The Gilmer Mirror (Gilmer, Tex.), Vol. 140, No. 10, Ed. 1 Thursday, March 9, 2017 Page: 5 of 14
This newspaper is part of the collection entitled: The Gilmer Mirror and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the Upshur County Library.
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THE GILMER MIRROR, Gilmer, Texas March 9, 2017 — Page 5A
Lady Buckeyes headed to
state powerlifting meet
By Mary L. Kirby
By BRENDA JOHNSON • 903-734-5142 • bdjohn2@etex.net
Six Lady Buckeyes are head to Waco’s Extraco Event Center
March 17 to participate in the state powerlifting meet after
winning their first regional team championship. Gilmer had
11 girls contributing to the team total of 46 points, 20 points
more than Bullard, their nearest competitor. At the regional
meet in Fairfield Thursday, March 2,138 girls competed.
“The girls powerlifting program was re-established three
years ago,” said Coach Leslie Hawkins. “In 2015 they placed
fifth at regional, and last year improved to third.”
Qualifying Lady Buckeyes for the state meet of the Texas
High School Women’s Powerlifting Association are: sophomore
Jessica Taylor, junior Karina Castillo, junior Victoria Urqui-
dez; sophomore Marshae Davis; junior Jocalynn Fountain,
and sophomore Shannie Jones.
Jones set a regional record in the squat with a lift of 420
pounds. She competed in the 259+ class and added a bench press
of 150 and a dead lift of 315 for a combined total of 885.
Just missing the cut for a trip to Waco were two Lady
Buckeyes, Bonnie Clifton and Makailah McConnel. Clifton
finished third with a total of 870 (360,165, 345) in the 259 and
under class, while McConnel lifted 780 combined (305, 160,
315) in the 259+ class.
Jessica Taylor finished second in the 97 and under class
with a lift of 515 (205,100, 210.)
Victoria Urquidez competed in the 123> class and got second
with a combined total of 705 (265,145, 295.) Annie Stevenson
finished fourth and Selina Bell eighth in the same class.
Sydney Bell was fourth in the 132> class while Cierra An-
derson was fourth in the 148> class.
Marshae Davis got second place with her combined lift of
840 (340,155, 345) in the 165> class.
Jocalynn Fountain was second with a combination of 865
(380,165, 320) in the 198> class.
Buckeyes
From Page 14
Thursday 7-4, dropping games to Texas High 4-2 and Sulphur
Springs 6-5 on Friday, and defeating Van Saturday 8-3.
Gilmer is 5-3 in the young baseball season.
The Buckeyes traveled to Brownsboro Tuesday and will
participate in the Hallsville Tournament Thursday-Saturday.
The results will be published next week in The Mirror.
Kade Clemens got the win over Brownsboro as he went
4 2/3 innings, striking out one, and giving up three runs on
three hits.
For Gilmer, Jeremy Kelly hit a double with three RBIs,
and Red Jones, Ryen Lawhorn, and Dimitri Fort each had a
single.
Against Sulphur Springs, the Wildcats scored early and of-
ten, while Gilmer saved the best for last, coming up just short
of catching their opponent. The Wildcats had two runs in the
first, one in the third, two in fifth, and two in the sixth.
Gilmer had scored one run in the second after Fort led off
with a single and stole second. Fort scored on Kollin Hurt’s
sacrifice fly to right, cutting the lead to 2-1.
Hurt went 22/3 innings in the loss, with three runs scored on
three hits with one strike out while he was on the mound.
After Hurt’s RBI in the second, Gilmer would not score
again until the top of the seventh when they were trailing 6-1.
Sulphur Springs brought in Dawson Draper in relief. Draper
walked Jayden Hah and Jones and hit Hurt with a pitch to
load the bases.
Clemens hit a fielder’s choice which scored Hah.
With two outs, Lawhorn walked to reload the bases before
Jeremy Kelly cleared the bases and picked up 3 RBIs with his
double to left, narrowing the score to 6-5.
Texas High scored two runs in the second, clinched the win
with one run in the third, and added an insurance run in the
sixth to outpace Gilmer 4-2 in the second game Thursday.
The Buckeyes scored their first run when Trent Pierce dou-
bled and then took advantage of two passed balls to score.
Texas High’s E. Sutton returned the favor, scoring on a
passed bah, when he picked up the decisive third run in the
third inning.
Lawhorn cut the lead to 3-2 in the sixth when Bryce Burns
singled him home.
Nathan Mize took the loss for Gilmer. He pitched four
innings, surrendering three runs, five hits, and striking out
two.
Zak Jordan got the win over Van Saturday morning. He
threw three innings, allowing zero runs, one hit, striking out
one, and walking one. Pierce threw two innings in relieve and
gave up two runs, two walks and one hit, while Kelly finished
with one run on one hit and a walk.
Clemens led the Gilmer scoring with two RBIs, while Kelly,
Chumley, Fort, Pierce, Mize and Jones each had one.
