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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas
Friday, April 11, 2003
Study club holds Texas heritage program
A Texas Heritage Department Program entitled, Texas, "Is It Worth Bragging
About!" was held recently by The Modern Study club as members gathering
in the home of Martha Jay, 523 South Oleander.
The thought-quote for the program was "Texas is still a last frontier.
It's the part of the United States where the traditional virtues are still
operating. In short a piece of living history." J.C.B. Richmond.
Juracy Ray, Texas Heritage Chairman, chose to present her own program,
which she had planned earlier in the year. She prefaced her program with
the statement, "We all love our state and like to tell others about it."
She then began by refreshing everyone's mind about some of the well-known
and pertinent facts about out beloved state our state tree is the pecan
tree, while the mocking bird is our state bird, sideoats grama is our state
grass, chili is our state main dish, topaz the state gem, lightning whelk
our state seashell, the Texas bluebonnet our lovely state flower and our
state motto is friendship and we truly try to live up to our motto.
She continued, our state capital is Austin and our capital is constructed
mainly of pink granite, our longest river is the Rio Grande which stretches
1,270 miles and our tallest mountain is the beautiful Guadalupe Peak that
stands 8,749 feet. Texas has 274,416 square miles of land, has 257 counties,
stretches 770 miles east to west, and 800 miles north to south, plays host
to three-fourths of the birds that we have in America, and 17 of the 50
states will fit simultaneously within it's borders with 1,000 square miles
left over. Texas has 91 mountains more than any state except Alaska.
Mrs. Ray talked about all the regions of Texas, the type of land and
rainfall in the regions as well as their economic resources, the major cities
and their tourism attractions.
Some "little" known facts Mrs. Ray told were that Kermit was named for
Kermit Roosevelt, son of President Teddy Roosevelt, the first tin smelter
on the North American continent is at Texas City; the largest sugar plant
in the world is at Sugarland in Fort Bend County; 1942 Jo Carrol Dennison
of Tyler became Texas' first Miss America; the first electrical power plant
in Texas was erected at Galveston in the early 1880s; Jacob Walker was the
last man killed at the fall of the Alamo on March 6, 1836; 12 Parker County
watermelons exhibited at the World's Fair in St. Louis in 1904 had a combined
weight of 1,185 pounds to win the gold medal world prize; the star that
tops the 570-foot San Jacinto Monument at the San Jacinto State Park near
Houston is 34 feet tall and that the largest religious painting in the United
States was painted in Dallas by artist Torger Thompson, who took eight years
to paint "The Miracle of Pentecost," which measures 20 feet in height by
124 feet in length.
Mrs. Ray also presented excerpts from an article about the wonderful
Hallie Stillwell, who made her home at the North edge of Big Bend National
Park. In the article writer Rosemary Williams stated that Hallie was her
favorite Texan, a Texas treasure, and that for her, Miss Hallie personified
Texas. Williams also declared she, frankly, just loves Texas. A postage
stamp mural in Cisco is an unusual site to see, according to Presenter Ray.
President Joyce Morton presided during the meeting and conducted opening
ceremonies. Shirley Shaffer led the Club Collect and Paula Fuller led the
pledges to the United States of America and Texas flags, as those in attendance
repeated all in unison.
Pearl Gustafson, treasurer, presented a report concerning club finances
and Paula Fuller, secretary, read the minutes of the previous meetings.
Committee reports were then presented.
Lena Harpham, Federation Counselor, presented a report from the GFWC
Clubwoman Magazine from the article, Sowing the Seeds, which told of GFWC's
sponsorship of a nationwide Juniorette club program established in the 1960's.
The program has over 2,000 members currently active in 22 states. Mrs. Harpham
emphasized that GFWC Juniorette club membership will sharpen leadership
skills and put idealism to work in projects that benefit children, the elderly,
families and communities. The General Federation of Women's Clubs challenge
is to continue to develop leadership skills and a volunteer spirit in young
women.
Roll call was answered by naming one's favorite historical place and a
famous Texan. Hostesses for the meeting were Martha Jay and Joyce Morton.
Ten free oak trees available
Ten free oak trees will be given to each person who joins The National
Arbor Day Foundation during the month of April 2003.
The free oaks are part of the nonprofit Foundation's Trees for America
campaign and are being given in recognition of the oak's selection as the
People's Choice for America's National Tree.
The ten trees include two red oaks, two pin oaks, two bur oaks, two scarlet
oaks and two willow oaks.
The free oak trees will be shipped postpaid at the right time for planting
in April or May with enclosed planting instructions. The six to 12 inch
trees are guaranteed to grow or they will be replaced free of charge.
To become a member of the Foundation and receive the free trees, send
a $10 contribution to Ten Free Oak Trees, National Arbor Day Foundation,
100 Arbor Avenue, Nebraska City, NE 68410, by April 30. Or join on-line
at www.arborday.org.
Pecos Enterprise
York M. "Smokey" Briggs, Publisher
Division of Buckner News Alliance, Inc.
324 S. Cedar St., Pecos, TX 79772
Phone 915-445-5475, FAX 915-445-4321
e-mail news@pecos.net
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Copyright 2003 by Pecos Enterprise
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