The Fiftieth wedding anniversary is traditionally a golden one. For many couples, this would mean gifts of gold jewelry, an anniversary party or even a trip of a lifetime. But for our good friends, Paul and Betty Swasko, theirs was celebrated with Captain Ron and a trip through Caddo Lake, where, according to its website,… Read more »
Oriel Carey Shows off Indian dhokla and carrot halwa Ninety-eight percent of Americans are descendants of immigrants. Some can trace their family tree back to Colonial days. Many came with the Germans and Irish at the turn of the 20th century. Changes in immigrations law in the last 30 years has meant more recent arrivals… Read more »
Dwight D. Eisenhower’s Birthplace Room where Eisenhower was born Denison, Texas began as a company town built by the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railroad (called the KATY), the first railroad into Texas. At its height, half of Denison worked for the KATY, including David Eisenhower from 1889-1892. In a small white clapboard house across the… Read more »
Potters Brown, Edom, Texas Ken Carpenter Jewelry, Edom, Texas Selections at Potters Brown I love small towns that use the arts to survive and Edom and Ben Wheeler are two such communities, closely connected and near Athens and Tyler. Edom owes its survival to Doug Brown, owner of Potters Brown. Potters Brown Freshly trained as… Read more »
Where have all the Tyler Roses gone? Twice a year they were sold on every other street corner. A vendor could sweep through the 60 plus rose growers of Smith County, purchase several dozen long stem flowers, and market them wherever cars were stopped. Those days of $4/dozen are past but the question is why…. Read more »
Greenville’s Art Deco Municipal Auditorium Greenville has several claims to fame – Audie Murphy, black soil, cotton history, and most recently L-3 Communications, formerly E-Systems. For years, I was only familiar with the I-30 corridor and the football stadium for high school soccer games. But upon closer inspection, Greenville has some charming places to… Read more »
Planetarium on the campus of Texas A&M University, Commerce The first major sight of Commerce from the north, south, and west is the campus of Texas A&M University at Commerce. The twelve story Whitley Hall is the tallest structure between Dallas and Texarkana. This 123 year old school of almost 10,000 students has undergone major… Read more »
This is part of a series of occasional articles about individuals who have traveled to Lamar County to live.Paul Bayer’s journey to Paris began as World War II wound down in Eastern Europe and with a grandmother who saved his life more than once. Paul was born on November 2, 1941 into an upper crust… Read more »
Red River County is old. Prior to settlers moving west to Texas, Caddo Indians passed often over the gentle hills and even stayed a while in villages. The Spaniards didn’t pay much attention but early settlers crossed the Red River on their way to all that free land in Texas. Five signers of the Texas… Read more »
Surrounded by lakes and woods in the heart of Northeast Texas, Mount Pleasant lives up to its name as a pleasing place to visit. Four major lakes within 30 minutes of the town limits make this the Bass fishing capital of Texas. A Blue Bird Trail and the Sleepy Hollow Daffodil Garden beckon in the… Read more »
Mary with statue of John Lennon in Havana, Cuba park
Mary riding camel in Jordan desert
Mary Surrounded by Hmong women selling their wares in Sapa, Vietnam
Mary on glacier in southern New Zealand