Myles Chumley hit a double for the only extra base hit
against the Vandals.
Gilmer had five hits and combined those with four walks
and six steals to score eight runs. Pierce, Mize, Clemens, and
Jones each had a hit, while Lawhorn, Mize (2) and Jones had
the four walks.
Clemens, Kelly and Fort each stole a base while Mize picked
up three steals on the Vandals.
East Mountain From Page,
Webb said he had not been “officially contacted” about the
department’s status and “I don’t know anything official.” He
said that what he knew of the situation was “pretty much”
what has been in the media.
If no East Mountain officer is on duty, “my deputies will
respond” to a call, he said.
Calls by The Mirror to East Mountain City Hah on Tuesday
morning were not answered. A call to the listed number for the
police department reached a recording identifying the number
as that for the city police, but instructing callers to dial 911
or, if they wanted to speak to an officer, to call (903) 843-2541,
which is the number for the sheriff’s office in Gilmer.
Upshur County Emergency Management Coordinator Marc
Nichols, who was also an East Mountain police sergeant,
said Tuesday he resigned from the police department a week
before the shutdown and that he had been unaware it was
going to happen.
He suggested checking with City Hah to learn the details
about the matter.
Beekeepers group to meet
The Caddo Trace Beekeepers Association will meet Mon-
day, March 13, at the Agri Life Building, 1708 Industrial
Rd. in Mt Pleasant.
Keith and Billie Hiett of McLeod will demonstrate a new
design hive stand and it is time for election of officers.
Question and Answer session starts at 6:30 and the
meeting at 7 p.m.
The public is welcome.
For more information call Jean Jeff at 903-380-9231.
The Upshur County Hos-
pital Auxiliary will have its
monthly meeting at Bubba’s
Fat Burgers across from Ro-
broy Industries on March 14
at 11 a.m. All members are
encouraged to attend.
The health fair was held
at the Gilmer High School on
Saturday. There were many
places represented with lots
of goodies. The Auxiliary
registered people as they
came in and furnished them
a bag, water bottle and bingo
cards to have filled out at the
various places. The halls were
filled with vendors giving
away free things such as pen,
pencils, and various other
items. There were also places
you could get free tests from
health care professionals.
WORDS OF WISDOM: Be
ye fishers of men. You catch
‘em - He’ll clean ‘em.
Condolences go to the fam-
ily of Jeannine Dodd Austin.
She is survived by her hus-
band, Tedd Austin, and chil-
dren, Bart Austin (Veronica)
and Kim Austin of Bryan.
There was a large crowd at
her service and many people
talked about her on Sunday.
Jeannine taught the kids
in early morning seminary
for 28 years as well as other
classes. We will ah miss her,
everyone loved Jeannine.
Winter is not over, al-
though we have had a mild
one. Be sure your animals
have a good place to stay with
plenty of water and food.
Thought for the day: For-
bidden fruits create many
jams.
This week finishes up
Chap ter II and starts off Chap-
ter III of Doyal T. Loyds’ “A
History of Upshur County.”
This book is very interesting,
especially for those of us who
have had the book forever
without reading it.
A real pioneer: This story
was told to this writer, but
there is no proof so the story is
given to you without names.
There is a man who is
buried in the old deserted
cemetery at Coffeeville who
came to Texas from Tennes-
see, because he wanted to
fight and because he admired
his fellow Tennessean, Sam
Houston, arriving in time
to take part in the Battle
of San Jacinto. He came to
Texas on horseback down
the old Cherokee Trace and
fell in love with East Texas,
so just as soon as the Battle
of San Jacinto was over he
went back to Tennessee, and
started making preparations
to return to Texas. He began
making a crop, but in ah of
his spare time he was very
busy making himself an all-
wood two-wheel cart. Even
the wheels were made from
logs.
When it was finished,
he loaded it with only the
necessary household and
kitchen utensils, put bows
and a wagon sheet over it. He
placed in the cart a few items,
a large coop of fryers on the
back of his cart. He hitched
his work ox and a good milk
cow, yoked together, to his ve-
hicle, married his long-time
sweetheart, and started west
on their honeymoon. Spring
caught them in Bowie County
where they stopped. Using his
land grant certificate that was
given him after the Battle of
San Jacinto, he bought 640
acres of land. They made a
good crop but did not like the
country, so he sold his land
for $2 per acre, loaded his
cart and again started down
the Cherokee Trace.
They had some Tennes-
see friends near the future
site of Coffeeville, so they
stopped off to visit them. The
hills northwest of Coffeeville
looked so much like their Ten-
nessee hills that they bought
320 acres for $1 an acre, later
adding more land.
Here they built a log cabin
and later added to it as
needed, reared a large fam-
ily, many of whom still live
around Coffeeville. On that
long cart trip from their old
home to Texas they did not
miss a meal, because there
was plenty wild game, milk
and butter, wild honey, their
own chickens, and the neigh-
borly people along the way.
