mounds by
Park Superintendent David Turner.
This will mark the end of an action-
filled day marking the 300th birth-
day of the King's Highway - El
Camino Real.
By Charlie Maple
With fingers crossed and hoping
that spring deluges are past, the
Texas State Railroad's ancient
steamers are scheduled to again
resume full 50 mile trips from Rusk
and Palestine on Thursday, June
13,accordingtoSupt. Curtis Pruett.
The schedule callB for both trains
to run every day except Tuesdays
and Wednesdays through Sunday,
Aug. 18, Pruett noted. Both trains
will depart at 11a.m. and return to
the original depot at 3 p.m. on op-
erating days.
"We certainly are looking forward
to the return to full round trips,"
Purettt said. "Mother Nature haB
really caused us more than a few
headaches this spring."
After the five inch downpour May
17, the railroad staff had to put in
many hours of overtimein trying to
contact an estimated 6,000 passen-
gers who were scheduled to ride
the old steamers May 18,19,25,26
and 27. Several hundred more were
contacted by mail for dates after
the Memorial Day weekend.
"When we have situations like
this develop, it is disappointing to
the staff as well as visitors who
have made plans to ei\joy these old
trains" reflected the superinten-
dent. "Despite our efforts, we were
not able to contact everyone who
had planned to ride and they were
doubly disappointed after making
the trip here."
The superintendent saidthe rail-
road park staff and the depart-
ment are working to find a solution
to the wash-outB that have plagued
the railroad twice this year. "How-
ever, it's hard to engineer for the 5-
10 inch rains that have occurred
with some frequency in recent
years," he added, "but, we will do
our best to insure that these dis-
ruptions are eliminated in the fti-
ture."
Reservations for the renewed 50-
mile schedule can be made at 1-
800-442-8951 (in Texas) or 903-
683-2561 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
daily.
DR. ROBERT W. GLOVER, head of the Department of
History at Tyler Jr. College will give the keynote ad-
dress at the Alto football stadium during the celebra-
tion of the 300th birthday of El Camino Real on June 8.
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Cherokeean/Herald (Rusk, Tex.), Vol. 143, No. 18, Ed. 1 Thursday, June 6, 1991, newspaper, June 6, 1991; Rusk, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth152010/m1/1/: accessed April 19, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Singletary Memorial Library.