The Buzz

History preservation in pictures is paramount

Did you know that at one time Jefferson was the county seat of Cass County? And did you know that Morris County was a part of Titus County and split in the late 1800s?  John Wingate Truitt, who settled near Jenkins and died in 1875, worked toward the formation of a separate county and after his death, Morris County was formed.
This information was in the window of the Eddie Connor Case Museum on Webb Street in downtown Daingerfield. Pat Connor does a tremendous job of keeping the museum windows, of which there are several, changed out and things pertaining to the city, county and schools are displayed throughout the year.
In one section of a window last week there were several pictures and a note at the bottom asking for help in identifying the people in the photographs.  Mrs. Connor, along with Marie Vaughn, is working diligently to identify the people in the photographs so they can be incorporated into displays in the museum.
Mrs. Connor said a lot of the pictures came from local families where the parents had passed on and the surviving generation didn’t know who was in the photographs, so they brought them to the museum.
I always think it is the saddest thing to see old photographs out at flea markets or in antique stores that are sold to others just because they are old. Neither the people who are selling them nor the people who are buying them have any idea who the people are.
Some years before my mother died, I asked her to make sure she identified all the pictures she had by writing on the back of them. I still have some that I do not know who they are, probably college friends is what I’m thinking. But for the most part, I know most of them.
I know how we all are with our electronic devices and so on, but surely many of us have pictures at home that will be passed down to others. The weather is cooling off, yard work is nearly done, so it will be a good project to take on as the winter days approach. Get out those old boxes of photos and see if you can write on the back of them who they are and how they are related to the rest of the family.
There is a rich history in each of our families; try to preserve it to pass on to future generations.
 If you live in the area, stop by the museum and see if you can identify any of the people in the pictures. There are many in the front window and Mrs. Connor said there are many more inside the museum.
Stop by the museum any time and check out the displays Mrs. Connor has. There is a lot of information there about our area and the people who settled it and lived here. Our history has to be of interest to almost everyone who lives here. Do the responsible thing and help preserve it for your family.