They traveled leisurely,
letting the cow and ox graze,
then belling them at night
so they could eat grass and
still not get lost. It is said
that when they arrived in
Texas they had five hens and
a rooster left from the pen of
fryers.
These and others like them
were the earliest settlers of
Upshur County, soon to be
followed by the large planta-
tion owners with their many
slaves.
Chapter III: The First
Schools: There is no record
of a school in Upshur County
until about 1851. There were
no school books except prob-
ably the old Blue Back Speller
and the Bible, so the parents
taught their children how
to read and write. Pioneer
people were too busy trying
to live and begin a new life in
a wilderness to think much
about education of their chil-
dren, In fact, little education
was needed except how to live
in a wilderness.
In 1852 an article appeared
in the Texas Republican, a
newspaper printed in Mar-
shall, about the Gilmer Ma-
sonic Female Institute which
was sponsored by the Meth-
odist Church in Gilmer.
This school was taught by
L.V. Montgomery and it
was reported that she had
about 40 pupils. Reference
can be found in this same
newspaper which gives the
curriculum of the school for
the years of 1854-55, therefore
it is supposed that the Gilmer
Masonic Female Institute
was still in operation during
these years.
On Jan. 18, 1856 the Sixth
Texas Legislature granted a
charter to the Gilmer Female
College, with the Rev. David
W. Stovall as teacher of the
school. He was superseded
later by Martha Weathered
and her daughter, Margaret
Weathered. In a few months
this school closed due to fi-
nancial difficulties.
CHARTERED MASONIC
MALE ACADEMY: Going
back a little, on Feb. 11,1854,
the Legislature passed an act
to incorporate the Gilmer
Masonic Male Academy, and
appointed Dr. George Ford,
Joseph Derrick, Thomas D.
Brooks, A.H. Abney and J.H.
Hendricks as trustees.
LeRoy Anderson, former
band director of East Moun-
tain, wrote his master’s thesis
on the history of education in
Upshur County while attend-
ing East Texas Baptist College
at Marshall. The thesis is on
hie in the library there. This
is a splendid book, and this
writer obtained valuable in-
formation from this book, for
which we thank him.
Also in the minutes of
Bethesda Lodge No. 142 many
references can be found
where the lodge operated the
school for several years. In
January 1859 the lodge ap-
pointed S. W Beasley, J. A. Der-
rick, R.M. Cade, G.E. Warren,
G.C. Patillo, A.U. Wright, and
William H. Hart as trustees of
the school. In the minutes of
Bethesda Lodge there can be
found a record of impressive
graduation exercises being
held on July 13, 1860. In 1861
the lodge rented the school
building to Morgan H. Looney
who took over the operation
of the Gilmer Masonic Col-
lege and changed the name
to the Looney School.
THE LOONEY SCHOOL:
Morgan H. Looney was born
in South Carolina October 27,
1825. After receiving an edu-
cation in the private schools
in Georgia where he had
moved, he taught there until
1860 when he moved to Gilmer
and bought the old Masonic
Institute building.
In 1871, on account of his
wife’s health, he moved to Ar-
kansas where he remained for
five years. While there he had
a large part in the founding
of the University of Arkan-
sas. After his wife’s death he
returned to Texas and taught
at Weatherford, Sulphur
Springs and Jefferson, and
other places. In about 1882 he
went back to Georgia, where
he died June 21,1901. He had
several children and one of
his granddaughters, Miriam
Jenkins, visited in Gilmer
in 1954.
Next week we will finish
with The Looney School and
get some more in Chapter
III.
e §
We’re All A-Buzz with a
HUGE THANK YOU!
To Our Community
The Upshur County Literacy Program wishes to extend
a sincere THANK YOU to everyone
who helped make our 24th Spelling Bee a success!
Special Thanks to the Gilmer Rotary Club Members,
the Spelling Bee Planning Committee and
David McQueen, Chairman, for their hard work & dedication.
CONGRATULATIONS
to the winners of this year’s “Bee”
First United Methodist Church
The BEE-LIEVERS
5
We also wish to extend an extra special thanks to:
ETEX Communications and Upshur Rural Electric Coop
for underwriting the cost of the meal
Our exceptional teams and sponsors *
Bobby Rice - Master of Ceremonies
Mike Spencer & Scott Nolan - Auctioneer
Alise Nolan - Pronouncer
Judges & Timekeeper
Gilmer High School Students &
All our Generous Donors & Buyers
i I
\J
Thanks to all who helped, attended and
participated to help us celebrate
our 29 th Anniversary of Service to the Community!
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Parker, Vic. The Gilmer Mirror (Gilmer, Tex.), Vol. 140, No. 10, Ed. 1 Thursday, March 9, 2017, newspaper, March 9, 2017; Gilmer, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth879311/m1/5/?q=hart: accessed May 2, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Upshur County Library.